Has Gaelic Football lost it's appeal?

robbiezero

Danjamin1 wrote: »

I blame Jim McGuinness & his blanket system ****e for that change. What team is going to kick into an area with 14 men inside their own 45?

Yes, I think you are correct on that. The blanket defense has taken a lot of the nice kick passing out of the game.

Dublin used to have a great kick passing game, but in fairness to them with the way teams structure themselves against them, it is impossible for them to use it.

AlanG

Will I Am Not wrote: »

Did hurling lose its appeal when Kilkenny were so dominant? .....
It's up to the rest to get better. People in general love to watch and admire teams or individuals excel. Except Dublin... for reasons of the sour grape variety.

The difference is that Kilkenny always had the weakness of having limited players and money compared to other counties so there was always a good chance they would ebb. Dublin have the dominance, money, population and infrastructure. Along side that most other counties have a large number of their squad living outside the county. It is hard to get lads to travel from Dublin to Donegal or Tullamore four times a week if they are getting trashed by the Dubs each year. A leinster team would likely have to beat Dublin twice in one year to win an All Ireland - the super 8 and backdoor system both massively benefit the bigger teams.
15 years ago Leinster finals were selling out, now you barely get over 50,000 for Dublin in an All Ireland Semi Final - there is certainly a lot of problems, not of Dublin's making but from the GAA's drive for more revenue.

Dannyriver

robbiezero wrote: »

Yes, I think you are correct on that. The blanket defense has taken a lot of the nice kick passing out of the game.

Dublin used to have a great kick passing game, but in fairness to them with the way teams structure themselves against them, it is impossible for them to use it.

I agree with the point but don t think 'blame' is an appropriate word here. Donegal has a smaller demographic to choose from than a lot of other counties so the chances of finding genuine class forwards is a lot less. McGuiness was well aware of this and used his squad based on its merits. Tyrone had a similar problem at the weekend, where in the past they had the likes of Canavan, O Neil, Mulligan. You can turn average players into seriously competitive players who as a unit can do amazing things but you need a much larger pool of players to choose from to find class players who pose attacking threats. It s why the Irish soccer team goes through awful barren spells as we wait for our next Robbie Keane or Frank Stapleton

EachSmallChime

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

There's always the haves and have nots in GAA and in most sports.

Thinking about it again, I have no real problem that Dublin are so good and far ahead. The rest need to catch up. As pointed out Kerry have 5 minors in a row, Mayo v close in recent years.

I too used attend games as a neutral. Went to couple Munster finals. Went to double and triple headers in croker. Went to Tyrone Armagh in Ulster.

Majority of team sports are played by defending and breaking hard. Man on man marking leaves the defending team at a disadvantage. And these sports are exciting to their supporters.

GAA need to decide how they want the game to develop. They have not developed the rules to follow the development of the game or to drive the game the way they want.
AFL has the mark
Basketball waterpolo etc the shot clock
Basketball also has backcourt and 3 in the key
Soccer rugby the offside line
Netball has some mad zonal system

These rules are there to either speed the game or create space on the pitch for the attacker to exploit.

On top of this other sports have to constantly tweak their rules to maintain a balance of attack/defence.

Rugby constantly mess with the ruck to give more rights to attack or defence.
Rugby also invented bonus points and have more points for try.
Soccer messes with the offside line.

The GAA invented the black card and then refs were abused so much for using it that it doesn't exist in high priority games.

Takes more than my humble brain to give the answer here.
Proper mark?
Shot clock?
13 a side?
Limit number of players inside 45?
Number of handpasses limited?
Backcourt at the 45?
Define the tackle?
Allow rolling subs?

I think you've hit the nail on the head or at least got the ball rolling on the right track. The game's problems are not rooted in Dublin being too good, the problems are in whether the game is actually fun to watch as a neutral?

I'm a Mayo fan with no invested interest in hurling but I was glued to this year's championship. My conclusion is that in Hurling when a defender/goalie picks up a ball, he quickly launches it high causing a 1 on 1 battle between 2 players.

As football tactics have become more refined (as they should) with teams handpassing the ball up the pitch we've lost the individual magic that hurling brings. Whatever rules are brought in, we need to bring back those 1 on 1 battles that are fascinating to watch.

