Dublin Vs Meath

[Hardy]

I thought we were introducing game-based rather than time-based suspensions.

I'm all for stamping out brawling. We can't allow Saturday-night-outside-the-chipper puppyism on our pitches that exist primarily as the healthy alternative to anti-social behaviour. However, the hysteria in the media is sickening, if not surprising. Even more sickening is Nicky Brennan playing to the gallery all over TV and radio yesterday and vilifying playing members of his own organisation for the titillation of the uninformed masses.

All he had to say was that rules exist and they would be applied consistently. Unfortunately, his credibility in making such a statement would be severely strained since we all  know that the rules are not applied consistently but very selectively. The main determinant of the severity of sanctions seems to be whatever RTE sport and their newsroom decides to select for transmission. For instance, does anyone have any more information on the alleged mass brawl in Armagh? Whether it took place or not, you can be sure Parnell Park wasn't the only place this weekend where lads squared up to each other in numbers. Will they all get one to two month suspensions? Will Nicky Brennan be on the six o'clock news vilifying them all? Sure he will. 

[Hound]

if you read more closely o neill you'll see the word two -it comes after one.

from what i know bernard brogan and paddy andrews will get a month. connolly,flynn and mc connell are likely to get 2, and whelan probably 3. and that will hurt dublin as most of them won;t be available for the opening game agianst louth. Not much point in appealing in my view. take the punishment and move on. what price are louth?
meath are worse off though - as they are in the championship on may 18th. wonder what price carlow are?

I'd be surprised at Brogan getting less than 2 and Whelan getting more than 2. Not surprised at Connolly and Flynn, didnt notice McConnell. I think Andrews should be exonerated, but I doubt that will happen and he'll end up with a month (which will be costly for him as he will not be given any more starting opportunities). If the Indo info is correct, there'll also be another 2 Dubs, and I'm sure they'll want to pick an even number of Meathmen and Dubs.

I didnt pick out too many individual Meathmen at the time. There were three hanging out of Whelan at one stage. I did notice Fay and the keeper were heavily involved, and that the only involvement Geraghty had was trying to pull lads away!

[GY Joe]

Eugene McGee had a fair cut off the players today, and today's players, basically calling them all 'dirty'. It got me thinking. I've played against football against a lot of teams in various matches at different levels, albeit very little at Senior level, and there are only a few lads I would call 'dirty'. I would have been a corner forward, or wing forward, and the natural target for any 'dirt' that was going on. So what is 'dirt'?

I was peripherally involved in a huge row against Laois in an under 21 game, and by that I mean I got the head beaten off me as about 20 other lads beat the shite out of each other as well , and I still wouldn't say they were dirty. I didn't like it at the time, naturally, but I thought it was just one of these 'blow ups' that occur every so often. I met the two main Laois lads who were using me for punching practice a few weeks later, and we had a couple of pints together.

To me, dirt is off the ball punches, or knees, spitting, grabbing at your crown jewels, walking on a lads calf in front of you, dropping knees into a fella, headbutting, gouging, deliberate elbows or clotheslines or any of that sort of stuff, and that very rarely occurred. Certainly the only time I was spat at was in a Leinster Minor Championship game, I won't say which county. Other than that, very little of anything apart from jersey pulling which is just annoying.

Dirt, to me, is hitting someone that isn't expecting it, or with their back to you. Or trying to injure a helpless opponent who is on the ground or something. And in all my years playing, I've never had that myself, and have only seen it occasionaly. Certainly in a few games against teams labelled as 'dirty' like Meath or the old Laois, it has never happened. I've been bruised as feck coming off, but there was honestly no strokes that I would call dirty.

What do ye consider dirty? Do ye think Eugene McGee is right, and every row, or dust up, is by it's nature 'dirty'? I'd be interested in what ye think.

I just think its false Machismo. Here hold me back sorta stuff. These lads have a fecked up view of what a hard man is supposed to be and they act out. They see one lad, then 2 lads go in and they dont want to be left out. Its group think.
If Pillar Caffrey had any control over his players and team they would not have 9 reds and a backroom member suspended since JANUARY!
Alot of those red cards were dirty, or just plain stupid tackles/ Vaughans being the most prominent. I mean cold cocking an opponent when he is not looking is cowardly and dirty. I have no problems with 2 lads sorting it out mano o mano but on balance. Dublin seem to get the 'timing' and technique of their tackles all wrong.  

[Hardy]

I agree with you AZ. McGee is a rent-a-quote clown. Anyone who has played or coached at his level knows very well the difference between dirt and hardness and I agree with your definitions. I only saw the highlights of Sunday, but I didn't see anything you'd call dirty from either side. I saw ugly rowdy behaviour that we need to stamp out and lengthy suspensions are in order for that (provided they apply not just to the rows RTE decides to air). But I saw nothing to compare to the thuggery in that Lions clip.

