Dublin's Gannon backs VAR introduction in camogie

CHANGE REQUIRED: Claire Gannon (St. Jude’s) pictured at the Go-Ahead Dublin GAA Club Championships 2024 media event. Pic: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Dublin camogie defender Claire Gannon reckons a VAR style system should be introduced for games in Croke Park at least following last weekend's All-Ireland final controversy.

Both managers were in agreement that Katrina Mackey effectively threw the sliotar over the goal-line, without getting a strike on it, for the game's only goal during Cork's three-point defeat of Galway.

Some claimed a penalty should have been awarded, for a foul in the buildup, while Gannon noted that the Galway defenders didn't seem to complain afterwards and that 'it all happened so quickly'.

She would support the introduction of a Video Referee Assistant to adjudicate on such game defining situations, even if the technology would only be available at Croke Park initially.

"Oh definitely, because I think there are some decisions that happen just way too quickly in a match and there's no way the ref can see, or if a player is blocking them, or if the umpires can't see it," said Gannon at a media event for the Go-Ahead Dublin club championships.

"So I would definitely back it (VAR). If it's only available in Croke Park or the big stadiums, why not use Hawk-Eye or the VAR, to make sure that the decisions aren't wrong on the day.

"Especially if we reach Croke Park for the semis and the final, why not use it there? We're used to playing our matches in smaller stadiums but if we get to the big stadiums, then use all the VAR and technology that they can in those bigger stadiums to help the matches be run as smoothly as possible, and to not have big decisions affect who wins it at the end of the day."

Another big talking point to emerge from the camogie finals weekend, and which also affected Cork, was the future of county second teams and how they should be accommodated in future.

Cork beat Kilkenny in the All-Ireland intermediate final though, from next season, counties may not be permitted to enter a second team in those grades. Dublin also had a second team in the intermediate championship this year so would be impacted by any rule change.

"I think personally just do one main squad, do a massive training panel, get in the hard work and you're absolutely fighting for those positions," she said. "The other side of it is that you could use the intermediate team to push players on. With minor girls coming up, I know a few club minor girls who got to play with the intermediate team this year, who got minutes under their belt, and they can then hope to push on to senior.

"For girls especially, is the physicality too much of a jump from the minor to the senior? Maybe then it is better to use the intermediate team to get people more physical, and more used to it, and give them a year under their belt."

It was a breakthrough season for Dublin's senior team who picked up rare silverware in the form of the Division 1B league title and then overcame Kilkenny to reach the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Cork, as they did in the group stage of the All-Ireland series, beat Dublin comfortably though it still went down as a year of significant progress.

"The first match we played Cork was definitely a massive learning for tactics off the ball," said Gannon. "Cork's puck-outs, their sidelines, we probably weren't used to a team tactically being so smart off the ball so we were very aware of that going into the semi-final. You just have to be constantly switched on for everything against them."