Track & Field Vs Gaelic Football Callange

griffspeed

I am interested in opinion from GAA fans on the following -
Track and Field is a minority sport and we are looking for ways to promote our sport to the greater public the majortity of whom would be GAA Fans. That is my motivation for the following.
1. Do you think that Intercounty Gaa Players (eg Kerry football) could hold their own over 100 meters or 200 meters with your average competitive club Sprinter.? Some of whom are sub 11 secs electronic for 100 meters.
2. Would this type of race attract paying public to a Track & Field meeting, with international standard races as well as this race.?
3. What would entice the GAA guys to race, its a given that cash would be available for charity or players fund, would it take some pride hurting trash talk to drag them out.
4. Venue kerry, with Kerry sprinters V Kerry GAA- who do you think would be quick enough from Kerry Footballers?

Nalced_irl

To be honest, with the way football has gone in the last few years/decade i dont think GAA players are built just for speed these days. There is more emphasis than there used to be on the physical strength of players so i think most would not be able to compete against trained sprinters. Having said that, there are players that focus on their speed for the game also however none come to mind immediately who could do 11 seconds or below. Ill have a think tho.

As for what would attract GAA players to race? Well, as it is an amateur sport, training wouldnt be 5 days a week for a few hours like professionals do. Id say alot of players would like to do extra training wherever possible and as most players are competitive by nature (not including Dublin that day against Tyrone of course ) other competitive sports would catch their interest.

Frankie Lee

Stephen Kelly from limerick would be a serious sprinter, plays rugby too for shannon I believe.
Plenty of footballers, you'd imagine would be decent over 800 to 1500 metres.
Overall I couldn't see this happening.

Nalced_irl

Agreed. Over slightly longer distances where strength plays more of a part they would do better. I dont think many could get even close to a trained sprinter over a short distance tho.

Frankie Lee

Nalced_irl wrote: »

Agreed. Over slightly longer distances where strength plays more of a part they would do better. I dont think many could get even close to a trained sprinter over a short distance tho.

Stephen Kelly is very very quick though

CyberDave

griffspeed wrote: »

I am interested in opinion from GAA fans on the following -
Track and Field is a minority sport and we are looking for ways to promote our sport to the greater public the majortity of whom would be GAA Fans. That is my motivation for the following.
1. Do you think that Intercounty Gaa Players (eg Kerry football) could hold their own over 100 meters or 200 meters with your average competitive club Sprinter.? Some of whom are sub 11 secs electronic for 100 meters.
2. Would this type of race attract paying public to a Track & Field meeting, with international standard races as well as this race.?
3. What would entice the GAA guys to race, its a given that cash would be available for charity or players fund, would it take some pride hurting trash talk to drag them out.
4. Venue kerry, with Kerry sprinters V Kerry GAA- who do you think would be quick enough from Kerry Footballers?

Denis Glennon from Westmeath is also very pacey.

Pride Fighter

Track and field would whoop Gaelic Footballs ass in track and field. Gaelic football would destroy track and field in a footy match.

munster08

Are ye really saying that only 2 inter county GAA players could hold their own against your average club sprinter?

The GAA is in a worse state than what I thought so if that's the case.

griffspeed

Nalced_irl wrote: »

Agreed. Over slightly longer distances where strength plays more of a part they would do better. I dont think many could get even close to a trained sprinter over a short distance tho.

Most Strenght is required in Sprints, especially 200 m & 400 M. 100 meters suits the explosive type, so those footballers who are good fielders (with solid vertical leaps) should be quicker than average.
Pat Flanagan who was the fitness coach to kerry 2003-2006 trained the Kerry guys utilising very similar training to a sprinter. His background is in sport science and in the past as a competitive sprinter in the 80s. He is still ranked in Irish all time over 100m.
There seems to be a common belief in the average Irish sports fan and in the media that the best of Irish talent is in the GAA. This debate was especially notable during the olympics and the precieved poor performance of our Track & Field athletes. I wonder does the average joe out there fully appreciate what Paul Hession achieved or that in alot of counties, eg kerry there are sprinters with very quick times and these guys dont get the regocnition they deserve. For example in Kerry county athletics championships this year in 100 meters first 2 were in the 10.8s electronically timed. yet there was more of a write up in the local media the following week about the Junior B football match between Knocknagoshel and Ballymacgash.

griffspeed

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Track and field would whoop Gaelic Footballs ass in track and field. Gaelic football would destroy track and field in a footy match.

The Gaa boys would have to get the ball before they could score. Here are some interesting stats from a scentific study utilising Mayo Intercounty footballers.
1. The quickest using electronic timing was over 13 sec for 100 meters.
2. The best vertical leap was 58 Cm. ( This is a key competency is Gaelic Football)
3. Over 50 Meters the quickest was 7.5 secs using electronic timing
4 There are also stats in the study for 20 & 30 m sprints

In a recent study in Kerry amongst club sprinters age range 17 yrs- 38 yrs.
1. Vertical Leap in excess of 75 Cm- so likes like the sprinters could outjump the footballers and win aeriel possession.
2. 50 meter sprint times 6.01 so could beat the gaa guys to the ball.

There is no doubt that the GAA guys would have key ball skills that the sprinters would struggle with but for sheer athletisism no contest...

munster08

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Track and field would whoop Gaelic Footballs ass in track and field. Gaelic football would destroy track and field in a footy match.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious, but that's not what this is about. It's about actually showing the public what the local sprinters can do as opposed to just assuming it. And what better way than to destroy their prized footballers who they see on a constant basis in a test of speed? Not only would they get beaten, they'd get hammered.

thirtyfoot

This is a stupid argument and pointless trying to compare sports like this. If the track guys in Kerry are worried they aren't getting enough coverage in the local media then they need to ask themselves a few questions as to why they are in the sport in the first place. I think most GAA folk will admit their guys would lose over 100m, primarily because they don't need to be good over 100m in a straight line. Griffspeed/Munster08 is raising the same thread on the athletics forum and I guess he has come over here to try and rise some people.

smashey

I agree with Tiingle.

Locked.

By the way, Brian Dooher would take the 10,000 metre runners.:p