Eamonn Fitzmaurice: ‘Privileged’ players can’t complain about demands

Eamonn Fitzmaurice has challenged growing assertions that the demands placed on inter-county footballers are both unreasonable and unsustainable.

The argument that the excessive commitment required in order to survive at inter-county level is fast reaching a head has gathered pace this month, following the decisions of Dublin’s Rory O’Carroll and Armagh’s Jamie Clarke to sit out the 2016 season. Adding further fuel on the fire, then, was Denis Connerton’s remarks that 40% of the players he approached to play for Longford shot him down.

Fitzmaurice agrees with the assertion inter-county football is “all-consuming”, but simply cannot buy into the perception that what is being asked of inter-county footballers is unfair and driving them towards early retirement or year-long sabbaticals.