Down Club Hurling & Football

[Point-to-Point]

Probably a bit later for posting this now since it's all already kicked off, but any predictions for the football championships?

Kilcoo still looking like the team to beat at senior. Carryduff didn't look great against Glenn, and hard to look too much into Burren's performance.

Intermeidate could be interesting enough. Was expecting Saval to win it again and go straight back up, but who knows. Annaclone looking quite strong. An Riocht and Shamrocks will be disappointed with their performances.

Thought Kilclief were a shout for the Junior, but must have been a good performance from Magherlin to beat them. Last I heard of Magherlin they were struggling badly- are they on the up? Think Dromara are going well and could give the junior championship a good rattle this year.

SFC Winners- Kilcoo
Relegated- Liatroim

IFC Winners- Saval
Relegated- Drumaness

JFC Winners- Dromara

[Sheedy]

Whoever was doing the draws for the next rounds of the football championship must've been trying to get as many derby matches as they could manage lol. A few interesting matches in the next round.

[Truth hurts]

After the groups were played, does anyone have any opinions on the new format for the minor championship?

Too many hammerings for me. It is lopsided and not good for development.

[Mourne Red]

After the groups were played, does anyone have any opinions on the new format for the minor championship?

Too many hammerings for me. It is lopsided and not good for development.

Can't bubble wrap teams up - Think its a good measure for where you need to get to as a minor going into senior. Kilcoo put there underage groups into higher level comps throughout the years and with their domination of senior level it seems to have done them no harm.

[Nanderson]

Good game in Kilcoo tonight. RGU definetly fond of the goals this year but not enough to knock out a spirited Liatroim team. Conor McCrickard was unmarkable all night

[befair]

Watching the game on Down tv last night. Burren wore white jerseys and dark shorts, Mayobridge light blue jerseys and dark shorts. My eyesight is deteriorating and is was very difficult to tell the teams apart. The GAA needs to have policy on colour clashes and have more consideration for the elderly and visually limited

[thewobbler]

Watching the game on Down tv last night. Burren wore white jerseys and dark shorts, Mayobridge light blue jerseys and dark shorts. My eyesight is deteriorating and is was very difficult to tell the teams apart. The GAA needs to have policy on colour clashes and have more consideration for the elderly and visually limited

Agree completely.

Sport has to be easy to follow for it to be entertainment

[thewobbler]

Another better than usual championship game tonight in castlewellan, even if we came out on the wrong side of it.

Ford were maybe marginally better, as reflected in the result.

Something struck me watching tonight. It was mostly the lads in their thirties, on both teams, who delivered the big plays, who controlled things, who changed the course of the game.

Those are the last few players of the "pre Jimmy McGuinness" era; ie those who can remember when championship football was mostly about 1:1 battles, and taking risks, trusting yourself. In a way they're  currently the robot controllers.

I'm more than a tad worried about what's coming down the line, when they're all done. Robots vs robots ain't going to be much fun.

[ardtole]

I've been fortunate enough to be talking to someone with a bit of an insight into the proposed rule changes for football next year and I think we could all be pleasantly suprised by the effect it might have.

Kevin Feeley (Kildare) was on the smaller fish podcast this week and although not directly involved in the trial games, the players he knew,participating were very enthusiastic.

Down v Armagh this year was dreadful in my opinion, I go to a lot of games but I thought that was probably the worst game I was ever at and I really hope Jim Gavin and his team get this right.

[Sheedy]

I've been fortunate enough to be talking to someone with a bit of an insight into the proposed rule changes for football next year and I think we could all be pleasantly suprised by the effect it might have.

Kevin Feeley (Kildare) was on the smaller fish podcast this week and although not directly involved in the trial games, the players he knew,participating were very enthusiastic.

Down v Armagh this year was dreadful in my opinion, I go to a lot of games but I thought that was probably the worst game I was ever at and I really hope Jim Gavin and his team get this right.

Down against Armagh were very defensive and done what they had to do to keep the game tight, it wasn't a great watch if you were expecting free flowing football but it wouldn't be near the top 10 of the worst games I've ever seen.

But agree rule changes are badly needed.

[Sideline Ball]

Following on from Friday's match, curious if anyone had any insight on why Bredagh and Carryduff seem to be trending in different directions, despite similar levels of success at underage? Had expected a bit more from Bredagh in Div 1,particularly this year but is there something (apart from Carryduff's greater infrastructure) which is setting them apart?

[imtommygunn]

Particularly in hurling. I really wouldn't have expected Carryduff to beat Bredagh in the hurling. Football Carryduff seem to be 2nd or 3rd best in county?

[johnnycool]

Particularly in hurling. I really wouldn't have expected Carryduff to beat Bredagh in the hurling. Football Carryduff seem to be 2nd or 3rd best in county?

We struggled to beat Carryduff on Saturday evening. They're not the worst hurling team and we ended up having to put some lads on carrying niggles to see out the game.

We did play some really stupid hurling and the Carryduff goal came from our short puck out and the defender receiving it hit it straight across the field to the Carryduff lad who duly ran it in and scored the goal.

Bredagh are struggling with injuries and lads travelling I believe. Can happen anyone that.

[imtommygunn]

Yeah but is this not the 2nd year in a row they're struggling with travelling etc?

Carryduff IIRC just about stayed up in division 2 in antrim though Bredagh seem to be up and down.

[Truth hurts]

The standard of football in the county is depressing. Let's hope it can spark into life tonight.