Eamonn Fitzmaurice: Championship not there to cater for weaker counties
However the former dual player with Finuge footballers and Lixnaw hurlers says that a key next step is reform of the hurling championship.
“I would have thought it was needed anyway, but I understand the argument of the hurling community, that at a key time of the year football will almost take over.
"As it stands for 2018, a hurling person would feel they are being done out of the most important months of the year.”
But wearing his Kerry football manager’s hat, Fitzmaurice believes the two-group structure for the last eight in the championship is a great idea.
“We will have the top teams playing off against each other at the right time of the year. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
"I know people will say Kerry has a (vested interest), but I don’t think a championship can cater for the weaker counties.
"A championship is to find out who are the best teams, and if by late July or early August you don’t have the best teams standing, then there’s something wrong with the format.”
He added: “Every team gets two chances. I am not sure what more you could do unless there is a B Championship, which a lot of counties don’t seem to want. So that’s a flawed argument.
"Are Barcelona or Real Madrid worried about bringing Granada up to their level in La Liga?
"Leicester challenged the big teams last year in the Premier League by getting up to that level — it’s not because Man Utd or Arsenal changed and said ‘look, we need to make sure the weaker clubs are getting up to our level.’
“In terms of having the eight best teams playing off — the home and away element is very attractive too — I think the whole thing is exciting.
“Where I do see the challenge is in the dual counties and with the dual clubs, as I know well with Finuge and Lixnaw. It can be tough, there are extra challenges. But fundamentally it’s a good concept.”
Fitzmaurice said that the hurling championship is overdue a tweak anyway.
“The teams that win the Leinster or Munster Championship sometimes have six weeks to an All-Ireland semi-final and they go in under-cooked against a county that has had competitive games coming through the qualifiers and a quarter-final.
"I am sure there are plans afoot to ensure hurling gets equal exposure.”
The Kerry manager says his heart would be for retaining September for All-Ireland finals, but he accepts the advantage of freeing up an extra month of club activity at the right time of the year.
“That’s a good notion,” he added. “There will be teething problems, but something had to be done.”
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