McGeeney: Shorten the inter-county calendar
Echoing the sentiments of Kerry’s Colm Cooper last month, the Kildare manager believes the competition can be played over a shorter period. However, using the success of this year’s backdoor system as an example, he believes more games could be played over that reduced timeframe.
“The qualifiers show that Gaelic football as a spectacle could be played on a weekly basis, the league and the championship format,” said McGeeney at the launch of SuperValu’s Ode to the Third Sunday in September competition.
“There’s potential there to play more quality games. Then you’re into the whole fixtures thing and what’s best… we all have our opinions.
“I’d love to see a wee bit of separation, cut down the inter-county scene by four or five weeks, let the club scene start later so everyone gets a chance to play for both teams.
“It’s very stop-start. Most teams have an average of 10 games-a-year, played over nine months. It seems a bit ridiculous to me.
“I’d love to see more inter-county games. I know people will talk about burnout and all that stuff but, out of all the sports in the world, to play nine or 10 games in nine months, we’re probably the least active!
“[Games] week after week can have plusses and minuses. You can pick up knocks and things but there’s also positives. You can gain momentum, you can look at your game inside out, start to tweak it and look at different aspects of it and work on it.”
McGeeney says the sport’s concerns about being in the spotlight as much as rival games are no longer founded and they should have the courage to constrict their blue-chip competition.
“In the past the GAA probably wanted — and I know no one likes saying this out loud — to be in the papers all year long to be able to counter other sports or to be always in the competitive in terms of the media but I think those days are gone.
“I think the GAA is well able to stand on its own two feet. I think it’s only fair to the clubs, as well as inter-county players, you can’t serve two masters, it’s tough on the players and the clubs. I think shorten both [club and inter-county] years and still give players a month or two earlier.”
In hindsight, McGeeney reckons the qualifiers have been good to Kildare in the sense they couldn’t afford to be like Kerry and Dublin and wait weeks on end to play games. In his mind, they haven’t built up enough historical capital like those two counties.
“Kerry look as if they only have to peak for four weeks of the year now. I don’t think Dublin will be killed by the wait. Once a team has a history and can delve into something they’ve done before, in terms of winning stuff... Dublin and Kerry and a few of those top teams have.
“The likes of Kildare haven’t. We can’t delve into those things, like what it’s like on the big occasion.”
McGeeney at least can take solace from the fact which claims Kildare lack the sufficient firepower to win an All-Ireland despite another high score against Derry last Saturday.
“There are some good pundits out there and some very silly ones so you’re better ignoring the whole lot.
“In the last three years our scoring average is around 18-19 scores so that says enough. When you lose obviously your defence has leaked more than that but that’s our average score as far as I know in the championship. It’s fairly high and I think that’s enough.”
McGeeney is not quite sure if the three qualifier games in as many weeks have given him a better idea of his best starting team. “I change quite a bit, it’s difficult in GAA because there are so few games but there are some players who suit certain teams so you can’t just say this 15 works.
“Your best 15 changes depending on the game. It’s a hard thing [concept] to introduce into Gaelic football that kind of system because you don’t get enough games but it’s unfair to say your starting 15 is the best 15 you have because the best 15 don’t always give you the best on any given day.”
McGeeney also confirmed midfielder Hugh Lynch had an operation on his lateral and cruciate ligaments last Friday but he dismissed the idea that the recent spate of cruciate injuries in his camp has anything to do with blade boots or sand-based pitches.
“People are talking about cruciate injuries nowadays but we’ve had three high-impact injuries, nothing to do with what boots or what field you have. If 14 stone hits you at the side of the leg it’s going to snap. It’s unfortunate for the big fella, he’s had a great year for us but that’s sport for you.”
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