Four Meath ACL injuries 'can’t be just coincidence', says Robbie Brennan

Brennan doubts that Gaelic football's new rules are responsible for the injuries

Meath's Jack Kinlough recently suffered a recurrence of an ACL injury. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

Robbie Brennan believes the four ACL injuries suffered by members of the Meath football panel since June "can’t be just coincidence" but doubts Gaelic football's new rules are responsible. Conor Gray, Seán Coffey, Ruairí Kinsella and Jack Kinlough have all torn their ACLs in recent months. 

"We’re working with a squad of about 34 players and we’re losing four of them like that. It’s terrible, particularly for the lads it has happened to. It’s a long road back and a particularly lonely one. Ironically, the four of them will have one another to work with during rehab, but it’s bad news for us, for sure.

"I think the first thing is that it’s great there is more attention being put on it. Back in the day, I suppose hamstrings used to be the thing. They seem to be common across the country now, and you’re hoping ACLs don’t become the same. It certainly looks like the numbers are rising all the time."

Brennan said he does not have any concrete theories about what could be causing the injuries. 

"I don’t have the answers, but there has to be something," he said.

"It can’t be just coincidence at this stage. It’s probably quite easy to blame the new rules and say that’s what it is. I doubt it’s that; that would be my own opinion. There certainly is more space in the new game. There’s obviously more twisting and turning and taking guys on one-on-one. Whether that’s a contributing factor, I don’t know, but it’s something you can see."

Kinlough's injury was particularly tough as it was a recurrence.

"They’re the people who have to go through it and they’re the ones who find it hardest," said Brennan.

"It’s a lonely place. I think the length of the return is probably the hardest thing mentally to get your head around because, with the condensed season now, you’re talking about missing a whole year’s football from an inter-county perspective. That can be terribly hard for players to deal with when they put the work in.

"Jack Kinlough did everything by the book in relation to his rehab. When it goes again, it’s utter devastation. It’s an incredibly tough thing to go through."

There are more beyond Meath. Kerry midfielder Seán O'Brien recently tore his ACL playing in a club match for Beaufort while fellow Kingdom players Barry Dan O'Sullivan and Damien Bourke have suffered the injury in the last 18 months. 

Brennan would like to see a central database for injuries created by the GAA to identify trends but doubts whether the resources are available. 

"There’s no doubt the more information we can get, the more it will help," he said.

"Everyone has to remember we’re still an amateur organisation, even though we’re at an elite level at the inter-county stage. I don’t know whether the means are there to track it, but if we can get to that stage, you would think it has to benefit everybody."