Kernan: GAA may opt for padded posts

Ireland International Rules manager Joe Kernan believes the GAA will consider padded posts in the wake of Ronan Clarke’s injury last Saturday.

Former Armagh star Clarke, a 2002 All-Ireland winner under Kernan, was rushed to hospital after colliding with a goal-post during a club match. He was taken off a ventilator during the week and left intensive care on Wednesday.

Similar to the standard in the compromise game, Kernan can see protection added to posts to avoid more injuries like that sustained by Clarke.

“The safety of players is the most important thing. I’m sure it will be something that’s looked at. Thank God it hasn’t happened too often. Maybe we can get a post with less padding on it. There’s a lot of the posts that are steel, maybe that can be changed either. I’m sure the people who should be looking after it will and have been looking at that since the weekend.”

Kernan has been speaking with Clarke’s father and is delighted to hear he is making good progress.

“Whether he plays any more is up to him and his family. He’s just after getting married. He had part of his honeymoon done and he was supposed to head away on Monday so, eh, give him a few weeks and he’ll be able to go away and finish his holiday.”

Speaking at the launch of the Ireland jersey for November’s one-off test against Australia in Croke Park, Kernan revealed there is no Armagh player in his extended training panel.

“We asked an Armagh man but he’s injured so there’s two counties in Ulster with nobody in, at this moment in time. Until we get the whole squad back in early next week, if we need to get a few more faces in, we’ll do that.”

Ireland’s first training sessions will take on September 4 and 5 and Kernan’s intention is to return to the basics of catching and kicking.

“Our game has got a wee bit complicated, we are trying to simplify it that we try and move the ball as quick as possible from A to B and have movement in our forwards so that we aren’t standing static and make it easy for their big men to catch the ball. And support on the shoulder, and working on the tackling. Every year the tackling is a bit of a problem but can we get better at it? Yes we can.”