The GAA’s lack of a central data hub: ‘Does somebody want to do it?’

In recent years, it proved difficult to celebrate TJ Reid and Patrick Horgan’s battle for all-time top scorer in championship hurling or James Naughton’s 4-12 in one game because of uncertainty around specific totals or previous records. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

A centralised GAA database is entirely attainable if the will is there, according to Rob Carroll of Gaelic Stats.

Carroll has worked with various county teams over the past decade and previously provided reports to rules committees. The recent Football Review Committee worked with a different provider, an in-house Games Intelligence Unit.

The lack of a centralised resource has been a long-standing criticism of the association. In 2022, it was reported that a centralised match results and player records archive was in the process of being developed.

In recent years, it proved difficult to celebrate TJ Reid and Patrick Horgan’s battle for all-time top scorer in championship hurling or James Naughton’s 4-12 in one game because of uncertainty around specific totals or previous records.

So, how realistic is it that the GAA would have a resource to access scores, statistics, as well as specific team metrics?

“It is very realistic,” says Carroll.

“I remember dealing with teams in 2005, 20 years ago, when they didn’t have analysts or certainly all the counties didn’t have analysts. I had to drive around the country and convince them, county-by-county, that they should even video their games. That is the God’s honest truth.

“That is how I met all the intercounty managers. I have been to pretty much every single county in Ireland at some point demonstrating the benefits of video analysis to a county team.

“That was my first five, six years up until 2010. Slowly as they all came on board and started analysing, I then realised they were analysing bits and pieces.

“Some of them would analyse a few shots, a few kickouts, show it back to the team. I just thought, 'this isn't how you do it.'

“You collect as much data as you can, then you have a sample size and then you can benchmark your own team. So that's what I set out to create was that kind of data set. It absolutely could have happened.

“It still could happen. Obviously, there's difficulties and there are people who have to pay for that. But the vision of a team of analysts being able to collect data and share that in a reasonable timeframe with both the teams, the media, Croke Park themselves, all that is absolutely 100% attainable.” 

Carroll points to the success of Opta in the Premier League or Champion Data in the AFL as examples.

“It's not a technological problem. I don't really think it's a financial problem. It is just, does somebody want to do it? And there are obviously finances to be considered. This is a problem that other sports have solved and the infrastructure has been there.

“It could be relatively easily solved. It is just whether somebody has the will to really do it. I think there are massive upsides on the media side alone, but I couldn't convince enough people to see that.” 

One of the FRC’s recommendations was that the Games Intelligence Unit which they set up to monitor, track and collect data be now established as a permanent unit within the association. They would support an Expert Advisory Group.

Carroll continued: “Ultimately somebody has to pay, right? That is what it boils down to. We do not need to solve a technological problem. We can collect the data.

“You can collect as much or as little as you can afford to do, depending on what the market is. The market will be Croke Park themselves for in-house use. It'll be media companies, fans, that kind of stuff. They would all benefit.”