McCarthy: Greed within the GAA is killing the dual player
The former dual star believes money is the main motivation behind the qualifiers and has cheated supporters from the opportunity to watch the best players line out for their county.
With Cork hurlers losing Cadogan and Damien Cahalane to the footballers within a week, McCarthy points the finger of blame directly at Croke Park.
“It’s very disappointing as regards Cork, number one. Cork are not in the position at the moment to be losing any kind of a player, especially in hurling.
“I think Croke Park have an awful lot to answer for.
“Will we ever see the likes of Jack Lynch, the Cummins, the Barry-Murphys, the Liam Currams again?
“That’s the way the system is working at the moment with Croke Park through greed and money, money, money.
“They’re killing the dual player because the system doesn’t allow the dual player to operate.
“Eoin is a great ambassador for the game, a super kid who loves Cork and the only good thing from it will be his club will see an awful lot more of him.”
The four-time All-Ireland winner is adamant Cork, as well as any other county, should be able to field their dual players in both codes.
“Unfortunately, football is the game in Cork at the moment and they’re doing well and I’m delighted as a Cork person, of course.
“You look at the likes of Aidan Walsh, Ciarán Sheehan, all class hurlers, and it’s hard to blame them not playing hurling.
“Croke Park are asking us to promote the game but they’re killing the dual player. In other words, they’re cheating the people coming into games because teams like Cork aren’t fielding the best players out on the pitch.”
McCarthy says the current situation couldn’t be further removed from when he and Denis Walsh were lining out with both Cork teams.
“In ’87, ’88, ’89 we were beaten in the Munster championship and we weren’t in the All-Ireland series so we could concentrate on football.
“The question has to be asked here is is the backdoor benefiting the weaker counties and is it detrimental to the dual player?
“Croke Park are supposed to be here to promote the games.”
McCarthy has questioned the amount of money being spent in developing Gaelic games in Dublin when he feels young players will opt for football.
“If you look at Dublin hurling it’s flourishing at the moment because Croke Park have spent millions, and I’m delighted because that’s where it should be promoted.
“That’s where the population is and I’m a total advocate of Dublin being a huge force in hurling. I’d love it and they’re doing brilliant work and the template is working.
“But the crux of it is that when these guys come to 20 years of age and when they have to tick the box they have to go to it’s football, because of the backdoor system.
“Is that a waste of money in Dublin, then, because all the good talent is going to one code in Dublin? A blind man can see that it is.”
McCarthy, whose son Cian is on the senior hurling panel, is concerned by the exodus of players from Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s camp.
“Very much so. Let’s be honest, the football is on a high and hurling is struggling a bit and isn’t in a pretty state at the moment but that’s where we are.
“You go back to the Sixties — Cork didn’t win an All-Ireland for 11 or 12 years. It goes in cycles but it is a bit worrying.”
