Antrim Football Thread

[Hoof Hearted]

Lots of football action this week-end....senior and reserve games with under-17 as well as u-19 games....

Possible that some of the u17 games scheduled for Sat evening may be changed as the feile u15 is on during the day at different venues and there may be an overlap of players for some clubs

[FrMaginn]

Disagree WC. Winning a McRory cup is not THE prize, even if that was achievable!  I'd rather our four or five big schools made a proper concentrated effort at winning McLarnon, at least we would have 150 players being prepared each year, than 20 Antrim and 20 Down.

We need these schools to properly aspire to putting in the work from year 8 and upwards and be competing in all their year group comps. And to give them a chance Clubs need to step up and send in better quality, and county dev squads need to take the lads under them to a higher level, at least individually (S&C etc).

Irs a long hard road and there's no short cuts.

I suppose you could then ask how Down are taking similar tankings to us at minor level? I'd say they have a right few boys playing A football right through school with St Colman's and the Abbey, they aren't splitting their resources with hurling anywhere near the same as we are, yet they are nowhere near the ballpark at county minor level.

Down have literally just won back to back u20s.  So what if they have 1 bad underage team.... Comparing us to them is a bit disrespectful to Down and we are certainly not even close to being in similar positions

[FrMaginn]

Disagree WC. Winning a McRory cup is not THE prize, even if that was achievable!  I'd rather our four or five big schools made a proper concentrated effort at winning McLarnon, at least we would have 150 players being prepared each year, than 20 Antrim and 20 Down.

We need these schools to properly aspire to putting in the work from year 8 and upwards and be competing in all their year group comps. And to give them a chance Clubs need to step up and send in better quality, and county dev squads need to take the lads under them to a higher level, at least individually (S&C etc).

Irs a long hard road and there's no short cuts.

I suppose you could then ask how Down are taking similar tankings to us at minor level? I'd say they have a right few boys playing A football right through school with St Colman's and the Abbey, they aren't splitting their resources with hurling anywhere near the same as we are, yet they are nowhere near the ballpark at county minor level.

Down have literally just won back to back u20s.  So what if they have 1 bad underage team.... Comparing us to them is a bit disrespectful to Down and we are certainly not even close to being in similar positions

Sorry 2/3 but point stands

[bannside]

Before we think about winning minor championships and McRorys, which are miles off, why don't we focus on producing 25 of the best players we've ever had, from a group of males currently aged 10 to 16.

I think this is achievable by the way, and see some real talent in that age bracket, many who have much more leg miles on the clock already than their peers of a decade ago. These kids are getting blitz comps every week, better (if not worldbeating) emphasis at schools and county facilities are now in place.

Dunsilly has grounds, lights, now a state of the art gymnasium planned costing a lot of money. Things we just couldn't say a few years back.

What's missing is some joined up thinking aligned to a plan as rightly alluded to here earlier.  For the ultra pessimists within us, you need to open your eyes and see that the glass is well and truly half full...let's fill it further in the coming years.

[Milltown Row2]

Development squads are great but a type of academy needs to be set up allowing these lads to have the best of attention, specialised training, strength and conditioning and so on..

Who's going to pay for that? It would take some buy in by clubs mentors parents, major commitments.

Is there enough interest actually out there?

[bannside]

There could be MR if this is set up and driven. The business community would step up if they saw something really proper and meaningful to invest in. The plan and the people behind it are key.

[marty34]

All well and good but a 5/10 year plan is needed.

This vision needs to be put on paper.

Key thing is it needs to be assessed every year and people held accountable.  More often than not, these plans are sold to people in glossy brochures and via Twitter and Facebook etc. 

Needs to be an open review and feedback etc. at the end of each year and need to release a report re: objectives and targets etc.

No point in just announcing it and then hearing nothing from it afterwards. People need to be held accountable, then the jobs get done...hopefully.

[EOC1923]

Before we think about winning minor championships and McRorys, which are miles off, why don't we focus on producing 25 of the best players we've ever had, from a group of males currently aged 10 to 16.

I think this is achievable by the way, and see some real talent in that age bracket, many who have much more leg miles on the clock already than their peers of a decade ago. These kids are getting blitz comps every week, better (if not worldbeating) emphasis at schools and county facilities are now in place.

Dunsilly has grounds, lights, now a state of the art gymnasium planned costing a lot of money. Things we just couldn't say a few years back.

