A Dublin motion for GAA Congress calls for inter-county players to play more club games. The motion is for players to play a minimum of four league games with their clubs in order to be eligible for inter-county selection.
It will be a tricky one. Inter county championships currently run parallel to county leagues. For the Dublin motion to gain traction, the Allianz Football League will probably have to be decoupled from All Ireland qualifying. That could allow provincial club and all Ireland club to run parallel with the Allianz leagues.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8382 - 11/12/2024 17:36:05    2583160

It's absolute nonsense that county players are stopped from playing with their clubs even though in many cases the player(s) are getting little or no playing time with their county… All because well paid managers are calling the shots and stopping players from representing their clubs…. Hopefully this revenue trawl will bring many of these County Boards to their senses as regards the ridiculous amount of money they are wasting every year on county team preparations…. bonkers stuff

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3147 - 11/12/2024 20:35:45    2583193

Its a nonsense motion though, clubs will be told to bring on an inter county player for 2 minutes at the end and that will constitute playing a club match.
What I 100% feel is that if a player doesn't start or play at least half a county game they must be released to their club for any game that the club has that weekend. Number 30 on the panel getting no game time for club or county what good is that to him. But then the "hamstring injury" will flare up......

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1264 - 11/12/2024 20:47:04    2583195

This is a very tricky subject. The club game is the roots of the sport and keeping it flourishing is so important. The gaa is not the only sport that has a feeder system. I know it is difficult to make comparison. Especially when money and the ability to play for a living is involved. There is no question that inter county players are playing at an elite standard of our games. I would imagine it is the dream of any player to play at this level and if good enough should not be restricted to do so. I know I have heard it before. No one is forcing them. That is jealousy or head in the sand. It is difficult to know how to accommodate all this and certainly in an amateur structure without enough of revenue stream for pro or semi pro.
So some innovation or structural change required and moving on from the past. Or as we are seeing let the drain open to see these top end athletes leak to other sports.
Only a small percentage make it to inter county and actually get to play significantly game time. The inter county panels have 35 players and more. 15 and 5 subs can play in a game. Restrict the number to 23. An injured player can be put on long term injury (LTI) and cannot be called up again in that calendar year. Short term yes but that has to be specified. If a player is not getting a set amount of playing time they must be released back to their club. Managers want two teams in the training ground and using these extra players as training fodder at the expense of the clubs. Clubs fixtures will have to continue without players and county players allowed make the decision to play for their club within 7 days of no game activity. Inter county managers calling all the shots and threatning players. Yes we love our elite level competition but there needs to be some ground rules that also specifies what is required and how many back ground staff including qualifications. 58 ? We have lost the run of ourselves. All other sports have a feeder system where the players are playing, not warming a bench. Immediate day subs in and out but not 20 more. A lot of money to be saved and 20 more players active with their clubs.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2899 - 11/12/2024 22:44:33    2583224

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2002 - 11/12/2024 23:07:03    2583225

The following is possible:
FEBRUARY AND MARCH: Provincial and All Ireland club championships. Allianz National Leagues.
APRIL AND MAY: Club only.
JUNE TO MID SEPTEMBER: Provincial and All Ireland inter county championships. County club leagues.
MID SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER: Club only.
Rugby has defined blocks of club rugby, autumn internationals, club rugby, spring internationals (Six Nations) and then more club rugby.
As mentioned in the original post - provincial and All Ireland club championships can run in parallel to the Allianz leagues. County leagues then can run in parallel with inter county championships as they tend to do currently.
April and May can allow for a run of club games in good weather. It actually has the knock on affect of allowing for September All Ireland finals.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8382 - 12/12/2024 06:17:47    2583237

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 12/12/2024 09:37:55    2583247

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 12/12/2024 09:49:01    2583252

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8382 - 12/12/2024 10:36:13    2583266

lefty (Wexford) - Posts: 221 - 12/12/2024 10:54:58    2583268

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2002 - 12/12/2024 12:23:41    2583282

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1485 - 12/12/2024 12:57:58    2583295

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 12/12/2024 13:10:56    2583298

Provincial councils won't go for it but the Dublin motion for 4 league games could be achieved through decoupling provincial championships from the All Ireland. Provincial rounds and county league rounds could be played on alternate weekends.
1. Leinster and Ulster preliminary
2. Connacht and Munster quarter finals
3. Leinster and Ulster quarter finals
4. Connacht and Munster semi finals
5. Leinster and Munster semi finals
6. Connacht and Munster finals
7. Leinster and Ulster finals
Leinster and Ulster county leagues could be played on weekends 2, 4, 6 and possibly the weekend before weekend 1. Connacht and Munster county leagues played on weekends 1, 3, 5 and 7.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8382 - 12/12/2024 13:59:21    2583309

It is laughable really. The GAA county fixtures will insist on a dual club playing a football game on Saturday and a hurling game on Sunday. A county manager will insist a player does not train or play with the club while on the panel. A prominent county manager when told by a player he would not be at practice on Tuesday because he had a football game with his club was told if not at training he need not come back.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2899 - 12/12/2024 14:54:39    2583323

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2648 - 12/12/2024 15:53:13    2583330

The Club leagues are being run alongside the intercounty season and so the sight of a county player there is rare. I don't think its practicable to pass the motion without opening up the whole split season debate.

Maybe a better rule would be for players getting called up for county match panel duty to be notified by thursday each week - if a player is not picked for a county match panel at the weekend they are required to be available for club games. This would then mean all county players would be available to the club weekends where the county is not in action.

brianb (Kildare) - Posts: 370 - 12/12/2024 17:08:44    2583344

The Dublin motion is provoking a needed discussion.
I know hurling is just about to go to divisions of 7 but returning to divisions of 6, players could be made available for 4 rounds of county hurling leagues on alternate weekends with the Allianz National League.
In football as mentioned above, county football leagues can be alternate weekends with the provincial championships.
Enforcing it is the conundrum. County boards could have to prove players are available on the 4 designated county league weekends. A match day squad might have to contain 15 players that played at least 3 county league games, if that can at all be workable and practical.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8382 - 12/12/2024 18:17:21    2583350

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 12/12/2024 18:57:52    2583355

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 12/12/2024 18:59:18    2583357