Griffin against new back door proposal

DUBLIN captain Paul Griffin has declared his opposition to a motion from his own county board that would give a second chance to provincial football champions who lose at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.

Such a proposal will be tabled at the GAA’s Annual Congress in Newcastle, Co. Down this April. It comes in the wake of a deeply frustrating decade in which the capital side has been unable to add national honours to provincial success. The motion in question would see the four provincial champions meet with the winners progressing to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the defeated sides meeting two other counties who would emerge from the regular qualifiers.

“You have won three games at that stage and you have your form,” said Griffin. “The back door works well from the first and second round where you have only played a game and all of a sudden your season is over. By the time you get to your provincial final or quarter-final stage, you don’t need that many second chances. It’s the championship, that’s the beauty of it. It’s great to be playing in those knockout games. Your season is on the line.”