Ask The Players: Should the intercounty season be shortened?

Last week Paddy Tally suggested that the intercounty season should be shortened to benefit players and the game. We asked three players if they agreed

James McGrath (Fermanagh)

“Yes, the

intercounty

season is

too long”

Last week Paddy Tally suggested the intercounty season should be shortenened. Do you agree with him and why?

Yes, the intercounty season is too long, McKenna Cup, League then Championship. For the more successful teams it’s 10 months constant training and preparing for games. Two thirds of every county player’s year, if not more, is spent prioritising football over your family and friends to watch the Dubs lift Sam Maguire. Madness.

What are the positives or negatives of the current season structure (the league and championship going from Feb to September)?

We saw this year that the league being played in the earlier stages of the year can be majorly affected by the poor weather. Nobody, players or supporters enjoyed that three week period we had this year of heavy rain and gale force winds. With the introduction of the tier championship the league has far more added importance than ever before. This has a knock-on effect in which county managers will look to have players peaking Feb/Mar for league football, and, to do this Dec/Jan has to be spent in the gym and out on pitches in horrible conditions.

What would the positives or negatives be of changing the length of the current season?

The only negative I see in condensing the intercounty season is where do you fit club football in? And for me your club football is your roots. It’s your club that makes you a county player. They should reap the rewards of the time and effort coaches have put into you from eight years of age to where you are now, not for you to be wrapped up in county football, but for you to be playing for the club.

The main positive in condensing the county calendar is to create time for players away from football.

What would be your preferred length of season, when would it start and finish, and why?

Six months max. First league game on the first Sunday after St Patricks day, play all seven games week after week with no breaks, finals last week of May. A week’s break and into championship. That gives 10 weeks to run off All-Ireland, and reduce times between games. Ther should be no preseason competitions. That should leave plenty of time to get out and golf!!

Odhran McFadden Ferry (Donegal)

“Reducing the season would help with player welfare”

Last week Paddy Tally suggested the intercounty season should be shortenened. Do you agree with him and why?

I do agree with Paddy Tally that the intercounty season should be shortened. Currently the season is too long and the benefit of reducing it would help player welfare. They would be training less, and they would be able to have more time away from training.

What are the positives or negatives of the current season structure (the league and championship going from Feb to September)?

The problem with the current system is that players who play intercounty football don’t get much of a let up during the season because they are playing so much football.

There are two issues, in that if the season is shortened then it would allow you to get more time in with playing with your club. However, the season can’t really be cut any shorter as it feels like there isn’t any opporunity to do so and that means that County players never really stop.

What would the positives or negatives be of changing the length of the current season?

One of the positives that jumps out at me if the season was shortened is that if there was more down time that would allow certain players time to get their injuries sorted out. With a long season, spread out over a long time, it feels like players can sometimes not have enough time to recuperate properly.

The other thing that a shortened season might allow is more time to plan for games.

A negative of cutting it shorter might also be that player welfare could be affected. What if players are playing games in a shorter space of time, that might put more pressure on their health and well being.

What would be your preferred length of season, when would it start and finish, and why?

The length of the season in total, across club and county is good. I am happy with the way things are right now. The way the season has been run for the past number of years is something that players have got used to. For me personally, I find that the season fits in with my work. I am able to go on overseas missions, yet still am able to get back to play championship football for Donegal. I can also fit in my club football as well. So the spread-out nature of the season has a number of positives for me.

Shane Carey (Monaghan)

“It is not as simple as just making the Inter county season shorter.”

Last week Paddy Tally suggested the intercounty season should be shortenened. Do you agree with him and why?

From my point of view it is not as simple as just making the inter-county season shorter. I do think that from a player’s point of view you are playing for your club and county so you can’t just shorten one and ignore the other. Were you to shorten the intercounty season, then what might happen is that the club season might run longer. I am not advocating for one or the other, I just think it is a question of the season as a whole, and it must be dealt with as a whole as there are too many moving parts. The whole calendar has to be looked at.

What are the positives or negatives of the current season structure (the league and championship going from Feb to September)?

The positives are that the league format is good. It is so exciting and competitive and games are played every week. Having the championship in the summer is great because there is no better feeling than playing football or watching it when the weather is good.

The drawbacks with the current season are that there is no defined off season. There is no period where players can book time off to go on holiday. It feels like the end of the season just runs into the period where you are playing pre season games. Another draw back is the imbalance between the amount of time that we train compared to the amount of time actually playing games. The League is brilliant because you are playing games every week and that is enjoyable but then there is a big gap to championship.

What would the positives or negatives be of changing the length of the current season?

There are a lot of moving parts, and it is not as simple as just shortening the intercounty season. I could look at it from a selfish point of view, and say that the intercounty season should be one way, but that isn’t fair because you have to take club competition into consideration. It has to be looked at in respect of the whole calendar. But what I would say is that if you look at other sports, and I don’t like comparing the GAA to professional sports, but other sports do have defined off seasons.

What would be your preferred length of season, when would it start and finish, and why?

In terms of intercounty and club, the one thing I would like to see is that all competitions should be finished in one calendar year as that would allow for an off season. If both club and intercounty could be finished up then everyone would know the start and the end, and there would be a period of four weeks of a break perhaps. But changing the whole season is tricky because there are so many moving parts.N