Antrim Football Thread

[Caesar]

MR2 the problem is in recent times the SW have dominated winning the championship and will continue to do so.

Cargin or Creggan are looking a cert to win it again this year and for the next few years! (This is a testament to the work done within these clubs, not the schools).

I will hazard a guess that St Galls will be the next city team to win a championship but they are miles away at present.

At the same time it is fair to ask how the rest of the team sin the SW are going to close the gap on the top two.

[EOC1923]

Since 2014 - 7 senior championships, 6 to the SW and one to Belfast (Lamh Dhearg). I can't see a Belfast club winning one in at least the next 5 years that's as far as I can look relatively accurately. Is that disproportionate enough for you MR2. The school thing helps but it's the hard work being done in a club that counts.

[EOC1923]

MR2 the problem is in recent times the SW have dominated winning the championship and will continue to do so.

Cargin or Creggan are looking a cert to win it again this year and for the next few years! (This is a testament to the work done within these clubs, not the schools).

I will hazard a guess that St Galls will be the next city team to win a championship but they are miles away at present.

At the same time it is fair to ask how the rest of the team sin the SW are going to close the gap on the top two.

Some clubs aren't doing much Ceasar, if you attend go games at 7, 9, 11 and see some of the u13 games you can see there are some clubs that are basically doing nothing to improve.

[Milltown Row2]

Since 2014 - 7 senior championships, 6 to the SW and one to Belfast (Lamh Dhearg). I can't see a Belfast club winning one in at least the next 5 years that's as far as I can look relatively accurately. Is that disproportionate enough for you MR2. The school thing helps but it's the hard work being done in a club that counts.

I'm in agreement with how well the SW finally got their shit together and started to produce winning teams at senior championship level, it can only bring on greater improvement of football at senior level in the county..

how sustainable that is, is not down to schools but that's not to discourage or belittle the great work some schools are doing its down to the coaches and foresight of club members within clubs.

I don't think we'll hit the panic button just yet, I don't see a major shift to the city in terms of championships, that being said certain teams with tradition will always bounce back at some point..

Ports will defo make some headway in a few years

[Belfast GAA man]

Clubs have the ultimate responsibility for player development pathway. They need to ensure every juvenile has the optimum environment possible to develop and thrive. That's always going to be plan A.

However, it cannot be contested that when this promising juvenile at age 12 enters secondary education, he/she/it will benefit largely if they are in the panel of a hard working and ambitious school team, and maintain this for between 5 and 7 years up until leaving age.

Some of the really ambitious schools could be contributing 10 hours a week into each player.....x 30 weeks a year....by up to 7 years. That's a lot of touches of the ball, a lot of S&C, a lot of flexibility stretching yoga or whatever else.

That has to be an advantage to that player versus the development pathway for an equally promising 12 year old who goes to a school that dosent bother it's ass promoting anything relevant GAA wise.

It's about getting the balance.

There's no doubt that we need to up the ante in board supported coaching activity and games promotion in post primary schools. It's not about winning Mc Rory, it's about ensuring a proper pathway is in place for every potential Antrim footballer of the future, and a talent identification pipeline is established to make sure less and less potentially elite players slip through the net.

what is the optimum environment? Thanks

[Saffsof82]

MR2 the problem is in recent times the SW have dominated winning the championship and will continue to do so.

Cargin or Creggan are looking a cert to win it again this year and for the next few years! (This is a testament to the work done within these clubs, not the schools).

I will hazard a guess that St Galls will be the next city team to win a championship but they are miles away at present.

That's it perfectly. Too many clubs letting anyone take juvenile teams. When you go to go games kids are generally on a par, and if you take those teams across to Derry again denerally very little in it. It all starts to go wrong at u12/u14. Daddy gets in charge of his sons team and he's intent in staying with wee jimmy all the up through the ages. Daddy knows everything there is to know about the game that why he doesn't need to bother going to any coaching courses or doing any of the cpd run events. He decides to drop the team to div2 or 3 at u15 as would be better for the lads, when really he's chasing a bloody second class trophy to show everyone how great a coach he is. And don't mention the county development squads, what would their mentors know, kids will get coached far better by him in the club.
That's the mentality that is out there in many clubs, and club committees permit it to happen as they are only too glad to get someone to take the teams.



At the same time it is fair to ask how the rest of the team sin the SW are going to close the gap on the top two.

Some clubs aren't doing much Ceasar, if you attend go games at 7, 9, 11 and see some of the u13 games you can see there are some clubs that are basically doing nothing to improve.

[bannside]

An environment where juveniles have the best possible opportunity to prosper according to the potential they have.

Where potential flourishes and does not diminish.

There's many components needed to create that environment, and probably no club gets it perfect. But that should not deter clubs from offering a lot more than what they are at present.

Yes Milltown, Casements will get their reward in due course. The age groups EOC talk of (under 7 to 13) things are thriving, a lot of quality in there. Or put it this way, a lot lot more than there has ever been around here, and the structure around that to continue building is very strong.

[bannside]

A draw will do Creggan on Monday night at Hannahstown and please county board make sure the Eddie Fitz is at hand.
Despite those who try to demean the league, nine times out of ten the best team will win it....condescending nonsense to imply otherwise.

Suppose the championship is a toss of the coin between the big 2.

Ballymena get a big shot at promotion too. Be great to see them in div one...but would be some fall from Aghagallon should that come to pass. Interesting times!

[Milltown Row2]

I'm surprised that the most knowledgeable posters had us relegated early doors but strange that the county finalists are in a playoff game... sure we'll solider on

[bannside]

Think that was poster singular MR!!

Athough can't see Galls at the top table for quite a while tbh. Definitely a few years of transition ahead.

SW is where it's at for the foreseeable future by the look of things.

[Milltown Row2]

Think that was poster singular MR!!

Athough can't see Galls at the top table for quite a while tbh. Definitely a few years of transition ahead.

SW is where it's at for the foreseeable future by the look of things.

Aye can't see any SA team getting close for a while yet, was at our game today and while we dispatched Ahoghill better that how your club does we are very young and inexperienced, plenty of enthusiasm and a willingness to learn we've no names that people would recognise

[bannside]

Thing you'll find is that Ahoghill pick and choose the games they really empty the tank for. I can only applaud the way they represent the dual code and remain competitive whenever they really set their sights. A one off, and in no way should a club with the catchment area St Galls come from should ever claim any victory over Ahoghill, and I mean ever.

[Saffsof82]

Think that was poster singular MR!!

Athough can't see Galls at the top table for quite a while tbh. Definitely a few years of transition ahead.

SW is where it's at for the foreseeable future by the look of things.

Aye can't see any SA team getting close for a while yet, was at our game today and while we dispatched Ahoghill better that how your club does we are very young and inexperienced, plenty of enthusiasm and a willingness to learn we've no names that people would recognise

Mcgirr, burns, cc, all quality youth players for galls, plenty of talent coming through

[Milltown Row2]

Thing you'll find is that Ahoghill pick and choose the games they really empty the tank for. I can only applaud the way they represent the dual code and remain competitive whenever they really set their sights. A one off, and in no way should a club with the catchment area St Galls come from should ever claim any victory over Ahoghill, and I mean ever.

Look at our team sheet today

[bannside]

Yea some good individuals alright, no argument there, but it takes 20 / 25  real gooduns to cut the mustard. Or to be in the top two. That's the real challenge and it don't come easy!