What's missing is some joined up thinking aligned to a plan as rightly alluded to here earlier.  For the ultra pessimists within us, you need to open your eyes and see that the glass is well and truly half full...let's fill it further in the coming years.

10-16? That would be handy for Portglenone with the apparent dream team of u14s you boys have
On a serious note, for me its great having these development squads, but for the most part our system is a tick box exercise. I have even heard recent cases where people who literally have no experience of playing or coaching in GAA are part of management structures, and coming from clubs who don't even field underage teams and are putting in zero effort to do so. Get real hand pick your coaches at each age and drive it on from there, that would be a starting point.

[barnish oggie]

Lots of football action this week-end....senior and reserve games with under-17 as well as u-19 games....

Possible that some of the u17 games scheduled for Sat evening may be changed as the feile u15 is on during the day at different venues and there may be an overlap of players for some clubs

Yes I would say a good few of the U17 games will be rescheduled, I know we have rescheduled ours as we couldn't field without U15s and I know other teams in the same boat.

Would love to know who thought it would be a good idea to schedule U17 league matches on U15 Feile day and didn't think there would be an issue.

[JimStynes]

Before we think about winning minor championships and McRorys, which are miles off, why don't we focus on producing 25 of the best players we've ever had, from a group of males currently aged 10 to 16.

I think this is achievable by the way, and see some real talent in that age bracket, many who have much more leg miles on the clock already than their peers of a decade ago. These kids are getting blitz comps every week, better (if not worldbeating) emphasis at schools and county facilities are now in place.

Dunsilly has grounds, lights, now a state of the art gymnasium planned costing a lot of money. Things we just couldn't say a few years back.

What's missing is some joined up thinking aligned to a plan as rightly alluded to here earlier.  For the ultra pessimists within us, you need to open your eyes and see that the glass is well and truly half full...let's fill it further in the coming years.

10-16? That would be handy for Portglenone with the apparent dream team of u14s you boys have
On a serious note, for me its great having these development squads, but for the most part our system is a tick box exercise. I have even heard recent cases where people who literally have no experience of playing or coaching in GAA are part of management structures, and coming from clubs who don't even field underage teams and are putting in zero effort to do so. Get real hand pick your coaches at each age and drive it on from there, that would be a starting point.

Totally agree with this part! Expert coaches would be a start! Not someone who has a son on the panel. Belfast needs to be flooded with coaches and promoted massively too. Antrim needs a strong city base of players and a number of the country clubs need to get their act together as well. IMO the most thing is school football but the other bits need to be there first.

[NorthAntrim]

The Chrissy McKaigue model in slaughneil is something that would be massive for clubs. If only money were no object

[Caesar]

Here's a very interesting article about the actions Derry have taken that has led to their resurgence. https://bit.ly/3AQxVTQ

It contains a copy of Derry's "5 Year Strategic Coaching & Development Strategy" which started in 2021.

Do Antrim have a similar strategy in place? And if not, why not? It's time to start holding people accountable.

[InnocentByStander]

I believe playing A schools football is a massive factor to succession at underage, all you have to do is look at our current club scene cargin and creggan alot of their players attend south derry school where football is a massive part of the culture in the schools, aghagallon most of their players are heading to st ronans.

Macory cup is the highest level fo football you can play at that age imo bigger than the county...

[Saffrongael]

I believe playing A schools football is a massive factor to succession at underage, all you have to do is look at our current club scene cargin and creggan alot of their players attend south derry school where football is a massive part of the culture in the schools, aghagallon most of their players are heading to st ronans.

Macory cup is the highest level fo football you can play at that age imo bigger than the county...

Cargin, Creggan etc are producing the players for the schools, not the other way about

[JimStynes]

I believe playing A schools football is a massive factor to succession at underage, all you have to do is look at our current club scene cargin and creggan alot of their players attend south derry school where football is a massive part of the culture in the schools, aghagallon most of their players are heading to st ronans.

Macory cup is the highest level fo football you can play at that age imo bigger than the county...

Cargin, Creggan etc are producing the players for the schools, not the other way about

But they get brought on massively by playing at those schools. I would argue that a lot of the lads from those clubs wouldn't have had the careers they have had if they didn't go to those schools. Playing schools football is as close to professional as you can get at that age. Way ahead of most county setups.