Alternative GAA Season Structure: The McNamee System

[Stall the Bailer]

That's Championship ball. Sometimes you get the luck of the draw. Sometimes you make your own luck.

Connacht and Munster will always have the luck of the draw in your system.

I agree with keeping of Provincial championships. Previously the reward of winning it was entering the last 4 of the AI. Now the reward is entering the last 8 of the AI. Making it to last 16 would further reduce the reward of winning a Provincial championship and take out some of the injustice in the system.

The reward of winning a provincial championship is surely the medal in your back pocket and sense of achievement you get from succeeding in reaching your goals after months of hard work and bonding with your team. Getting into the provincial club championship isn't a 'reward' for winning a county championship in my opinion, knowing you are the best team in your county for that year and seeing your picture on the wall in the club is the reward, getting another crack at another trophy with the best teams from other counties is just the icing on the cake. Even if Down had qualified for the last sixteen I'd still be disappointed and pi**ed off if they managed to go out at the quarter final stage to any team, regardless of who it was against.

I agree fully. I meant the additional reward it had with relevancy to the All Ireland series.

[Down Follower]

That's Championship ball. Sometimes you get the luck of the draw. Sometimes you make your own luck.

Connacht and Munster will always have the luck of the draw in your system.

I agree with keeping of Provincial championships. Previously the reward of winning it was entering the last 4 of the AI. Now the reward is entering the last 8 of the AI. Making it to last 16 would further reduce the reward of winning a Provincial championship and take out some of the injustice in the system.

The reward of winning a provincial championship is surely the medal in your back pocket and sense of achievement you get from succeeding in reaching your goals after months of hard work and bonding with your team. Getting into the provincial club championship isn't a 'reward' for winning a county championship in my opinion, knowing you are the best team in your county for that year and seeing your picture on the wall in the club is the reward, getting another crack at another trophy with the best teams from other counties is just the icing on the cake. Even if Down had qualified for the last sixteen I'd still be disappointed and pi**ed off if they managed to go out at the quarter final stage to any team, regardless of who it was against.

I agree fully. I meant the additional reward it had with relevancy to the All Ireland series.

Baller has a point here.  Is a higher seeding enough of a reward, in the All Ireland series, for Provincial winners!  If we move to the mindset of seeing it as a separate competition then yes, I can see it working.  Good post Wobbler, at least it hasnt been ripped apart within 4 pages!!

[OgraAnDun]

That's Championship ball. Sometimes you get the luck of the draw. Sometimes you make your own luck.

Connacht and Munster will always have the luck of the draw in your system.

I agree with keeping of Provincial championships. Previously the reward of winning it was entering the last 4 of the AI. Now the reward is entering the last 8 of the AI. Making it to last 16 would further reduce the reward of winning a Provincial championship and take out some of the injustice in the system.

The reward of winning a provincial championship is surely the medal in your back pocket and sense of achievement you get from succeeding in reaching your goals after months of hard work and bonding with your team. Getting into the provincial club championship isn't a 'reward' for winning a county championship in my opinion, knowing you are the best team in your county for that year and seeing your picture on the wall in the club is the reward, getting another crack at another trophy with the best teams from other counties is just the icing on the cake. Even if Down had qualified for the last sixteen I'd still be disappointed and pi**ed off if they managed to go out at the quarter final stage to any team, regardless of who it was against.

I agree fully. I meant the additional reward it had with relevancy to the All Ireland series.

Sorry, misread your post!

[Stall the Bailer]

That's Championship ball. Sometimes you get the luck of the draw. Sometimes you make your own luck.

Connacht and Munster will always have the luck of the draw in your system.

I agree with keeping of Provincial championships. Previously the reward of winning it was entering the last 4 of the AI. Now the reward is entering the last 8 of the AI. Making it to last 16 would further reduce the reward of winning a Provincial championship and take out some of the injustice in the system.

The reward of winning a provincial championship is surely the medal in your back pocket and sense of achievement you get from succeeding in reaching your goals after months of hard work and bonding with your team. Getting into the provincial club championship isn't a 'reward' for winning a county championship in my opinion, knowing you are the best team in your county for that year and seeing your picture on the wall in the club is the reward, getting another crack at another trophy with the best teams from other counties is just the icing on the cake. Even if Down had qualified for the last sixteen I'd still be disappointed and pi**ed off if they managed to go out at the quarter final stage to any team, regardless of who it was against.

I agree fully. I meant the additional reward it had with relevancy to the All Ireland series.

Sorry, misread your post!

No need to be sorry, you did raise why a provincial title is important, something I probably didn't do.

[Darby]

Wobbler.

When I saw the length of the opening post, I assumed this would be another terrible, overcomplicated idea. As a proudly sarcastic p***k, I was rubbing my hands with glee, assuming that I had happened upon a post ripe for a piss taking. Just in case, I read through the OP, and alas, I was mistaken. It's quite frankly an excellent idea, well thought out and feasible. f**k it anyway.

I will have to say 'well done', albeit grudgingly.

