Considine wants big changes to club scene

Give club players a break, have an open draw and play off the entire All-Ireland Club championship before Christmas — so says Kilmallock manager Tony Considine as he prepares his side for their first round Munster championship game against Tipperary champions Thurles Sars or Drom-and-Inch on October 28.

“There’s been a lot of talk about having an open draw at inter-county level, the club championship is the ideal way to try this out. Give fellas a real break between seasons, be fair on the players.

“The way it is at the moment, any team that’s lucky enough to reach the All-Ireland final will be going until next March, then starting straight back into their own local season again. That’s completely unfair. Give it two years of a trial, see how it works. There are only about 16 teams in it, that’s four rounds, four weekends, finish every game on the day, no matter how you do it.

“Maybe the county final would have to be finished a bit sooner than at the moment in a few counties but that could be done too.”

No seeding either, he says, no separating of clubs from the bigger counties.

“No have it completely open, then you’re being fair to every club. Have a full open draw, give everyone a chance. First team out of the hat gets the home draw, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, and you’re assured of bigger crowds that way too. This could be done at junior and intermediate level as well, then have a big day out for the final, maybe a triple-header in Croke Park. That would be fairest on everyone.”

There’s a lot of merit to Considine’s suggestion. Apart from the extra-long season for all the clubs concerned, there’s the complete imbalance of the current provincial system, the Galway champions in an All-Ireland semi-final unopposed, the Antrim champions almost guaranteed progress to the same stage, while the champion clubs of Munster and Leinster are beating each other up.

“It’s a long year anyway for club players, they’ll have started training back in January or February, the same as the county teams, but their county championships are always delayed.”

It won’t be happening this year, however, and after last Sunday’s heroics against Adare he now has the challenge of refocusing his side for the upcoming challenge against the Tipperary champions.

“We’ve already overcome a few major challenges, beat last year’s Limerick and Munster champions [Na Piarsaigh] in the semi-final, then beat Adare, who had won three-in-a-row in 2007/08/09. It was a hard-earned championship, that’s for sure. Those were big challenges but every game now is like that. This is what you want, this is how you really test yourself, against the best teams in the country.”

Two years ago Kilmallock were there again, and again it was against Tipperary opposition, Thurles Sars. They lost, and at home to boot. This time the game is again in Kilmallock but they’re more ready.

“We’re more mature than we were in 2010, a lot of these lads were only teenagers then, or very early 20s. Sunday’s win, and the manner of it especially, will bring them on again.

“And I want to think Adare for that. They really made a game of it, made us earn it every inch of the way, a real championship final. Every ball was fought for, yet there wasn’t a dirty stroke. That’s what you expect anyway between two good teams, two teams who have already had success.

“It was tooth-and-nail, county players on county players, yet all played in the right spirit. I’ll tell you though, there was a lot of sore bodies after it! I think the Kilmallock supporters are happiest about the way it was won, in a battle. Everyone loves a team with heart and this team showed that again on Sunday. This time of the year it’s all about that, heart and courage.”