The GAA needs 2020 vision

It was impossible not to have some empathy and even sympathy for Páraic Duffy yesterday morning.

Hours before facing the national media in Croke Park, the GAA’s director general would have learned the Club Players Association had called on him to withdraw his blueprint for a reformatted football championship ahead of Congress next month.

Duffy put an awful lot of thought – and indeed imagination – into drafting that proposal. He put even more time and thought into advancing a strident case for it, with the Croke Park press office issuing a slickly- presented 40-page document for all interested parties illustrating how the new fixtures could be rolled out and impressively answering some concerns or criticisms his proposal might prompt.