If you were to pitch a movie based on Rhys Shelly's year, you might be laughed out of the room. Audiences would struggle to believe such a far-fetched fairy tale.
Having shared Tipperary goalkeeping duties with Barry Hogan during the league, the Moycarkey-Borris man found himself back on the bench for the start of the Munster championship.
The team that had finished last, and winless, in the province in 2024 made a positive start in drawing with All-Ireland favourites Limerick but were then thumped by Cork.
Shelly replaced Hogan for the trip to reigning champions Clare and the Premier won to ignite their season, eventually gaining revenge over Cork in the All-Ireland final to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
Not only that, Shelly became the first goalkeeper to score a point in a decider and also saved a penalty, from Conor Lehane.
There's a decent chance he will win his first All-Star next week.
"It's been a serious battle now over the last three years, it's fair to say, between myself and Barry," the 25-year-old told RTÉ Sport.
"It's tough. It all depends on how you're going. If I have a bad day in training, I'd be thick enough and I wouldn't want to talk to anyone, and vice-versa it's the same.
"There was only two of us this year so it was basically a one v one whereas if you're an outfielder you could be looking at six positions.
"You try to make each other better. Focus on doing good drills and try not to bring down the session, because [then] you're not only affecting yourself, you're affecting him as well and that's probably no good for anyone.
"2024 didn't go so well for me, probably didn't put as much effort as I should have into it.
"This year it was a good old battle again. I picked up an injury here or there, and I just kept the head down in training, that's probably the main thing.
"Liam [Cahill, manager] made me believe that I always had a chance, it wasn't a case where I was like 'I'm not going to get one here, there's no point even trying'.
"I know you could easily go away and start sulking because you're not getting the chance or whatever.
"But it's such a high-level performance sport that anything could happen. Especially with goalies these days, the amount of goals being scored in matches between every team is so high and unfortunately for us goalkeepers we're always remembered for our last mistake.
"You 've just got to be prepared, ready to take your chance, and I was very thankful for Liam and Mikey [Bevans, coach] to give me my chance again this year.
"Coming into this year ahead, it's going to be the same. There's no guarantee, so you've just got to keep working, you can't take anything for granted in this sport ever.
"We hadn't had a good run the last few years, and there's no point hiding from that. There was definitely a point there when nobody had our backs, only our family and our team-mates.
"So being able to do that for our families and for us as a team was probably what it was all about because they were always there for us when times were tough and they'll always be there."
After the final whistle in July, Shelly sought out his mother Mary, the Moycarkey-Borris club secretary, who he says has had "a huge part to play" in his success.
"We had a pretty tough year at home," he said. "My mother actually had a stroke at the start of the year so she had a few health issues herself. Then her own mother [Margaret Shanahan] passed away the week of the Clare game, which was also the week that I got my first start.
"So, that moment meant a lot to me. Being able to do that now, especially with the grandmother looking down and herself, it was definitely, definitely, definitely all worth it.
"I'm just happy now to be able to give this back to her and give her such delight. To make her proud is always the aim because I wouldn't be where I am without her today.
"I know it probably wasn't easy because when I got to my teens I was probably struggling with disciplinary things, especially with the club, but she's always been there for me, always been my biggest supporter.
"For a woman who I'm not sure ever played, she was just so invested in it and always had us out.
"She used to steep balls in water overnight when I was as a young lad and have me out pucking them the next day, because it would be so heavy. So when it comes to the [match] ball then it would be a lot lighter.
"The land beside the hurling field would be my grandmother's.
"Having such easy access, you'd be down there nearly most days when you're not in school.
"Having a brother there [senior football panellist Kyle] only two years younger than me there, was a big help also. Pretty much everyone is playing sport so it's a busy household alright."
Tipperary are third on hurling's roll of honour (29 titles, one behind Cork) and the only county to win an All-Ireland in every decade, since they claimed the very first, in 1887.
July's surprise triumph made it three since table-toppers Kilkenny (36) last climbed the steps. But Tipp have struggled to back up their triumphs and last successfully defended Liam in 1965.
That could be a topic when the squad assemble for the team holiday to Cape Town - minus the McGraths of Munster-semi-finalists Loughmore-Castleiney - next week.
"It's definitely something we want to be focusing on this year," said Shelly.
"We don't want to go out next year now and underperform. You see how easily it can happen with teams.
"Especially when you're going into Munster, it's such a cauldron, anyone out of five teams can get through.
"We'll focus now, get back in, have a good league campaign, get a bit of momentum, and hopefully get on with it again.
"The aim is obviously to go back-to-back. Everyone's aim is to win the All-Ireland at the start of the year, so hopefully we get the preparation right, get the players all back and ready to go again now in the coming weeks."
