Harte wants radical Rules change

MICKEY HARTE, Tyrone’s All-Ireland-winning coach, has proposed a radical change to the International Rules game.

A strong opponent of the hybrid sport, Harte has suggested the ‘away’ team play its native code rather than the compromise rules, though his own opinion would be to abandon the sport.

“For my part I’d leave it behind altogether and go and build a GAA foothold in every corner of the world we can,” said Harte.

“I’ve suggested a World Series at club level. You could amalgamate teams from other countries if they’re not good enough and play them against junior All-Ireland champions.

“But if the GAA feels an international outlet is so important and I believe it is, then we’re going the wrong way about it.

“Let’s call a spade a spade: when the Australians come to Ireland, play full Australian Rules. We’re not far short of that anyway. If you took away the round ball and the crossbar that’s what you’d have.

“When Ireland go to Australia you could then play full Gaelic football, and then you’d see who’s able to adapt — who’s more skilful and so on.”

Harte expressed his surprise at the praise for the AFL players’ mastery of the round ball.

“I can’t believe how much credit pundits and others here gave the Australians for their capacity to kick a round ball — as if it’s a work of art. When they’re used to kicking an oval ball, then surely a round ball is easier.

“If you’re a professional playing sport as your livelihood, why shouldn’t you be better at a game which has many similar attributes to yours?

“Let’s see how good they are at Gaelic games — if they couldn’t take you out of it in a tackle round the sides and had to play Gaelic, to work the game the way we do, then you’d have a real idea of how good one group of players were in comparison to another.

“I think our players would have very little adaptation to make to play full Australian Rules because of what they’ve been exposed to — it’s all but Australian Rules.”

Harte called for the provincial series to be restored as the “great competition” it once was.

“To think the provincial series has been done away with, virtually, this season because of this other game is a shame.

“People say the Railway Cup doesn’t work but why isn’t it working? Because we’re not making it work. Don’t say ‘it’s not working’, ask ‘how can we make it work?’

“There was huge status attached to Railway Cup medals and places on the teams in the past but that’s been devalued. Not by the players, but because it’s been moved from pillar to post.

“Nobody knows when it’s on, or even if it’s on. It could be held on a Saturday in November or a Sunday in March. There’s no effort to make it work.

“If that effort was made and it didn’t work I’d hold my hands up, but there’s no doubt this could be a great competition again. It’s the highest level of representative football at the moment.”

Meanwhile, Brian Dooher and the rest of Tyrone’s venerable group of 30-somethings will be back for at least one more crack at winning another All-Ireland title.

Ryan McMenamin had already confirmed that he had received his weights programme from Harte but there had been speculation that Brian McGuigan, Enda McGinley and Dooher might call it quits. All three have had injury problems in recent years.

Dooher assumed the captaincy after Cormac McAnallen’s tragic death and is acknowledged as an inspirational leader within the squad. According to Harte, a good example is just one of the positive contributions his older brigade can make.

“There won’t be major changes (in the panel)” said Harte. “A few people will go but that hasn’t been publicly announced yet. None of the regulars will be going, put it like that.

“I believe you can’t buy experience. When you’ve quality players with a lot of experience behind them, you have to look at the complete package.

“When players get on in years maybe they lose a bit of something but they have to be gaining a lot of other things as well. It’s a question of balancing everything out and I’d be very, very happy with out players that are that side of 30. They are very, very experienced and very dedicated athletes.

“What the likes of Brian Dooher and Ryan McMenamin bring to the panel is enormous and the example they are for the younger players is great. Those men are worth their weight in gold. I wouldn’t get hung up on age at all. You need the blend of the experience and youth.”