Former Mayo footballer David Brady believes that the GAA must tackle the issue of cynical play in games.

Brady was speaking to the Western People in the aftermath of the ongoing controversy surrounding the final minutes of this year's All-Ireland SFC final between Dublin and Mayo.

Mayo's Lee Keegan and Dublin's Cormac Costello and Eoghan O'Gara were all accused of cynical play during the game, but no action was taken against any of the players.

Brady now feels that the rules need to be defined so that it is more clear what is cynical play and what isn't.

"The black card was a step but Jarlath Burns and his rules committee need to look at this issue and make a statement and say, 'if you're going to do (cynical play), by Jesus you will be punished for it," said Brady.

"You have a black card, there has to be a black ball. In basketball if you suffer a technical foul then you have an opportunity of a free throw. In football, do you give someone a 35-yard kick straight in front of the goal.

"If there's been an intentional, technical foul, systematic foul in the last two or three minutes? Or if you are ahead by one point and you make a technical foul does the guy on the sideline add another 30 seconds. What they're trying to do is play down the clock.

"A suspension two weeks later won't hurt you so you have to open up the opportunity of saying, 'If you do that, someone gets an opportunity to hurt you on the scoreboard."

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