Brendan O'Brien: New rules offer hope that Gaelic football can be saved after all

It was unfamiliar. Weird, even, but ultimately undeniable. Hope.

18 October 2024; Umpire Ben Woods waves the red flag, for a two point score, during the Allianz GAA Football Interprovincial Championship semi-final match between Leinster and Connacht at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

It took root slowly. So did the understanding, and the acceptance, that said root had taken.

Because this was unfamiliar. Weird, even, but ultimately undeniable. Hope. There, we said it. A sense of possibility and positivity. A hint of light just as winter’s grip was squeezing the daylight hours.