Kerry GAA discussion thread #2

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121274717#Comment_121274717

Rathmore are one of the best run clubs in Kerry if not Ireland.

Small population but constant stream of minors and U20s/21s.

They are the only club in Kerry to have a senior championship starter continuously since 1996.

Much better production line that big townie clubs like Laune Rangers and Listowel.

ShamoBuc

Feedback thread for those interested.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058319439/feedback-thread-2023-new-gaa-mods#latest

cms88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121273735#Comment_121273735

Why you slate Peter Keane yet give Fitzmaurice a free pass?

dobman88

Dublin in Tralee for the 1st round of the league

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/sport/gaa/kerry-to-start-national-football-league-campaign-with-home-game-against-all-ireland-champions-dublin/a1053200129.html

Poor_old_gill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121281366#Comment_121281366

I don’t give Fitzmaurice a free pass at all- he got a lot wrong and the all Ireland he won meant that the county board kept him in place a year or 2 longer than he should have been.

However he did win an all Ireland and the players did like him, which are 2 big positives

Bass Reeves

I know a lot if lads did not rate him but I think the loss of Jack Barry will really limit our chances this year.

kerryjack

I wish him well on his travels, he has his AL ireland medal, and himself and his family can be very proud of what he has achieved wearing the grean and the gold of kerry,

cms88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121284445#Comment_121284445

Of course players liked him. I'd love a manager who picked me regardless of how i was playing as well.

An Ciarraioch

Parnells confirm they're applying to go senior next year, which shouldn't see any objection. As for the county championship in football, Kerry's Eye reporting that Tralee are planning a divisional side for next season, which would leave Churchill and Ardfert in limbo, assuming that Mitchels and Pats joined the town side. Could we see the North Kerry divisions merge as part of a general restructuring and whittling down of such teams?

dobman88

Even though I can see the general point they're making, this just stinks of sour grapes from Rahillys. No such whinging from Rathmore, Legion, Stacks etc when they got relegated. They just got on with it. If Rahillys were good enough, they'd have stayed up. Poor timing on a poor statement.

https://kerinsorahillys.com/articles/105185

An Ciarraioch

Indeed - even if there's an argument for expanding the number of clubs involved to say, 10, and accordingly having six divisional teams, throwing them all out to intermediate just looks and sounds self-serving by Strand Road.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121317051#Comment_121317051

Kerry has a serious problem with the number of senior clubs. 10 is not the solution. They need 12 minimum. The big question is do you remove districts from the county championship.

Howy KOR's proposal is not a solution either. It would cause serious issues for the Junior and Novice championships, create a substantial number of unviable districts which in turn could have implications for the intermediate championship. You could assume that for the nest 2-4 years the only promotions out of the IC would be districts. As districts and amalgamations cannot represent in the AI club championship you would have issues in representation in that as well.

cms88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121314924#Comment_121314924

Much like when Mitchels refused to be relegated that time. Changes are needed for sure however clubs don't have a right to be senior just for the sake of it. The fact is Strand Road played seven championship games this year and only won one. The way they are at underage etc it was only a matter of time before they were relegated anyway.

highball14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121311975#Comment_121311975

Ah come on. Fair play to Barry he has given great commitment to Kerry but looking objectively at his performances they are at a low level. I fully expect his replacement to be an upgrade. It’s a positive thing really because if he was still around JOC probably wouldn’t have looked at other options. Joe O’Connor and Mark Ryan are the 2 standout options to step in for me.

highball14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121317671#Comment_121317671

Why do we need 12 minimum? The truth is people are looking at the size of the clubs going down and not the quality of the teams. Rahillys, Stacks and Legion performances recently have not been good enough to be a Senior club! If it was Spa, Templenoe and Na Gaeil that were the last 3 teams relegated there wouldn’t be any of this talk.

cms88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121319676#Comment_121319676

This is it really. People forget before the number of clubs were cut thre were clubs who never or were never going to do anything but just held in there year after year.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121319676#Comment_121319676

We have fewer senior clubs than virtually any other country. This leaves us winning intermediate and Junior AI football titles but is it good for Kerry football.

Any senior club with aspirations of winning the country championship has to take risks in the club championship. It's very hard to peak twice in any season. You only have to look.at intercounty where many teams use the league as a preparation competition for the championship.

Nothing against SPA, NaGaeil or Templenoe, smaller clubs unless they get a group of extraordinary players as one group know that winning the country championship for them is impossible so they target the senior club championship and winning one game probably gaurantees survival in the senior ranks.

Putting ten teams will mean uneven number of teams with rest weekend interfering with the outcome of the competition and a senario where two teams could manufacture a result to save themselves in the final weekend.

Neither is KOR proposal viable, however moving to 10 or 12 teams will mean moving from 3 to 5 weekends in the round robin of a senior club championship which would probably cause issues with the County Championship anyway.

