Gavin: Players deserve better

Dublin manager Jim Gavin is adamant two championship games is not an adequate return for the amount of work put in by county football teams.

As many as eight sides’ summers could finish up in the first round qualifiers after just two outings and, like Limerick’s Maurice Horan, he feels the Division 1 teams like his own have a distinct advantage in the level of competition they enjoyed during the spring.

Gavin isn’t 100% supportive of any of the alternative structures put forward so far, but believes there’s merit in amalgamating the National League and championship.

“I think back in 2000 there was a proposal that each team would get 10 games a year. I don’t think any team would complain about getting that many games each year.

“There’s lots of different models out there. The Champions League format has been proposed that a team from a lower division meets a team from a higher.

“I’m not going to suggest any particular one but it does need to be looked at. We need to expose the teams from Division 3 and 4 to the competitive nature of Division 1 and 2 football.

“I would certainly see that we need to seed a team. For example, if you take the Division 1 teams, they could be the top team and then you just divide it out then.

“Essentially, if you have a system where Division 4 teams meet Division 1 teams you will improve the overall level of football.

“I think the Division 1 teams are at an advantage because they have gone through the National League at a very high level.

“It’s a player-centred approach where it guarantees those players two championship games. We need to look at it again. For all the time that is put in over the hard winter and spring months, to only play two championship games in the summer just isn’t really acceptable.”

Gavin would have no issue with groups being seeded, whereby Dublin might have to travel to face a lower level county.

“To give teams from the lower divisions more competitive games because that is the only way we are going to drive the standard up throughout the whole of the association.”

That being said, he isn’t in support of breaking up the provincial structures. “Certainly I wouldn’t look at disbanding the provincial competition. I take great stock of provincial titles and that needs to be accommodated in some manner.”

Meanwhile, Gavin has ruled Alan Brogan out of Sunday week’s Leinster semi-final against Kildare due to a groin problem. Brogan’s brother Bernard had suggested he might make the bench for the game but he has yet to take part in any training games.

“He hasn’t done full [training] but he’s on the park and he’s moving very well, but he won’t be available for selection for this game.”

There is good news for Dublin in Kevin McManamon being fit again after missing the win over Westmeath with a hamstring injury.

Gavin stated: “Kevin played with St Jude’s against Ballyboden last weekend and came through the game fine, so he’s good to go.”