Éamonn Fitzmaurice: We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We can't miss the boat.

As an FRC member, not one person said to me this year: Leave Gaelic football alone, it's fine. Let’s give our players the canvas to play and express themselves, not repeatedly paint by numbers based on metrics

NOTHING TO LOSE: Chairperson of the Review Committee Jim Gavin at the GAA Football Review Committee Media briefing in Croke Park. Picture: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

WHEN contacted by Jarlath Burns and Jim Gavin last January to become a member of the Football Review Committee, why did I decide to get involved? I had more than enough on my plate. I hate unnecessarily missing time with my family. I am busy professionally and I had committed to Fossa's footballers again for 2024. I had plenty of reasons to say no. While it is always an honour to be asked to be involved in an initiative like this and the thought of working with Jim - my nemesis from a different life - was intriguing. However, my main reason for committing was to help to affect change. I felt the game needed it. Badly. And if the likes of me who always found something to enjoy in a match feels the need for change, then the game is in trouble.

We are now at the decision-making point. Vested interests and red herrings aplenty have started to emerge in the last few weeks which is natural and to be expected. However, I feel there is no need for any of us to be threatened by the proposed changes. I will expand my point of view as we go but in short we need change and the rules enhancements are being experimented with for the 2025 season with room to adjust as we go. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain, the definition of a shot to nothing.