Gavin: black cards paying dividends

Between them, tomorrow’s semi-finalists Dublin and Cork have picked up just three black cards in 14 games. Mayo and Derry’s total is just the same and Jim Gavin believes the new rule is having its desired effect.

The All-Ireland champions have yet to pick up one although they have incurred a number of yellow cards as well as four red cards, the latest of which, Rory O’Carroll’s, right, against Tyrone, they are appealing.

It’s led to suggestions Dublin are happy to pick up yellow cards so long as they avoid automatic substitutions, but Gavin dismisses that idea.

“We don’t look at it that way. We got some excellent briefs from some officials in the county board and from Croke Park. It’s mentioned every week and the players are reminded of the rule so they’re quite well educated on it. That’s not to say we won’t get one in the future. It’s something they’re acutely aware of, the definition of deliberate.”

Gavin is satisfied with how match officials have handled their new brief. “I think it has been managed very well by referees. Any black cards that I’ve seen were black cards.

“Again, the rules says a push, trip (is a black card), and the yellow cards we got were for rough play and that’s what it was.”

With Gavin consistently naming six finishers in his attack in last year’s Championship, the black card would appear to complement Dublin more than most. He wasn’t biting on that one, though.

“I think the rule suits the game. We’ve seen the benefit of the black card and how expansive it has become, and that element of play that was there heretofore is now gone. I think it suits all teams and we’re seeing teams who mightn’t have had a high scoring return are scoring because most counties have natural technical forwards and now they’re being given the space to promote their skills. It’s great to see.”

Tomorrow’s opponents Cork are one team who Gavin believes can exploit the new rules and his homework on them is strong going by the stats he reels off about their individual scoring prowess and the strength of their management team. Regarding comparisons between their current set-up and Conor Counihan’s time in charge, he says: “I don’t think they’re that different. Cork have been the standard setters for many, many years. They won the last couple of National Leagues before we won last year, they’ve been in the semi-finals of the All-Ireland series. They lost seven or eight players, maybe more, from last year and it just shows the depth of talent that Cork has, to lose those quality players and still be so strong. They might be more attack-minded, but I think the new rules promote that and allow teams to attack more.”

Describing Dublin as being in “bonus territory,” Gavin reveals he’s told his players to “really go at it” tomorrow in their attempt to make a second successive league final.

But looking at the bigger picture, he was pleased with how his charges performed in Tyrone last weekend, agreeing it was similar to their last round draw in Donegal last year, the performance which so convinced him Dublin were on the right path.

“Certainly to show that mental resolve away from home in a tough ground like Healy Park against a passionate crowd and obviously an excellent Tyrone team, to come away with something out of that game, was very pleasing.

“We had a great start, some well-constructed goals, and that’s great to see. We probably created three or four more and didn’t take them but it’s good to see those opportunities still being created against a very tough defence and to see the guys come back hard when Tyrone had all the momentum. To see our guys have that never-say-die attitude, which you can’t really tell from the training field, to be honest (was great to see).

“It’s only when you’re in competitive games that go down to the wire you see do they really want it and they’ve shown in a couple of games that they really do.”