All Ireland Champions vs All Ireland Clup Champions in April.

[Farneylawd2011]

Have to say great idea by Brolly 
Joe Brolly suggested to Paraic Duffy last week in The Athletic Grounds that a game could be staged between All Ireland Club champions vs All Ireland Champions in Croke Park and all Proceeds to a good cause.Fantastic idea.You could have the game the week before the league starts in April.

http://www.gaeliclife.com/2012/12/09/joe-brolly-could-any-county-team-beat-cross/

[Zulu]

If Duffy, Heaney and Brolly think that Donegal might be the only team that could beat Cross they haven't a clue about football, most county teams would beat any club team. Good idea otherwise though.

[From the Bunker]

One of the stupidest ideas ever! Jez, Crossmaglen are a class Club outfit and they are the platform of presently average Armagh county team. The difference in the two teams would be substantial, unless Donegal played in a lower gear this would be no contest. We have enough Mickey Mouse games in the GAA at present and I'd say Jim McGuinness has enough on his plate trying to get through the McKenna Cup with a second string side without adding another date to his fixture list. I'd say it's the same for Crossmaglen and Armagh football.

[Syferus]

Lucky for ye lads then that the AI final will be between Brigids and Crokes.

When a club team have a run to March they need rest, both for themselves and for the county. Teams like Cross and Brigids particularly are essential to the long-term success of their counties I wouldn't really want to be asking any more of club players, even a glorified challenge match.

It sounds nice in concept but things like the Michela match are very much once offs and the level of competition and crowd engagement made challenge matches seem positively tribal by comparison.

[ross4life]

It would be a challenge so i can't imagine McGuinness & co would give their full effort. For the record St Brigids played Donegal in Challenge last Jan Donegal without Murphy,McFadden won by a point 0-15 to 1-11. Around the same time Crossmaglen faced Louth & lost 2-10 to 1-9.

[Rossfan]

Nonsense to fill space in the quiet time of the year.

[Milltown Row2]

It would be a challenge so i can't imagine McGuinness & co would give their full effort. For the record St Brigids played Donegal in Challenge last Jan Donegal without Murphy,McFadden won by a point 0-15 to 1-11. Around the same time Crossmaglen faced Louth & lost 2-10 to 1-9.

Says it all that result

[Onion Bag]

It would be a challenge so i can't imagine McGuinness & co would give their full effort. For the record St Brigids played Donegal in Challenge last Jan Donegal without Murphy,McFadden won by a point 0-15 to 1-11. Around the same time Crossmaglen faced Louth & lost 2-10 to 1-9.

I have a funny feeling that cross played Donegal last year in a challenge and also beat them

[DuffleKing]

Every single county team in Ulster at championship pace would beat Cross. Antrim, Cavan and Fermanagh might make hard work of it but the rest would beat them comfortably. Donegal, Down Tyrone and Armagh would hammer them.

[INDIANA]

Every single county team in Ulster at championship pace would beat Cross. Antrim, Cavan and Fermanagh might make hard work of it but the rest would beat them comfortably. Donegal, Down Tyrone and Armagh would hammer them.

I doubt fermanagh would beat Cross. I'd be fairly sure Cavan in Rab Nesbitt mode as they've been would struggle too.

The others would beat them. Wouldnt be sure they'd hammer them though

[DuffleKing]

Every single county team in Ulster at championship pace would beat Cross. Antrim, Cavan and Fermanagh might make hard work of it but the rest would beat them comfortably. Donegal, Down Tyrone and Armagh would hammer them.

I doubt fermanagh would beat Cross. I'd be fairly sure Cavan in Rab Nesbitt mode as they've been would struggle too.

The others would beat them. Wouldnt be sure they'd hammer them though

Haven't seen Cavan a while then?

[armaghniac]

Fermanagh have only about 12 times the pick of Cross. Dublin have often been beaten by counties with a fraction of their pick.

[Orchardman]

Every single county team in Ulster at championship pace would beat Cross. Antrim, Cavan and Fermanagh might make hard work of it but the rest would beat them comfortably. Donegal, Down Tyrone and Armagh would hammer them.

Anyone that think that any of the div 3 or 4 counties would hammer cross ( or even another top club like Cr crokes) doesn't know much about football. Crokes for example would have 5 kerry panel players including cooper and brosnan, who would the other team have? And even though i think only 4 or 5 cross players should be in the armagh team, I cant see how any combination a non cross Armagh side could beat cross easily. And Armagh were div 1 the last 2 years!

[AFS]

Every single county team in Ulster at championship pace would beat Cross. Antrim, Cavan and Fermanagh might make hard work of it but the rest would beat them comfortably. Donegal, Down Tyrone and Armagh would hammer them.

Anyone that think that any of the div 3 or 4 counties would hammer cross ( or even another top club like Cr crokes) doesn't know much about football. Crokes for example would have 5 kerry panel players including cooper and brosnan, who would the other team have? And even though i think only 4 or 5 cross players should be in the armagh team, I cant see how any combination a non cross Armagh side could beat cross easily. And Armagh were div 1 the last 2 years!

He didn't say any division three or four counties would hammer Cross, he said Donegal, Down, Tyrone and Armagh would - all top two division counties. For what it's worth, I reckon a non-Cross Armagh side would take Cross handy enough. Ogs aren't a million miles back; strengthen their lot with the likes of McKeever, Donaghy, McDonnell, etc. and you'd have a team capable of grabbing the scores that have eluded Ogs in their last couple of attempts at toppling Cross.

Cross are incredible at their level, but some people really do get carried away with this sort of chat.

[Orchardman]

Every single county team in Ulster at championship pace would beat Cross. Antrim, Cavan and Fermanagh might make hard work of it but the rest would beat them comfortably. Donegal, Down Tyrone and Armagh would hammer them.

Anyone that think that any of the div 3 or 4 counties would hammer cross ( or even another top club like Cr crokes) doesn't know much about football. Crokes for example would have 5 kerry panel players including cooper and brosnan, who would the other team have? And even though i think only 4 or 5 cross players should be in the armagh team, I cant see how any combination a non cross Armagh side could beat cross easily. And Armagh were div 1 the last 2 years!

He didn't say any division three or four counties would hammer Cross, he said Donegal, Down, Tyrone and Armagh would - all top two division counties. For what it's worth, I reckon a non-Cross Armagh side would take Cross handy enough. Ogs aren't a million miles back; strengthen their lot with the likes of McKeever, Donaghy, McDonnell, etc. and you'd have a team capable of grabbing the scores that have eluded Ogs in their last couple of attempts at toppling Cross.

Cross are incredible at their level, but some people really do get carried away with this sort of chat.

Ok AFS, ur right about the first bit, the previous posters post i used wasnt a good example, but i know its an argument that came up not so long ago. I know what you mean, maybe sometimes people do make a lot of cross, from my point of view im usually just defending armagh football so i dont care much if cross win or not.

But my argument is, of course it is a huge step up from club to county. But is the level of div 4 counties any better than top clubs like cross, dr crokes, kilmacud crokes? I would say very little, but its hard to call.

And was that Stevie McDonnell you mentioned? I wish!