Dannyriver

EachSmallChime wrote: »

I think you've hit the nail on the head or at least got the ball rolling on the right track. The game's problems are not rooted in Dublin being too good, the problems are in whether the game is actually fun to watch as a neutral?

I'm a Mayo fan with no invested interest in hurling but I was glued to this year's championship. My conclusion is that in Hurling when a defender/goalie picks up a ball, he quickly launches it high causing a 1 on 1 battle between 2 players.

As football tactics have become more refined (as they should) with teams handpassing the ball up the pitch we've lost the individual magic that hurling brings. Whatever rules are brought in, we need to bring back those 1 on 1 battles that are fascinating to watch.

Interestingly the hurling you enjoyed so much this year was as a result of teams borrowing that very notion of passing from the back which is an unbelievable skill with the speed and size of the ball. In football its a very basic skill that sucks the enjoyment and spontaneity out of the game..

deaddonkey15

As someone who has lost a lot of interest in football recently, I think it still has the appeal when the likes of Dublin/Mayo/Tyrone/Kerry come up against each other. The problem is even these games can be very hit and miss in terms of quality and entertainment. Dublin v Tyrone last year was very disappointing. I thought the final this year was decent enough and we've had some pretty good finals over the last few years. I enjoyed the Monaghan/Kerry and Meath/Tyrone games this year also.

Beyond the the final/semi final stage though I find it very difficult to get excited about many other games. There is absolutely no appeal to watching Dublin pulverise the likes of Louth and Longford in a half empty Croke Park. The Munster championship is a joke. Ulster and Connacht are some bit competitive but even then some of the football on display is sleep inducing. If it's a wet pitch then forget about getting a decent game. I think the Super 8s was a good idea but I don't agree with Dublin playing twice in Croke Park.

In fairness to Dublin, they really are a quality side and play good football. They may have advantages over other counties but to their credit they are making the absolute most of them. They still have to go out on the pitch and deliver and they are doing this relentlessly. Hopefully the standard they're setting will force other counties to match them and their style of football as opposed to trying to negate it.

EachSmallChime

I agree that it's hard to get excited about games but it was actually before the Semi Final stages that we saw the most enjoyable football. It was when teams like Kildare, Galway or Monaghan threw caution to the wind and had a go at attacking the opposition.

The semi-finals and final this year were dire.

Powerhouse

The game has lost a fair amount of appeal. People compare it with hurling and the big difference is that football has become a possession game while hurling isn't. The inherent attraction in a sport is a direct contest between two players but the way Gaelic Football has developed this has been put on the margins. There is limited aesthetic appeal in watching players handpass the ball to each other often under little or no pressure but while massed defences remain the norm players have little incentive to kick the ball forward.

It also has the added effect of taking the randomness out of the game. If a team like Dublin now gets ahead of a team which allows them exclusive use of the ball in certain areas of the pitch they are effectively unbeatable as they have perfected keeping possession. The sense of inevitability about the outcome of a competition does not enhance it either.

lalababa

WesternZulu wrote: »

I completely agree.

Most people nowadays follow more than one sport so you'll have hurling supporters who more than likely follow soccer and/or rugby.
Soccer and rugby are far slower paced than football but yet you won't hear the same criticism towards them.

Aimless kicking in the 'heyday' of gaelic football was in all honesty awful to watch.

Aimless kicking = more 50/50s =excitement, who is going to win possession? This still happens in the hurling when people are under pressure to clear the ball, or when they belt it up the park towards fowards, or just to gain ground. What's going to happen -markers come flying out to meet the ball= excitement.
Handpassing 5yrds backwards = borefest.

Powerhouse

Nermal wrote: »

Why is skillful, patient, probing buildup by hand-passing so hated?
.

People seem to find it boring.

Dannyriver

Powerhouse wrote: »

People seem to find it boring.

Because it's a pretty basic skill set to practice, and it encourages the blanket defense.