When was the last time an eye-gouging, an ear-biting or a scrotum-stamping in rugby made the evening news?

[orangeman]

Lads, you have to admit that Dublin had this coming to them over the past few years. We really can't be that surprised that the GAA would some day throw the book at them.

At least, these suspensions won't have any effect for the championship.

[mannix]

Everyone knows the dubs are easy to wind and they lose focus with temper and showing how tough they are. Ciaran Whelan nearly broke ronan macgarritys neck in the 2006 semi and was allowed to play on, then he met david brady later in the game.Not so tough then.

[Bensars]

I remember reading the papers the morning after Tyrone beat Kerry in the semi final in 2003. As most of you remember it was hard at times but very fair. ( even the stauchest kerryman would agree to that).
McGee "rent-a-quote clown" went to town on how dirty a game it was, how cynical  oit was blah balh blah.

Hes like a d list celebrity who needs controversy to survive.


For the record, the number of suspensions is far too many IMO.

[orangeman]

I remember reading the papers the morning after Tyrone beat Kerry in the semi final in 2003. As most of you remember it was hard at times but very fair. ( even the stauchest kerryman would agree to that).
McGee "rent-a-quote clown" went to town on how dirty a game it was, how cynical  oit was blah balh blah.

Hes like a d list celebrity who needs controversy to survive.


For the record, the number of suspensions is far too many IMO.

Maybe so, but are we REALLY surprised ?

[INDIANA]

it will hit dublin's opener against louth orangeman. Whelan will be done for striking hound- that's a mandatory 3 months. i'm a big fan of his but he has to take his punishment. I would be worried if i was connolly and flynn and fay and kenny from meath. because the row largely started from there. flynn and kenny are clearly seen thumping the heads off each other.i'd say the other 2 dublin players are me menamon and fennell. I think fennell may get away with it but mc menamon ran about 40 yards to get involved. Brendan murphy will get at least 2 months for nailing bernard brogan in the back. dublin will be missing about 5 for the opening game against louth by the looks of it. meath could be worse hit for the 18th may.
might bring the boots to navan on saturday we're missing 9 players!

[Bensars]

I seen an interview with Tommy Carr last night and i think he hit the nail on the head. Paraphrasing it was along the lines of, Dublin had been considered to have a soft underbelly and in crucial matches lost a lead or advantage. To overcome this they adopted a more physical approach, however confusing physical strength with mental strength, for which they have overcompensated and are now paying the cost

[orangeman]

it will hit dublin's opener against louth orangeman. Whelan will be done for striking hound- that's a mandatory 3 months. i'm a big fan of his but he has to take his punishment. I would be worried if i was connolly and flynn and fay and kenny from meath. because the row largely started from there. flynn and kenny are clearly seen thumping the heads off each other.i'd say the other 2 dublin players are me menamon and fennell. I think fennell may get away with it but mc menamon ran about 40 yards to get involved. Brendan murphy will get at least 2 months for nailing bernard brogan in the back. dublin will be missing about 5 for the opening game against louth by the looks of it. meath could be worse hit for the 18th may.
might bring the boots to navan on saturday we're missing 9 players!

But Dublin and Meath should still have enough in reserve - After this episode, Dublin will have learned their lesson and I now believe that this could be a blessing in disguise for them. It wouldn't surprise me if Dublin were still competing for major honours in September !

[supersarsfields]

I thought striking was a one month suspension with  3 months for kicking? Maybe I'm wrong tho.

[Hound]

Whelan will be done for striking hound- that's a mandatory 3 months.

I thought it was a mandatory 8 weeks?

I know you can certainly get more than the minimum, but I hope thats not the case. Plenty of 1 and 2 months, but nobody getting anything longer than that might be an alright compromise to ensure there are no appeals. As has been mentioned by most of the reasonable people on this thread, while there is a need for punishment, and a need to be seen to punish, there also has to be balance.

[magpie seanie]

It depends on the force involved in the strike and the part of the body used. Look up the rule book to be sure.

[orangeman]

Whelan will be done for striking hound- that's a mandatory 3 months.

I thought it was a mandatory 8 weeks?

I know you can certainly get more than the minimum, but I hope thats not the case. Plenty of 1 and 2 months, but nobody getting anything longer than that might be an alright compromise to ensure there are no appeals. As has been mentioned by most of the reasonable people on this thread, while there is a need for punishment, and a need to be seen to punish, there also has to be balance.

CCC in their own minds are probably balancing the books for former Dublin / Meath idiscretions and it might be a way of bringing in the crowds for the championsip - there'll be a full house in Navan on Saturday night for sure !