O’Neill in favour of reducing age of minor level to U17
While insisting there is no appetite to take another look at making U21 level U20, a motion which failed in 2008, O’Neill revealed there are plans to drop the maximum age criteria of minor competitions by a year.
“We’re trying to formulate a policy at the moment where minor would become U17 and then those U17s would not play adult games,” he said.
“You could have minor and adult league games then going on at the same time. It would really streamline fixtures a lot. U21 becoming U20 wouldn’t do enough to justify breaking that tie we have. It’s there since 1965 and it’s working well. I wouldn’t like to be the one to change it.”
O’Neill explained the idea had originated from one of their hurling work groups.
“More people are now 18 doing the Leaving Cert, the amount who are 17 has decreased.
“I think the second level people would back that up. It means the majority of players play minor pre-Leaving Cert, which would please parents.”
Hailing from a small club in Laois, O’Neill doesn’t foresee difficulties with some junior teams not being able to pick minor players.
“We think the fella no longer getting his game at 33 or 34 will play on an extra year. People will throw up the argument that it could affect junior clubs but that’s not the case. I come from one of the smallest junior clubs in the country. It would ensure older players stay on an extra year. I’ve seen more young players suffer from playing adult too early than I’ve seen older fellas having to play an extra year.
“What we have to think is that the Games Development section — who are formulating this thinking — is that we’ll be putting the child first. His development is better if you keep them playing at their own age group.
“I think that was borne out by the best minor player of the last couple of years being Cormac Costello who was nursed along and never played an adult game.
“The Dublin system is big enough to be able to do that. There’s evidence that keeping boys at their own age group works. I would like the debate to be on what’s best for the player rather than the team.”
O’Neill described the 33,134 attendance for the Allianz Football Division 1 and 2 finals in Croke Park on Sunday as “fantastic” and credited the state of the playing surface, which had come in for some criticism in recent weeks.
“The pitch is in great order. There were big questions of the pitch and I told you it would be in good order. It’s well on the way back now.”
O’Neill said he is not reading much into Donegal manager Jim McGuinness’ remark that the league is “completely irrelevant”.
“I never mind when a manager says something when he loses because he’s under pressure. I wouldn’t put too much weight on that. I’d say that was a throwaway remark, to be honest.
“People talk about whether we take the league seriously or not — Dublin were glad to win that yesterday and there was a bit of excitement at the end.”