WesternZulu

lalababa wrote: »

Aimless kicking = more 50/50s =excitement, who is going to win possession? This still happens in the hurling when people are under pressure to clear the ball, or when they belt it up the park towards fowards, or just to gain ground. What's going to happen -markers come flying out to meet the ball= excitement.u
Handpassing 5yrds backwards = borefest.

Hurling is a fundamentally different game than football with regards of how far and quickly you can move the ball.
Consequently, the risk/reward of moving the ball in such a manner differs greatly between the two sports. Chances are in football if your player looses that 50/50 dual then your defence is under pressure because you haven't moved the ball far enough up the field.
I wish people would stop comparing the two sports. It's like watching Barcelona playing tika-taka and giving out the game is too slow because they don't belt it down the field like the hurlers do.

Powerhouse

WesternZulu wrote: »

I wish people would stop comparing the two sports. It's like watching Barcelona playing tika-taka and giving out the game is too slow because they don't belt it down the field like the hurlers do.

When they stop playing them on the same pitch with the same number of players and the same scoring system people might stop comparisons. The Barcelona reference is irrelevant.

shockframe

No.

Disappointing senior year overall but still some very good games. Kildare/Mayo, KIldare/Galway, Tyrone/Monaghan, Roscommon/Armagh, Dublin/Donegal, Monaghan/kerry.

Under 21 championship delivered some good games. Cork/Kerry, Kildare/Dublin. Decent All Ireland semi finals and final.

Excellent drama in the minor senes with high drama in Kerry/Monaghan and a great final between Kerry/Galway last sunday.

You'll always have moaners about the game. People see what they want to in these things. Football is still a joy.

Niles Crane

shockframe wrote: »

No.

Disappointing senior year overall but still some very good games. Kildare/Mayo, KIldare/Galway, Tyrone/Monaghan, Roscommon/Armagh, Dublin/Donegal, Monaghan/kerry.

Under 21 championship delivered some good games. Cork/Kerry, Kildare/Dublin. Decent All Ireland semi finals and final.

Excellent drama in the minor senes with high drama in Kerry/Monaghan and a great final between Kerry/Galway last sunday.

You'll always have moaners about the game. People see what they want to in these things. Football is still a joy.

But you've hit on the problem people have.

The game is fine when played in a positive fashion but it's poor when played negatively.

The u-21 and minor grades always produce exciting matches because the players go out and play football, at senior level the football is taken out of them and they have to subscribe to fulfilling a role in a defensive system.

If senior football teams went out with the same attitude minor and u-21 teams did nobody would be complaining.

Tigerandahalf

Pixel Eater wrote: »

I think a relatively straight forward rule would simply to reduced the amount of handpasses allowed; say after 5 passes the next player would have to kick it (only forward maybe). It would be like the same concept as the 5 tackles in rugby league. Teams endlessly handpassing it really can stifle any excitement in a match.

I have always thought a max of 3 hand passes and then you have to kick it. They need to bring back the skills of long accurate kicking and reward high fielding. Instead of introducing a mark for all catches they could allow the successful catcher get to his feet and not be encroached by 1 yard or/and have 1 second before a defender can encroach the catcher.

The above would encourage long accurate kicking and reward players who can field the ball.

I think they also need to do away with the pick up. It is not in the ladies game. On a wet day it is near impossible to pick up the ball and hold your feet.

Just to add - I only watched bits of the final. I hate what Tyrone represent and their diving and play acting. It is a rot in the game. It turns me off watching football. Glad to see Dublin win again for the style they play. They have huge depth but I am sure another team will come along and test them.

The Talking Bread

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I only watched bits of the final. I hate what Tyrone represent and their diving and play acting. It is a rot in the game. It turns me off watching football. Glad to see Dublin win again for the style they play.

Ah, will you stop. If you want to bring up diving, the worst perpetrators on Sunday were Dublin. They are well able to pull out the dark arts at times, even though they are well able to win without them

Two words in particular, John Small.

Johnny Cooper, as tough a man as there is in the team, is a chief culprit also. That embarrassing stunt against McManus especially comes to mind

Edgware

DaltonHurler wrote: »

Well everyone,

just after the all Ireland Final I was wondering what do people think about football in this day and age. Like do people just get sick of Dublin winning it. Like we have to apprentice this 4-in-a-row team but for the neutral supporters what do they think?

