Sunday saw the greatest team I have ever seen play the game win an incredible final. Mayo are a superb team, and created the perfect storm to try and catch the Dubs out, but Sunday shows how good Dublin really are. Jim Gavin could afford to make huge mistakes in team selection, yet they still won. They are a machine, the best coached and mentally tough squad of all time.
The minor game before that saw Kerry steamroll to a record 4th title. It will be a matter of time before they rebuild and duke it out with the Dubs year in and year out, provided they sort their management out.
Where does this leave the rest of us? Dublin have raised the game to impossible heights, and only Kerry will be able to get near them. Mayo will always give them problems but just don't have the mentality to win an all ireland at senior level. But if you look outside of these three counties, the game is dying. Attendances speak for themselves. In 1997 55 thousand people watched the Leinster semi final third replay between Kildare and Meath. This year there was less than 15 thousand watching the counties at same stage of the competition. Only a few die hards are watching the game outside of Dublin and Kerry.
Dublin's domination is down to the genius of their current setup. The coaching is consistent from underage up. But it is also down to the money pumped into it by the GAA over the last 20 years. They are completely unique in world sport in that they play all games in their own county. The GAA are happy with the current domination because Croke Park is full and it makes maximum profit from a successful Dublin team. They don't appear to be concerned that 28-29 other counties have become completely disillusioned with the game and have stopped paying any interest. For me the joy of gaelic football has been fading for the last 4-5 years and I cant see myself ever watching again.
This is by no means Dublin's fault. They play the game in a beautiful way and their winning mentality is incredible, even after so many years at the top. But how long is the joy of winning an all ireland going to last when everybody else has given up?
I'd like to see a pick from the rest of Ireland take on this Dublin team say around Halloween time as a charity match, of course who would select and manage this 31 county team would probably take till next year to sort out, first man on the team sheet for me is Michael Murphy.
Replying To Tirchonaill1: "I'd like to see a pick from the rest of Ireland take on this Dublin team say around Halloween time as a charity match, of course who would select and manage this 31 county team would probably take till next year to sort out, first man on the team sheet for me is Michael Murphy."
Have Mickey Harte as the manager, yes I wouldn't mind paying a few euro not to attend a borefest
Replying To Daith: "Sunday saw the greatest team I have ever seen play the game win an incredible final. Mayo are a superb team, and created the perfect storm to try and catch the Dubs out, but Sunday shows how good Dublin really are. Jim Gavin could afford to make huge mistakes in team selection, yet they still won. They are a machine, the best coached and mentally tough squad of all time.
The minor game before that saw Kerry steamroll to a record 4th title. It will be a matter of time before they rebuild and duke it out with the Dubs year in and year out, provided they sort their management out.
Where does this leave the rest of us? Dublin have raised the game to impossible heights, and only Kerry will be able to get near them. Mayo will always give them problems but just don't have the mentality to win an all ireland at senior level. But if you look outside of these three counties, the game is dying. Attendances speak for themselves. In 1997 55 thousand people watched the Leinster semi final third replay between Kildare and Meath. This year there was less than 15 thousand watching the counties at same stage of the competition. Only a few die hards are watching the game outside of Dublin and Kerry.
Dublin's domination is down to the genius of their current setup. The coaching is consistent from underage up. But it is also down to the money pumped into it by the GAA over the last 20 years. They are completely unique in world sport in that they play all games in their own county. The GAA are happy with the current domination because Croke Park is full and it makes maximum profit from a successful Dublin team. They don't appear to be concerned that 28-29 other counties have become completely disillusioned with the game and have stopped paying any interest. For me the joy of gaelic football has been fading for the last 4-5 years and I cant see myself ever watching again.
This is by no means Dublin's fault. They play the game in a beautiful way and their winning mentality is incredible, even after so many years at the top. But how long is the joy of winning an all ireland going to last when everybody else has given up?"
Kildare is one of the biggest counties in the country and is a big football county.
Kildare have absolutely no excuse for not contending.
Kildare and Meath should be co ntending and being up there in all ireland quarter finals at least on a very regualrl basis and putting it up to Dublin every year in Leinster.
County's need to stop whinging and start improvig the standards within there own county in order to catch up with Dublin and Kerry, If Mayo can contend why can't Kildare, Meath,Cork,Galway,Down etc i.e counies with tradition,good population and relatively recent success to fall back on.
Some counties i.e the very small ones are properly handicapped and are not going to be relaistic contenders o a regular basis but there are loads of counties that aren't as good as they should be and that is not Dublin or Kerry's fault.