Kerry ‘not confident’ of overturning Galvin ban

Kerry GAA chiefs are not confident the eight-week ban proposed for former Footballer of the Year Paul Galvin will be reduced.

The suspension if upheld, would rule Galvin out of the championship until August 8 – if Kerry were to progress past a Munster final with Limerick and the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Galvin has yet to decide if he wants the case heard by the Central Hearings Committee but last night Kerry chairman Jerome Conway said he "was not confident" such an approach would secure the desired result.

The Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) informed Kingdom officials of their decision yesterday, which followed the Finuge man’s clash with Cork’s Eoin Cadogan in Sunday’s Munster semi-final replay at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Subsequent photographs and TV replays showed Galvin placing his index finger inside the defender’s mouth. The CCCC discussed the matter at a meeting on Monday and called on referee Pat McEnaney, who took no action on the day, to review footage of the clash.

Subsequently the CCCC proposed a four-week ban which is automatically doubled as Galvin served a ban for the same category offence earlier this year – ironically in the wake of an incident with Cadogan in the National League.

Conway said that Galvin was "disappointed" by the development.

The Kerry official said: "I spoke to Paul yesterday and he is very, very, disappointed by the news.

"Jack O’Connor is also disappointed to be missing one of his greatest players, as are the supporters in the county.

"It looks like we will be without one or our most influential players for eight weeks.

"Paul can decide what the next course of action is and he has to make up his mind on it. We will back him whatever decision he makes."

But when quizzed if he expected GAA chiefs to downgrade the punishment he replied: "No, I would not be confident."

However, Conway admitted he was "curious" at how the CCCC decided to zone in on a specific incident from over 90 minutes of football at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday. Conway said: "Given the overall scheme of things I am curious how the CCCC decides which incidents are to be reviewed.

"Do they look at every game in full and decide what incidents need to be reviewed?

"Or are they guided by what happens on The Sunday Game (which highlighted the matter at the weekend)?

"The CCCC is part of our disciplinary process, The Sunday Game is not.

"Again it is something I am curious about and would love to know how these decisions are made.

"There were other incidents in that game on Sunday and they were not reviewed at all. And the same can be said for many games in the championships. Do people sit down and watch every minute of every game from a given weekend, or does someone decide what to review and not to review?"