While in hurling there have been five different winners in the last 6 years (Clare, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and Limerick). Like I'm being honest I probably watched 40 mins of the final yesterday, so what do ye people think?

Normally I havent the Sunday paper read until Wednesday. Last Sunday I had it read by 5.15p.m. Its not Dublins fault. As for the Super 8s where were the other Super 7?

Tigerandahalf

@Talking bread

I agree they are all at it now. There was a lad in the minor game near the end who got barely touched near the sideline and he was rolling around clutching his face. It is just horrible to watch.

But there is definitely a rougher element in Ulster. It has been there for years, tugging jerseys, little digs, handbags. Perhaps it partly comes from the province being so competitive but the authorities have never cracked down on it.

The Talking Bread

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

@Talking bread

I agree they are all at it now. There was a lad in the minor game near the end who got barely touched near the sideline and he was rolling around clutching his face. It is just horrible to watch.

But there is definitely a rougher element in Ulster. It has been there for years, tugging jerseys, little digs, handbags. Perhaps it partly comes from the province being so competitive but the authorities have never cracked down on it.

To be fair to Tyrone, it was an honest effort for the most part on Sunday. Surely if they are as bad as people suggest at these antics this was the game when they needed to up their game in that regard as they needed every help they could but, apart from a few incidents, there was no serious playacting by them.

nice_guy80

Best game of the year?

Probably Roscommon v Armagh
Two teams who just went at it from start to finish.

No defensive blankets or negative tactics

But neither team will win much silverware without that sort of approach.

Speakerboxx

Danjamin1 wrote: »

I blame Jim McGuinness & his blanket system ****e for that change. What team is going to kick into an area with 14 men inside their own 45?

that started with Mickey Harte in 03 against Kerry

The Talking Bread

Tyrone v Meath, Meath v Longford, Waterford v Wexford, Armagh v Roscommon, Kildare v Mayo, Kildare v Monaghan, Kildare v Galway, Kerry v Monaghan, Leitrim v New York, Monaghan v Tyrone and Offaly v Clare and Kildare v Longford probably the best games of the Summer.
Outside of that, apart from the whole Carlow and Fermanagh narratives, it was all very forgettable.

tayto lover

I found the game to be very poor skill wise on Sunday. The Tyrone shooting in particular was hit and hope. After the Dubs got in front there was only one winner and they cruised to the title.

The craic in the pubs before the game was poor. You usually get a good bit of banter but not on Sunday and the Dubs were not there in numbers until late.

puzl

Having one team so dominant would be fine on its own. Throw on top of that the often expressed frustration with this current style of play and I admit I struggle to watch a full match. If this continues for too long it could hurt football's appeal, if it hasn't already.

Fann Linn

tayto lover wrote: »

I found the game to be very poor skill wise on Sunday. The Tyrone shooting in particular was hit and hope. After the Dubs got in front there was only one winner and they cruised to the title.

The craic in the pubs before the game was poor. You usually get a good bit of banter but not on Sunday and the Dubs were not there in numbers until late.

Dubs are known for being late to games. Maybe someone should start a thread on it.

coolshannagh28

Dannyriver wrote: »

Because it's a pretty basic skill set to practice, and it encourages the blanket defense.

Running and handpassing favours athletes , higher value skills are being omitted , the game needs to be tweaked right now and could be transformed.

rm75

Dots1982 wrote: »

Next 10 years will be a Dublin Kerry carve up so nothing is going to change.

If it wasn’t for mayo these problems would have been a bigger deal before now.

Dublin are a great team and an enjoyable team to watch. It’s just we have only one Dublin and their level is incredible

Yeah agree with this, very excited over this possibility i have to say. We are on the cusp of a golden era for our great game

You would hope the likes of Tyrone and Galway can up their game as well. Be rare you would have more then 3 teams as realistic challengers in football or hurling.

The Talking Bread

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Tyrone v Meath, Meath v Longford, Waterford v Wexford, Armagh v Roscommon, Kildare v Mayo, Kildare v Monaghan, Kildare v Galway, Kerry v Monaghan, Leitrim v New York, Monaghan v Tyrone and Offaly v Clare and Kildare v Longford probably the best games of the Summer.
Outside of that, apart from the whole Carlow and Fermanagh narratives, it was all very forgettable.

