GAA director general Paraic Duffy believes that the proposed changes to the All-Ireland senior football championship will help breathe life into the competition.

Mr Duffy said that the qualifying system "has lost a little bit of its lustre" over the last two years or so and that this newly proposed format would introduce eight more games while scrapping its quarter-finals, as well as the Allianz League semi-finals.

The four knockout games would be replaced with two groups of four competing in a round-robin competition to reach the semi-finals, with the provincial and qualifier stages to run unchanged - although replays are would be outright abolished.

Speaking to RTE Sport after announcing the proposed changes today at Croke Park, Mr Duffy stated: "There has been a feeling over the last year or two that the qualifying system has lost a little bit of its lustre.

"We felt that it needed to be refreshed and looked at, and we started looking at new ways of invigorating the closing stages of the Championship.

"You'll have the winners from two provinces plus the runners up from two other provinces of the team that has beaten them.

"It will mean that there'll be eight additional games. Each team will play one game in Croke Park, one game at home and one game away."

He also added that the spread of games will see more fixtures being played outside Croke Park:

"Eight of the extra games will be played outside of Croke Park and I think that's good for the Championship."

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