The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

I think the "two years" comment needed to be taken with a pinch of salt. Mickey Graham used the media very well. It came at a time when lads were being added to the panel and rather than put pressure on them to make an immediate impact, he used the S&C argument that it might take lads 1-2 years to get up to pace. Did he mean it? Well, you only need to look at what he actually did.

In 2019, he handed Oisin Pierson, Thomas Galligan, Conor Rehill and Conor Brady their debuts and most played in the Ulster final that year. The following year he was throwing McGovern his debut in a league game against Kildare.

In 2021 plenty of people (some on here) criticised him for blooding Oisin Brady, Cormac Reilly, Paddy Lynch and Sean McEvoy. Some on here continually criticised him picking Cian Madden last year.

And last year David Brady, Brandon Boylan, Tiernan Madden, Niall Carolan, Cian Reilly and Brandon Boylan all went straight from the extended panel to starting games.

One thing Mickey Graham did do was give a lot of younger players their chances. Yes, against Armagh he may have gone to his tried and trusted but to suggest that he actually did hold lads back for 1/2 years doesn't bear out when you actually scrutinise it.

Sean McEvoy, Lynch and Oisin Brady were all excellent underage players and I don't remember people giving out that they were being blooded. Paddy Lynch would have been on the panel in 2020 but didn't commit.

Yeah there was a good few blooded.

What happened with Doughty, played well in Division 2 in a couple of League games and didn't play thereafter. Hd got injured, but wasn't on any panels after 2020?

My recollection of him was playing brutal and giving away a terrible ball at a critical time. Monaghan either equalised from it or it was that free the they missed to win it in normal time. I don't think he was quite up to standard back then, maybe he has improved.

So your point has changed, after using Tiarnan Madden as an example you're now saying he's not an example because he played U20 with Cavan.

So the issue you have is with non-county underage players not getting enough gametime?

Are all of these youngsters Meath brought in non-county underage players? Do you even know what the point you're trying to make is anymore?

Galligan was asked that in his first interview in the Celt and said everyone he had approached had said they would go back in. Easier to say in the summer before going into November and slogging it out again. The rumour mill will be going full tilt unless the extended panel is announced. We already had Eoin Clarke and TED saying they were called in, WAC said they heard Cormac O Reilly and Caoimhin O Reilly back in as well as Paddy Meade, James Galligan and Emmanuel Shehu. There's players who won't be in for training for November (one mentioned a bit back) and that is likely due to recovery from an injury rather than a longer-term decision.

For the older players, I don't think it is a case of just miles on the clock. There's a lot more to balance in terms of lads with young families along with careers and whether they want to commit to all the training.

Are Padraig Faulkner and Paddy Lynch going traveling?

This debate re odds or evens is really dragging on. It’s clear the clubs want to go back to U18 to allow players an extra year until senior but the county board want odds and are really dragging it out.

Next vote on it is Monday night.

Yeah a new fourth proposal is on the cards and may tick all the boxes.

Option 4 is the new proposal:

Option 1:

• U13, U15 and U17 with one further age grade beyond U17 (currently U20 in Cavan)

• U17 is final Developmental Age Grade

• Decoupling - U17s cannot play Adult Club

Option 2:

• U12 with Go Games

• (non-competitive), U14, U16, U18

• Counties must adopt an internal Bye Law to decouple at U18 - i.e., U18s cannot play Adult Club. 

Option 3 Whilst this remains on the table it has been amended to such an extent that it is neither feasible or enforceable especially with regard to the 60 hours task force recommendation. Should clubs decide to introduce this option neither the Youth Board nor the C.C.C. will be making any alteration to their games schedules to facilitate the small number players who would be in a position to play both Adult and Underage competition. Furthermore, clubs should be aware that given the long-standing precedent of playing our Minor finals as a curtain raiser to the Senior, Intermediate and Junior finals that regardless of the contestants in these games and any potential crossover that may occur both games will go ahead on the same day.

Option 4: This has been suggested by the Youth Board following their review of a Proposal from the Gowna Cluband taking into account the views expressed at the last county board meeting involving Club Youth representatives:

• Run League competitions at u13, 15 and 18.

