GAA Discussion Paper

[AZOffaly]

Well take out the International Rules, and substitute hurling for football, and I'd imagine Noel McGrath, Tony Kelly and a couple of others from Clare, Tipp, Kilkenny, Limerick have been in that boat. Noel would have been with Loughmore Castleiney, who are always fairly team in hurling and football at club level, and was obviously with the U21s when he was playing senior and U21 county. He played Fizgibbon Cup as well, so I'd say he'd be one. Joe Canning with Portumna and LIT, Galway must be another.

[muppet]

Has there ever been a player caught up in the one year with all of the following ?

And most of these teams were at the business end of their relevant competitions.

Senior (Intermediate, Junior) club team. ✔️✔️ (hurling & football)
County team. ✔️
under 21 club team. ❓
Under 21 inter county. ✔️✔️ (hurling & football)
Sigerson ✔️ (debatable - but he played for Cork Institute of Technology in hurling)
Railway Cup ❓(was there even a Railway Cup in 2011?)
International Rules ✔️

2011 Aidan Walsh

[INDIANA]

I agree Lily, and it is an important stepping stone with regard to development as well. It's an awful big step from U17 to Senior.

How do you propose to stop the horrific injuries and abuse of players in this bracket?

I work with this bracket of players every week and it's disgusting how flogged these guys are by club and county

It's alright having romantic ideals about u21 players but the reality is - it's a problem grade and whether people like it or not it is a serious contributor towards burnout because of when it is scheduled.

[AZOffaly]

By not allowing U21s play senior, and if they do, then they are ineligible for U21s. Also, remove or move the College competitions.

[Rossfan]

By not allowing U21s play senior, and if they do, then they are ineligible for U21s. Also, remove or move the College competitions.

+1 but make it U20.

[INDIANA]

By not allowing U21s play senior, and if they do, then they are ineligible for U21s. Also, remove or move the College competitions.

Will never be passed . College scholarships are an integral part of the GAA professional structure at elite level .

In an ideal world you're spot on but the politics will ensure it never happens . You have to remember most GAA managers don't give a shirt about the welfare of their players

[AZOffaly]

Even bringing in the rule that you can only play intercounty in one grade would help. If U21s weren't allowed play senior, or else had to forfeit their U21 status, that would take a load off. The U21 championship itself, being straight knockout, is not a huge demand on players if they weren't also on senior panels.

If they do away with it, you'll end up with a pile of 18 year olds doing county senior training, which would be mental.

[twohands!!!]

By not allowing U21s play senior, and if they do, then they are ineligible for U21s. Also, remove or move the College competitions.

Odds are very high that the third level educational institutes would simply run the games independent of the official GAA if the GAA did this, so the idea of removing college competitions is a non-runner.

[twohands!!!]

Even bringing in the rule that you can only play intercounty in one grade would help. If U21s weren't allowed play senior, or else had to forfeit their U21 status, that would take a load off. The U21 championship itself, being straight knockout, is not a huge demand on players if they weren't also on senior panels.

If they do away with it, you'll end up with a pile of 18 year olds doing county senior training, which would be mental.

It would make scheduling of games much easier if you were either U21 or senior but not both - as it is now the number of under 21 players who play a significant amount of senior football is probably at an all-time low - there was no player on panels of the two teams who contested the All-Ireland who was eligible for the YPOTY (which is an U21 award)

[johnneycool]

Even bringing in the rule that you can only play intercounty in one grade would help. If U21s weren't allowed play senior, or else had to forfeit their U21 status, that would take a load off. The U21 championship itself, being straight knockout, is not a huge demand on players if they weren't also on senior panels.

If they do away with it, you'll end up with a pile of 18 year olds doing county senior training, which would be mental.

It would make scheduling of games much easier if you were either U21 or senior but not both - as it is now the number of under 21 players who play a significant amount of senior football is probably at an all-time low - there was no player on panels of the two teams who contested the All-Ireland who was eligible for the YPOTY (which is an U21 award)

Galway had a few

[giveballaghback]

Control the training, problem is when a player is on several teams he is expected to train with them all as well as play, a training record and schedule as well as playing schedule for each player recording length and time for each player, proper rest time must be observed and best interest and health of the player before all else, there is currently an app available to help with this, each management team must take responsibility and insure the player is protected. If this is implemented {and must be done and made law by congress} it will sort out most of the problems.

[Rossfan]

How and who will police this?
We only had Johnny in for training 3 times this month - sure look at the record.

[giveballaghback]

Thats the attitude rossfan, it cant be done so dont even try, the player will maintain his or her own records with team managements having joint responsibility, players train to get themselves into the best possible shape, why would they do anything to put that at risk?, Gaa, Gpa, and county boards should buy into this, as I said before it must be initiated at congress, our own Cathal Cregg is advocating this for some time now.

[INDIANA]

How and who will police this?
We only had Johnny in for training 3 times this month - sure look at the record.

What do you mean police it ? If a player comes to you and has been training three days in a row - don't be like all those other gobshites and train him for a 4th day in a row

[rrhf]

Even bringing in the rule that you can only play intercounty in one grade would help. If U21s weren't allowed play senior, or else had to forfeit their U21 status, that would take a load off. The U21 championship itself, being straight knockout, is not a huge demand on players if they weren't also on senior panels.

If they do away with it, you'll end up with a pile of 18 year olds doing county senior training, which would be mental.

Club football could be used to develop lads