The fact that there isn't a provincial final, provincial semi-final, All Ireland final or semi final and only 25% of the "super" 8's in that list speaks volumes.

I think the Championship will be well served by focusing a bit more, where possible on the qualifiers, from tv coverage POV (but in fairness I know it's almost impossible given the fixture congestion)

The Talking Bread

rm75 wrote: »

Yeah agree with this, very excited over this possibility i have to say. We are on the cusp of a golden era for our great game

You would hope the likes of Tyrone and Galway can up their game as well. Be rare you would have more then 3 teams as realistic challengers in football or hurling.

Laugh if you like but Kildare will be ever more in that third level with Galway, Donegal and Tyrone with Kerry just below Dublin, and the omission of Mayo is silly, they will be back. Monaghan probably had their best chance to get to an AI final,

robbiezero

rm75 wrote: »

Yeah agree with this, very excited over this possibility i have to say. We are on the cusp of a golden era for our great game

You would hope the likes of Tyrone and Galway can up their game as well. Be rare you would have more then 3 teams as realistic challengers in football or hurling.

We may be, we may not be. Minor success even to that degree is no guarantee that it will transfer to senior success especially into a senior team in serious need of a bit of rebuilding

I would have thought you would fairly regularly have 3 or more challengers in football. The last decade at different times would have seen Galway, Kildare, Tyrone, Armagh, Mayo, Kerry, Dublin, Meath, Cork and maybe even Down.
This decade you have really only had 4 and I think we are down to 1 for next year.

The_Honeybadger

Nermal wrote: »

Why is skillful, patient, probing buildup by hand-passing so hated?

I don't understand why hoofing 50/50 balls into the middle of the field is 'exciting', but organised play is not. It's weird attitude.

I find the hand passing very boring tbh. It’s incredibly effective and I understand why teams do it but it’s ugly and hard to watch. It’s a consequence of packed defences where kick passing is totally ineffective now so teams are left with no option.

Hoofball is also a bit unfair. There is a middle ground. That kickout that Cluxton hit on Sunday for McCaffery to run on to was one of the best plays I’ve seen in years and is a good example of the excitement that a kicking game can bring. It was magical and completely caught Tyrone out, Beggan did a similar thing v Kerry this year. That’s the kind of thing that gets the crowd on its feet, not 30 hand passes in a row before working in in to the D for a tap over.

legendary.xix

Dublin are the team to reignite the Railway Cup. Have Dublin competing against the other 4 provinces. It's the competition to embrace the level Dublin have brought to the game.

rm75

robbiezero wrote: »

We may be, we may not be. Minor success even to that degree is no guarantee that it will transfer to senior success especially into a senior team in serious need of a bit of rebuilding

I would have thought you would fairly regularly have 3 or more challengers in football. The last decade at different times would have seen Galway, Kildare, Tyrone, Armagh, Mayo, Kerry, Dublin, Meath, Cork and maybe even Down.
This decade you have really only had 4 and I think we are down to 1 for next year.

The counties you have listed were never all challenging at the same time. Meath, Kildare, Dublin and Galway were not serious challengers when Armagh and Tyrone were challenging Kerry for example.

I would dispute that (other then the early to mid 90's with the ulster teams) it would be normal to have more then 3 realistic challengers.

In the late 70's early 80's it was Kerry and Dublin who were then replaced by Offaly. Not hugely different then now to be honest.

The Rape of Lucretia

I think so. It was always the poor relation of the team field games, being fundamentally flawed and at the lowest level of skill. Modern levels of fitness and strategy have exposed this to an even greater degree at the top levels, which tends to set people perception of the game. At the lower levels it is still fundamentally competitive and provides low level entertainment to spectators with an allegiance to a team, but absolutely zero interest for neutrals. There will always be some traditional supporters of it, but it is very hard to see any solution to improve it as a sport.

