Antrim Football Thread

[Dreen]

The successful schools no doubt have a high standard set up but the clubs around them are providing the players.

We can debate on here to the cows come home but our clubs as a whole aren't as strong as in Tyrone or Derry for example.

It's up to us to make sure our clubs are as good as they can be and the rest will follow.

[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.

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.

Its all ok to sit on your arm chair and write this crap here. Get involed if you think you know better. Your always going to have coaches follow their kids with teams.

I get coaches following their kids in club setups (even though this can be detrimental at times) but not at county level ffs. It's much to higher level for wee Jonny's da to step in to the county underage team. Talk sense ffs.

And I do coach btw

Some extreme examples of the county set up parent thing, U17 footballers two years ago was shocking

[bannside]

No doubt about that Dreen. Its clubs responsibility first and foremost.But we should aspire to having better quality coaching programmes in our co development squads and in our schools as well.

Need all 3 contributing to guarantee same quality mileage going into our juveniles as the more successful counties.

[Walter Cronc]

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

Dungiven introduced it a few years ago and are reaping the rewards. Remains to be seen how successful Chrissy is. He's being paid by a few v wealthy benefactors. Not all clubs can do that!

What exactly is the model ?

Dungiven appointed Emmet Stewart I think who was a Derry GAA coach. I believe his remit is to oversee all coaching/put structures in place to develop players in all codes. Certainly not an easy task but Dungiven are now in the top 3/4 teams in each age group this past few years. They also won an Ulster minor title last year so things are on the up. Huge for Derry too as they haven't provided county players (bar one or two fringe players) really in the past 15 or more years.

[Dreen]

Agree on that Bannside for sure.

I would say that clubs need to be providing the best coaches to work at county level.

It takes clubs with a strong GAA culture for that to be able to happen and again would show a big difference between ourselves and some other counties.

We have too many young players playing say on a Thursday night at u15 level who just play Gaelic, they have no ambition to be senior footballers for their club never mind their county and truth be told we have had too many coaches over the years who will disappear from a club when their child stops playing.

Clubs are for life not just for Christmas

[EOC1923]

No doubt about that Dreen. Its clubs responsibility first and foremost.But we should aspire to having better quality coaching programmes in our co development squads and in our schools as well.

Need all 3 contributing to guarantee same quality mileage going into our juveniles as the more successful counties.

https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/gaa/offaly-rising-after-years-regression-24749726

An brief insight into what Offaly did to create recent success at underage

[bannside]

Any predictions for tonight's rounds of games. Just because most had a 50% or less correct prediction rate last week means you have to stop...lol.

PG1 host a St Brigids team that have been flying recently, never much between us!

Cargin home to Aghagallon another interesting one. Cargin might not care whether they win the league or not (I understand that) but we have been around long enough to know they don't like losing, even a friendly, so I expect to see the real Cargin standing up tonight.

Anyone wishing to stick their neck out?

[EOC1923]

St Johns - Rossa (St Johns by 3)
LD - Ahoghill (Draw)
TNN - St Endas (St Endas by 5, though depends if county players can play
Cargin - Aghagllon (Cargin by 3)
St Galls - Moneyglass (St Galls by 4)
Portglenone - St Brigid Lavey - (Portglenone by 3)

[Would ye whist]

St Johns - Rossa (St Johns by 4)
LD - Ahoghill (Ahogill by 1)
TNN - St Endas (St Endas by 7,)
Cargin - Aghagllon (Draw)
St Galls - Moneyglass (St Galls by 1)
Portglenone - St Brigid - (Portglenone by 5)

[Caesar]

Are the county men permitted to play tonight?

[bannside]

Yes. Most clubs have full decks available.

[JimStynes]

Yes. Most clubs have full decks available.

Are you sure? I don't think our county men are available tonight!

[EOC1923]

Yes. Most clubs have full decks available.

You will as you have no county men, everyone else is down their best players

[bannside]

Stand corrected, county men not available.

[Milltown Row2]

Stand corrected, county men not available.

Fringe players available?