If the county championship remained in its present format the round robin games of both competitions require 8 weeks with the knockout games another 5 weekends with no allowances for a break. The soonest the competitions could end is mid November

cms88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121323206#Comment_121323206

But would having more senior clubs help Kerry football? More clubs doesn't mean ore quality. The fact is you'd just end up with hugely one sided games. I think at one point there was over 30 teams in the Tipp SHC and it never changed anything as the same teams ended up wining it every year.

wonga77

I have good time for Rahillys, i have played against them in county championship more than once and have some good friends there. However they know the risks and a poor year has been reflected in their demotion.

As someone who played for a divisional side I know how scattered it can be, some do take it more seriously than others. I would think some form of a qualifying process should take place, there have been plenty stories about some sides rocking up to training a few nights before a game wondering who's available etc.

Its a hard one for Rahillys to take but like so many of the clubs relegated the last few years they just have to suck it up and try get back to senior.

The statement was badly timed and while the intentions may have been genuine it just comes across as sore losers

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121323360#Comment_121323360

There is also a risk if Kerry do not change its system then a new system may be imposed at form a Munster or Croke Park level. Kerry has won the majority AI Junior championship for the last 10+ years and is now winning Intermediate ones ever other year. When Austin Stacks and it's more ''when'' that "if" they are probably gauranteed to win the AI intermediate competition as well.

This level of wins indicate that Kerry has too few senior clubs

highball14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121323569#Comment_121323569

Not our problem, let other counties match our numbers if they want to.

rrs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325185#Comment_121325185

Ye aren't that stuck for clubs. Fermanagh and Leitrim might have a point of 8 Senior clubs.

How many clubs make up East Kerry, 9 or 10? Take a few clubs out of that set up and they would still be strong.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325185#Comment_121325185

It will be of Central Council impose a solution. There was a bit of a back lash last spring of complaints about the low number of senior clubs in Kerry.

windy shepard henderson

Central council have no business interfering, if other counties want to do the same then let them

If south Kerry or west Kerry were told they could no longer amalgamate then several clubs would die

We will probably have to formate two or three amalgamations over the next ten years to keep it alive In west and north Clare

Last week my own Club was part of a four team amalgamation underage against another 4 team amalgamation at 21s level

20 years ago all 8 clubs could provide squads not the case anymore and its probably going to get worse

orangerhyme

I think someone with a good statistical mind should come up a ranking method for clubs based on results in previous 3 years maybe (in league and championship) and then structure the divisional sides accordingly.

South Kerry is suffering rural depopulation so should gain a few clubs.

The triangle of Killarney - Tralee - Killorglin has the most population growth in Kerry, hence we've a Mid Kerry - East Kerry final. Milltown has seen highest population growth in Kerry I think and is in Div 1 so might be a senior club soon.

So East and Mid Kerry will lose a few clubs to St Kieran's and South Kerry for example (Kilgarvan for example should be South Kerry).

Some Tralee or Mid Kerry clubs can go to West Kerry. Feale Rangers and Shannon Rangers could amalgamate with maybe some clubs going to St Brendan's or St Kierens.

Some divisional teams might disappear for a few years eg Kenmare District and then might appear again when clubs drop back down to intermediate.

You get the idea but it would be broadly geographical with the "borders" shifting every year.

The divisional championships like O'Donoghue cup or South Kerry championship will remain the same as before.

I like the divisional system but it needs tweaking to level the playing field. I think if you asked club players most are in favour of it.

I know we've an advantage in the AI at Junior and Intermediate but I enjoy it. It's a great experience for small clubs.

3 clubs from Rathmore parish have made AI finals in last few years. Rathmore, Knocknagree and Gneeveguilla.

mitchelsontour

A factor that as far as I can see no one has mentioned is that every important club competition now has to wait until the county team is out of the championship.

The county board runs the very efficient county league without the intercounty players but now has to squeeze both the club amd county championships in to a short time frame.

The April window that was used for the club games is now closed by croke park and the 16 team limit also forced by croke park is the real problem with how a previously well run schedule has been thrown in to disarray.

highball14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121330265#Comment_121330265

Joe O’Connor was available in 2021 and Barry was always selected ahead of him. Okunbor isn’t an option at midfield, that was obvious in the league games he played there.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121328081#Comment_121328081

The month of August and September replaced the April window which was 5-6weeks only release of county players was an issue anyway during the window. Any slight knock or injury and they were unavailable. Before the County a d senior club championship's did not begin until October if Kerry reached the end of the AI series.

Problem for Kerry is running two important competitions with round robin rounds in a three month window. Kerry as well as most counties is reluctant to run important club competitions during the first two weeks in August which is a statutory holiday period for many companies

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121330349#Comment_121330349

Jack Barry is much better than many give him credit for. He has a serious engine and covers some amount of ground. Carries out a substantial number of blocking runs for to make scoring chances especially for David Clifford as well as excellent defensively

While coming to the end if his career we will still miss him