GAC will not shirk duty on indiscipline

THE Games Administration Committee will not shirk its responsibility when it comes down to penalising players for acts of indiscipline, chairman Tony O’Keeffe stressed yesterday.

He was speaking after the committee had decided not to take any further action in the case of the incidents in the April 13 NHL game involving Kilkenny and Tipperary, than that which referee Michael Wadding felt was warranted at the time.

Croke Park officials said the GAC noted that, after consulting with an umpire following the incident between Philip Larkin and Ger O’Grady, the referee “adjudicated it merited a yellow card only”. And, in the case of the incident involving Henry Shefflin, it took account of the fact that the referee was “right beside it” and decided that no action was merited.

Without disclosing their deliberations, Mr O’Keeffe accepted that a strong case had been made that the referee witnessed the incidents and dealt with them as he saw fit. As would be normal in such situations, officials from the two counties, among them Kilkenny manager Brian Cody, argued the cases of respective players.

However, while pointing out that the new committee has yet to draw up a policy document to deal with such incidents over the next three years, O’Keeffe conceded that there may very well be occasions when they might decide to overrule the referee.

Clearly, they would want to avoid accusations of conducting witch-hunts by focusing on particular incidents which might be highlighted in the media and not on others. In such situations they can be expected to make judgement calls, much the same as referees do on a continuous basis and which Wadding did on the occasion of this particular match.

“We will obviously have to have a policy in relation to incidents that the referee has dealt with but may not have been dealt with in accordance with everybody’s wishes,’’ he commented. “It’s safe to say that if incidents come to light that the referee hasn’t seen, obviously we will have to have a policy in relation to that. You have the selectivity of National League matches with possibly only one game being shown whereas in championship, all the games are shown. But, the message is the same: the GAC will be vigilant and referees and their linesmen and umpires will be vigilant in the areas of indiscipline.’’

In general, however, he feels that the level of discipline in inter-county games has improved significantly in recent years: “I think refereeing standards have improved and I think the cards have helped, as has the new disciplinary system as well as the speed with which things are done.’’

“The most important thing now is that you miss matches for misdemeanours. There are so many matches being played that if you are sent off, the chances are that you are going to miss seriously important games and no player wants that. It was different long ago where you had nearly a month between all your games. You could get four weeks suspension and not miss any game. Now, with the National Leagues starting in February and running straight into the championship, inter-county players are in action nearly every second Sunday until the end of June.’’

Meanwhile, Dublin have set themselves the ambitious target of winning a premier hurling championship - at minor, under-21 or senior - before 2008.

County Board Chairman John F. Bailey made the pronouncement yesterday, following the formal announcement of former Offaly and Kilkenny coach Diarmuid Healy as director of hurling. Linking the appointment to the necessity of implementing key recommendations of the Strategic Review Committee report, Mr Bailey emphasised the importance of reaching agreement with the Leinster Council as quickly as possible. Otherwise the consequences for the GAA in Dublin are serious.

Healy was chosen from a short-list of seven and John Bailey says he is ‘delighted’ to have him on board.

On the contentious issue of the implementation of the SRC proposals, Bailey is adamant that the issue is not about the chairmanship, the make-up of the committee had been “very specific”. He made it clear that Dublin did not want to handle money earmarked for spending by the SRC.

While remaining optimistic of a solution to the present impasse, Bailey says that talk of withdrawing Dublin teams from the championship is no idle threat.

“The clubs are fully behind us in any action we may take,’’ he added. “Do not underestimate our resolve. We are deadly serious, we are not for turning. We have invested too much effort in this not to see it succeed.”