Straight Talker

Will I Am Not wrote: »

Did hurling lose its appeal when Kilkenny were so dominant? Did soccer lose its appeal when Man United/Barcelona were winning the league every year? Did tennis lose its appeal when Sampras or Federer was doing it? Tiger Woods in golf. Davis or Hendry in snooker. Phil Taylor in darts.

It's up to the rest to get better. People in general love to watch and admire teams or individuals excel. Except Dublin... for reasons of the sour grape variety.

I think there really needs to be a limit, on the amount of sponsorship and government funding that Dublin receives.Finances are not the only factor behind Dublins success, but they are nonetheless quite a substantial factor.Sadly i fear the GAA won't act, until Dublin win 5 or 6 in a row.I mean look at a great GAA county like Offaly, who are left to rot in the sidelines.I doubt that we will see a company like AIG sponsoring the likes of Wicklow Laois Leitrim or Carlow anytime soon either.So all in all Dublins success is down to 1 A great football development structure. 2 Great management and coaching.3 Great players and 4 Several multi million euro notes.

Niles Crane

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

I think so. It was always the poor relation of the team field games, being fundamentally flawed and at the lowest level of skill. Modern levels of fitness and strategy have exposed this to an even greater degree at the top levels, which tends to set people perception of the game. At the lower levels it is still fundamentally competitive and provides low level entertainment to spectators with an allegiance to a team, but absolutely zero interest for neutrals. There will always be some traditional supporters of it, but it is very hard to see any solution to improve it as a sport.

Nice try man.I notice this is your first ever post in the GAA forum.

You may have had a point if there haven't been any top quality games ever but of course there have been loads of those like any other sport, 82,000 people went to Dublins first round matches in Leinster before Dublin were so much better than there competitors so clearly the game had some appeal to people as you don't get 82K going to matches at any sport too often in Ireland.

A few rule changes to get rid of the blanket defence and things would be fine.

dwayneshintzy

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

I think so. It was always the poor relation of the team field games, being fundamentally flawed and at the lowest level of skill.

If you're comparing it to other "team field games"......what other sports does Gaelic football require a "lower level of skill" than? Other than hurling?

Danjamin1

legendary.xix wrote: »

Dublin are the team to reignite the Railway Cup. Have Dublin competing against the other 4 provinces. It's the competition to embrace the level Dublin have brought to the game.

You must have mentioned this proposal at least 6 times at this stage and not once has a single person agreed with you.

warofthebutton

Niles Crane wrote: »

One on one contests for the ball have been taken out of the game, one of the great things in the lead up to games years ago were all the one on one battles and who would get the better of them but this has been taken out of the game as it's very rare a long kick pass is sent where the corner forward, wing forward has to beat his man to the ball.That was the type of football I grew up playing and watching and it's all but disappeared.

I don't remember the 90's too well, but recently I watched the 96 All Ireland replay on Sky and I was amazed at how different a game it was. The skill execution was definitely poorer (especially shooting from anywhere past the 30)but what really struck me was how entertaining the 1 on 1 duels were. I think we underestimate how big a loss this is in modern football. Any modern game that has been deemed a classic (Kerry Mayo replay in 14, Dublin Kerry in 13, Mayo Dublin in last year's final) were ones that featured great individual duels. (e.g. Higgins vs O'Donoghue in limerick was incredible to watch). Any rule change that might facilitate a return to this should definitely be trialled.

legendary.xix

Danjamin1 wrote: »

You must have mentioned this proposal at least 6 times at this stage and not once has a single person agreed with you.

People need time to reflect on the idea. It's not going to happen overnight.

Danjamin1

legendary.xix wrote: »

People need time to reflect on the idea. It's not going to happen overnight.

Or more likely people recognise it as a poor idea. I know I wouldn't want to see my county team playing as part of a provincial team in the main tournament. Kerry & Mayo have pushed Dublin close in recent times, there's no need to amalgamate them with other counties if they can perform on their own.

As myself & others have pointed out the Dublin team is not drawing from a player pool of the total Dublin population, it's still restricted to the senior football teams of the clubs at the top level in the county. That's not that many players relative to some other counties. Cork has nearly as many registered players as Dublin so if population is the main advantage you might expect them to perform better.