[macdanger2]

Very well thought out and original as well wobbler, best idea I've heard yet

The one downside might be the lack of interest in having all games on a particular weekend as they'll miss out on a lot of TV revenue. It would be great for the club game but the top brass are unlikely to go for it IMO

[6th sam]

Ingenious system , Wobbler. Retaining the best aspects of the current system, whilst making the league more competitive with every game having meaning.
Perhaps a minor tweak , applying slightly more weight to league status might be justifiable ,as Clare ,Tipperary , for example , in 2014 achieved top 16 status in your list, partly on the basis of a less competitive Munster championship containing fewer teams . The other alternative could be to playoff teams graded 13 to 20 , to produce the last 4 places for "the round of 16".
The mcnamee system , allows every county the glamour of being in the All Ireland series, and the motivation to be competitive in every game. It doesn't keep demotivated teams twiddling their thumbs and putting club football on hold for weeks, while they await an unattractive qualifier .

[ONeill]

Seems fair but this bothers me:

- A QF win is worth 2 Championship Entry Points.
- A SF win is worth 4 Championship Entry Points.
- A Final win is worth 6 Championship Entry Points.

Because so many Ulster sides reside in Divs 1-2, a quarter final in Ulster is equivalent to other provincial finals.

[BennyHarp]

Wobbler.

When I saw the length of the opening post, I assumed this would be another terrible, overcomplicated idea. As a proudly sarcastic p***k, I was rubbing my hands with glee, assuming that I had happened upon a post ripe for a piss taking. Just in case, I read through the OP, and alas, I was mistaken. It's quite frankly an excellent idea, well thought out and feasible. f**k it anyway.

I will have to say 'well done', albeit grudgingly.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with Darby. I was ready to try and pick holes in the idea as I initially thought it was going to be too long winded and complicated but fair play Wobbler, you have come up with a well thought out system that, although may need a few tweeks, seems very workable. As long as an up to date table of current point levels are published each week so people can see where their team stands then I think it could really work. No doubt Joe Brolly will be rehashing this as we speak. .

[Itchy]

Looks like a solid idea Wobbler. Did you email it in to Eugene McGee and the rule changes dudes.

[orangeman]

The system definitely has a lot of merit and should be further discussed. It's win win win IMO and teams will play to the end of the league and should do away with in the main the Longford v Dublin type of game we witnessed last weekend.

Wouldn't it be great if Congress / the hierarchy approved a proposal from the board ?.

We could call it Wobbler's Way.

[Esmarelda]

In what way do you all find this superior to Rossfan's proposal on the other thread?

[Darby]

Wobbler.

When I saw the length of the opening post, I assumed this would be another terrible, overcomplicated idea. As a proudly sarcastic p***k, I was rubbing my hands with glee, assuming that I had happened upon a post ripe for a piss taking. Just in case, I read through the OP, and alas, I was mistaken. It's quite frankly an excellent idea, well thought out and feasible. f**k it anyway.

I will have to say 'well done', albeit grudgingly.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with Darby. I was ready to try and pick holes in the idea as I initially thought it was going to be too long winded and complicated but fair play Wobbler, you have come up with a well thought out system that, although may need a few tweeks, seems very workable. As long as an up to date table of current point levels are published each week so people can see where their team stands then I think it could really work. No doubt Joe Brolly will be rehashing this as we speak. .

I'm scared as well.

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Seems fair but this bothers me:

- A QF win is worth 2 Championship Entry Points.
- A SF win is worth 4 Championship Entry Points.
- A Final win is worth 6 Championship Entry Points.

Because so many Ulster sides reside in Divs 1-2, a quarter final in Ulster is equivalent to other provincial finals.

I agree with this; may be better to award two points for a win in the championship, regardless of the stage. You could go a stage further and give an extra point if you beat a team two divisions above you or two if they are three above you. Similarly only one point for a win if the winning team is two divisions higher and nothing if Mayo beat London or Leitrim of if Donegal beat Antrim.

[thewobbler]

Seems fair but this bothers me:

- A QF win is worth 2 Championship Entry Points.
- A SF win is worth 4 Championship Entry Points.
- A Final win is worth 6 Championship Entry Points.

Because so many Ulster sides reside in Divs 1-2, a quarter final in Ulster is equivalent to other provincial finals.

I agree with this; may be better to award two points for a win in the championship, regardless of the stage. You could go a stage further and give an extra point if you beat a team two divisions above you or two if they are three above you. Similarly only one point for a win if the winning team is two divisions higher and nothing if Mayo beat London or Leitrim of if Donegal beat Antrim.

See the key thing about the original proposal is that there is next to no complexity or contortion involved... and I'd suggest that the quest for absolute equality such as in the comment quoted here, just adds unnecessary confusion - with minimal to no gains to arise.

For example, given that the leagues would be over before some teams plays in the provincials, which season would we grade teams by? Are Westmeath with 0 points and relegated to D2 really worth more weighting than a D2 team that's recently won promotion with 6 victories out of 7?

I get a continued sense from reading these suggestions that Ulster teams would be penalised as a result of the strength of that province. This folks might actually be true, but in 5 years time it might be the opposite; it might be Leinster that enjoys a golden period of competitiveness. Look at the longer picture and stop trying to find ways of guaranteeing that 7 Ulster side make the last 16. As mentioned previously, if they do the business in the league, then a QF knockout won't matter; they'll still be through to the last 16. This, in my opinion, should play into the hands of a dominant province, and not penalise them.


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Thanks for the nice feedback folks.