Time to clean up the GAA sidelines, urges Dr Con

Dr Con Murphy has questioned the need for a maor foirne on the sideline and believes the GAA must take a leaf out of rugby’s book during games.

Medic to Cork teams since 1976, the highly-regarded Murphy has long been an advocate of making the sidelines a quieter place and appreciates there is now a willingness to do so following a series of high profile brawls which have involved substitutes and management officials.

“I think the time has come for us to copy the rugby model when you’re only allowed a management official, a doctor and a physio and then have almost everyone else is up in the stand.

“Another medic is required in the stand to go away with a player if they pick up a bad injury or are bleeding while the doctor continues to remain on the sideline for any further injuries.

“I don’t think the maor foirne is necessary. I think we can now go without it. Our presentation of our games would be improved by implementing what rugby does.”

Citizen journalism in the form of amateur video footage has contributed to the heightened awareness of violence at club games, says Murphy, but he stresses modern technology doesn’t diminish the problem, which is a major concern for people in his profession.

“I suppose with social media it’s more prevalent because people are recording it and presenting it. That’s one reason but there was always an element of it there. Social media has brought it to prominence.”

“From a medical point though, I think it would be much better if there were less people on the sideline. It would be a safer place in a lot of aspects. It would also look better too.”

On Thursday, Ulster GAA launched a “One Punch Can Kill” initiative with Dr Dermot Grant, former medical officer for the British Boxing Board of Control, warning punching someone on a GAA pitch is more dangerous than in a boxing ring.

Murphy wholly endorses such an awareness campaign, complimenting its relevance and timing. “It’s something that should apply in all walks of life, the danger of one punch, but fair play to them for taking the initiative. It should serve as a reminder just what is at stake here.”

Medics also have to a role to play in being more efficient with their entries onto the playing surface, Murphy believes.

“Injuries are far more common today than they were and that’s down to the amount of training and the work-rate involved and they’re going back to everyday life with them. But there has to be a limit on the time allowed for blood subs - it’s a rule that needs refining because it’s too open-ended.

“I would also go back to the old way of the referee calling the doctor to assess a potential injury unless it is clearly identifiable as a serious injury. Take the past hurling season when Robbie O’Flynn got knocked out - you don’t need any referee to call you when something like that happens. But there are a lot of incidents when we are running in when it’s not needed and I think it should be limited.”