Jaden

legendary.xix wrote: »

People need time to reflect on the idea. It's not going to happen overnight.

Back to HS with you.

robbiezero

Danjamin1 wrote: »

Or more likely people recognise it as a poor idea. I know I wouldn't want to see my county team playing as part of a provincial team in the main tournament. Kerry & Mayo have pushed Dublin close in recent times, there's no need to amalgamate them with other counties if they can perform on their own.

As myself & others have pointed out the Dublin team is not drawing from a player pool of the total Dublin population, it's still restricted to the senior football teams of the clubs at the top level in the county. That's not that many players relative to some other counties. Cork has nearly as many registered players as Dublin so if population is the main advantage you might expect them to perform better.

If comparing playing populations, I think it is fairer to count the number of adult footballers in the county rather than the number of senior clubs.
Tipperary has 28 senior hurling clubs, KK has 12 so the number of senior clubs does not necessarily have any bearing on the strength of the county.

Danjamin1

robbiezero wrote: »

If comparing playing populations, I think it is fairer to count the number of adult footballers in the county rather than the number of senior clubs.
Tipperary has 28 senior hurling clubs, KK has 12 so the number of senior clubs does not necessarily have any bearing on the strength of the county.

Fair enough but you could expand on that and say number of senior players playing in top tier competition in that case. You don’t tend to have too many players making the county team playing for the 3rd team at their club.

robbiezero

Danjamin1 wrote: »

Fair enough but you could expand on that and say number of senior players playing in top tier competition in that case. You don’t tend to have too many players making the county team playing for the 3rd team at their club.

For me, the more adult players you have available, the better your county team is likely to be all other things being equal.
Just to note, I'm not whining about Dublin have a playing population advantage - I'm not even sure if they do. I'd imagine Kerry, Cork and Mayo etc have fairly sizeable numbers of adult footballers too.
But I would note that Monaghan have probably a much smaller number than the above listed counties, so it really is a great achievement that they have been competitive at such a high level for as long as they have.

Danjamin1

robbiezero wrote: »

For me, the more adult players you have available, the better your county team is likely to be all other things being equal.
Just to note, I'm not whining about Dublin have a playing population advantage - I'm not even sure if they do. I'd imagine Kerry, Cork and Mayo etc have fairly sizeable numbers of adult footballers too.
But I would note that Monaghan have probably a much smaller number than the above listed counties, so it really is a great achievement that they have been competitive at such a high level for as long as they have.

Oh I agree with that. There definitely are playing population differences across the counties I just hate hearing how people like to include everyone and their granny in those numbers.

robbiezero

Danjamin1 wrote: »

Oh I agree with that. There definitely are playing population differences across the counties I just hate hearing how people like to include everyone and their granny in those numbers.

Ya, I get the point. But for me you have to even count the junior d players if you want to get an accurate comparison of the effect of playing population.

gerryg80

I think the appeal has gone slightly with one team so easily dominating the championship without getting out of third gear. I also think the GAA needs to realise that funding a county team that already has advantages re population & sponsorship deals etc is not going lead to an exciting championship.

Between 2005 and 2009, the government made €5m available to them and them alone. Between 2010 and 2014, in central games development money, per registered player, Tyrone got €21, Mayo €22, Kerry €19, while Dublin got €274.40. In that category, between 2007 and 2017, Dublin received €16.6m from the association, Tyrone were bang around the average of the rest at €560,000. When their 2016 accounts were leaked, they showed they'd spent €523,954 on office salaries and €134,557 on miscellaneous.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/ewan-mackenna-gaelic-football-is-dying-and-if-the-dublin-problem-isnt-tackled-it-will-soon-be-in-the-ground-37282516.html

rm75

gerryg80 wrote: »

I think the appeal has gone slightly with one team so easily dominating the championship without getting out of third gear. I also think the GAA needs to realise that funding a county team that already has advantages re population & sponsorship deals etc is not going lead to an exciting championship.


https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/ewan-mackenna-gaelic-football-is-dying-and-if-the-dublin-problem-isnt-tackled-it-will-soon-be-in-the-ground-37282516.html

Given Kerrys dominance at minor level would you say Dublins funding needs to be increased ?