Kingdom ace Kieran Donaghy advocates calendar year club season

Kieran Donaghy has backed calls to implement the club season into the calendar year, expressing concern Austin Stacks’ involvement in the All-Ireland series could cost him a place on the Kerry team.

The Kerry captain admits the “nasty reality” of an Austin Stacks victory against Derry’s Slaughtneil on Sunday fortnight is that he will miss the opening five rounds of the Allianz League.

“I would love to be out there in the first game of the league. When you were sitting down for as long as I was you would love to be able to play every game,” said Donaghy. “You have to give the team that is at the most serious stage of competition the benefit of the doubt. If this was vice versa, Stacks were playing a county league game and Kerry were playing the All-Ireland semi-final, it would be black and white what I would be more concentrated on. It is unfortunate. If they did (change the structures) it would be great because we wouldn’t have to be dealing with this. We could possibly have the club all over and done with and I would be looking forward to leading my county. I am going to miss two league games now. If fellas start well playing the first two league games, you could be fighting an uphill battle to get back onto the squad.