Cork CEO Kevin O'Donovan: Gaelic football must become more vibrant, unpredictable and creative

In a section of his report to annual Convention, titled 'The state of our games' O'Donovan says 'we must switch our approach from tinkering around the edges and instead introduce clear, simple, yet dramatic rule changes'

PRESSURE: Cork's county football final between Castlehaven and Nemo Rangers was, at various stages, an 11 v 11 stalemate

IN ADVANCE of any commentary on the current state of both football and hurling it must be first acknowledged that the Senior All-Ireland champions in both codes, namely Limerick and Dublin stood head and shoulders above all others and rightfully gained their crowns. Any analysis of how our games are now played must be separated from their success, as all teams enter the various competitions under the same terms.

That said, one cannot allow the opportunity to pass without making some comment on the current state of Gaelic football. Constant analysis and review by the respective coaching units has led to ‘death by percentages’ during games. Possession is king, conservatism is rife. Yet to expect any coaching team to just send their team out to play naively is simply counter-intuitive in a must-win environment. Therefore, the focus must be placed upon current playing rules rather than appealing to the ethos of the same coaches from whom we ultimately demand success.