• Run Championship Competitions at u13, 15, 17 and one other Age Grade (U19/20)

• Decoupling – U17s cannot play adult football.

The Youth Board favours consideration of Option 4 as Decoupling at 17 is at the heart of our ability to provide a comprehensive games programme. The eligibility of 18-year-olds to play both Youth and Adult football impinges on our ability to design a fixture schedule.  It would greatly impact on the scheduling of U18 matches. An 18-year-old cannot play two games at the weekend.

How is it felt it ticks all the boxes? It’ll be difficult on trainers to run one team for League and then another for championship at 17/18. How do you work training for that team spread across two grades?

Thomas Galligan made his debut against Offaly in 2017 , qualifier game

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=e9c567f7afd2eda8JmltdHM9MTY5OTQ4ODAwMCZpZ3VpZD0yMTc4MDAzMS02YTNhLTZjNmItMTJmMy0xMzgzNmIzYTZkYTEmaW5zaWQ9NTI0OA&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=21780031-6a3a-6c6b-12f3-13836b3a6da1&psq=CAVAN+V+OFFALY+2018&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ2FhLmllL2Zvb3RiYWxsL2dhYS1mb290YmFsbC1hbGwtaXJlbGFuZC1zZW5pb3ItY2hhbXBpb25zaGlwL29mZmFseS1jYXZhbi8xMDU5MTg5Lw&ntb=1

Cormac Reilly didn't feature of note in 2022? Started both Ulster Championship games.

In 2020 Cavan's losing run started against Clare where there was 1 change in the starting side from the previous round.

Our next game wasn't for a full 7 months later and came when the pandemic isolating and close contacts was at its height.

In the Kildare game the only 'old head' returning that hadn't started in either of the previous 2 rounds 7 months earlier was Jason McLoughlin.

The starting team for the Roscommon game had 13 of the 15 players that started when we won the Ulster Final 4 weeks later.

As for this year in the league, below are the sides that started in the game against Down that we won and in the subsequent losses against Antrim and Fermanagh. Where is the gang of youngsters that got dropped between the Down win and the defeats? There's 8 players on each starting team by my count that joined/rejoined the panel since 2020.

Down: R Galligan (capt.) (0-1 free); J McLaughlin, P Faulkner, N Carolan; G Smith, C Brady, T Madden; D Brady, K Clarke; Cian Madden (0-2), D McVeety (0-2, 0-1 mark), J McCabe; P Lynch (2-5, 0-4 frees), R O’Neill, B Boylan (0-1).

Antrim: R Galligan (0-2, 45s); K Brady, P Faulkner, C Moynagh; C Brady, C Reilly, T Madden; J McKenna (0-1), K Clarke; G Smith, C Madden (0-3), J McCabe; B Boylan, P Lynch (1-1), Ryan O'Neill

Fermanagh: R Galligan (0-1, ’45); C Reilly, P Faulkner, N Carolan; C Brady, J Smith, T Madden; J McKenna, K Clarke (1-0); Cian Madden, O Brady (0-5, 5f), J McCabe (1-0) ; G McKiernan (0-2, 1f), B Boylan, Conor Madden.

You’re still waiting for the answer to one query you set, that’s a good one…..

I have stopped engaging because you ignore most of the questions put to you. Go over my posts in relation to the topic and answer the questions set and then I’ll review your queries.

You might want to get a saucer of milk first. Should be plenty of it down in Loughduff.

Any thoughts on the underage odds Vs evens debate by the way? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts given the concerns your own club raised at the initial meeting re the proposed changes.

Clarke and Murray played against Roscommon not Kildare. You said that we were in line for promotion until he brought back the old guard, that's simply not what happened. There was no wholesale dropping of youngsters and reintroduction of older players against Clare or Kildare.

Go back to the league 2023 part, you said we had young lads in the league when we got promotion at a canter and then brought in the old guard and started losing games. Madden and Boylan started both losses. Carolan was injured for Antrim but played against Fermanagh. The youngsters were there playing in the games we lost in the league?