Could I just ask a few fact based questions here.
- Is this for football, hurling or both? Both
-Is this for only intecounty teams or does it apply to clubs as well? Club stays at under 18
-With this being introduced in 2018, is there any accommodation for this current years u16 or are they basically being told that they will never get an opportunity to play Minor level? ]Looks like it born in 2000 lads very unlucky

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts:706 - 29/02/2016 10:31:59 1829144

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 29/02/2016 10:45:06    1829154

Thanks Damo

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts: 800 - 29/02/2016 10:58:52    1829176

Very unlucky is one way of describing it Damo, another would be that they have just been s*** on from up high.
Congress baffles me more and more with each passing year.

benched (Tyrone) - Posts: 534 - 29/02/2016 11:13:24    1829186

The U18 to U17, I don't believe this was done for player burnout rather player welfare. Most U18 kids will be doing their Leaving Cert and there is enough pressure on kids these days without having them trying to fit in county managers who have no interest in their long term welfare. U20 I would say was a bit of both - if you are on a three year course then U21 you could be doing your finals - not the best situation to find yourself in. As someone pointed out, its the abuse of young players that is the problem but managers don't seem to want to do things voluntary so the rules have to be changed to take away the temptation. One year had to the unlucky one. The one advantage of keeping it away from clubs is the fact the lads who are U18 can still play and be available to the club, no U18 championship games should be delayed as a result. I would say the same thing will happen with the U20, the U21 club games will have to go ahead or thats the way it should be. I believe its a positive move, shows despite some comments on here that there are people trying to put the players first.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1976 - 29/02/2016 14:23:12    1829365

Surely the 'unlucky ones' or the ones 'shafted from above' depending on your perspective could simply be accommodated by playing both an u17 and an u18 competition for one year only. It mightn't seem like a big deal to some, but telling a whole age group that they will never get an opportunity to play intercounty minor is just wrong.

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts: 800 - 29/02/2016 15:16:33    1829412

Good post, Zinny.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 29/02/2016 15:18:49    1829413

I'm very disappointed that one of the most popular and most exciting grades (U-21) is coming to a end because a Monaghan man in a suit who hates the grade and has been trying to get rid of it for over ten years has finally got his way. If the general public or the players that play this grade had to vote to keep it the U-21 football championship would be here for many decades to come. What we have got in its place is a diluted U-20 championship where the public i believe will quickly lose interest in.

If burn out was top of the agenda at congress then why was college football not tackled instead of U-21 as you have young lads playing college league football before Christmas then they play for their colleges in the FBD,O Byrne cup etc and then Sigerson cup starts which concludes with two games in two days on final weekends. I should also point out that college football is no where near as popular and most exciting as the U-21 grade was.

ispeakwisdom (Roscommon) - Posts: 2487 - 29/02/2016 17:37:09    1829484

Surely the 'unlucky ones' or the ones 'shafted from above' depending on your perspective could simply be accommodated by playing both an u17 and an u18 competition for one year only. It mightn't seem like a big deal to some, but telling a whole age group that they will never get an opportunity to play intercounty minor is just wrong.

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts:708 - 29/02/2016 15:16:33 1829412

Vested interest already declared , so no surprise I agree totally

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 29/02/2016 17:38:41    1829487

Thinking about this more, there is a simple solution. Next year play an u17 championship as well as the standard minor championship exactly as the U17 is intended but with one change, only allow players who haven't made the minor (u18) panel play (only a very small amount will be impacted by this). The from 2018 go with the U17. This way:
-No player will be disenfranchised or victimised
-No player will suffer any additional burnout as they can't play on both panels
-The Gaa get an opportunity to dry run the logistcs of running competition at U17 level
-There is only upside for the counties as I think all will already have U17 development team but at least they will get games rather than the current proposal that this age group will never get a game
-The U17 finals could be played as the 'minor' match before both U21 finals and the U18 match played before the senior finals for the last time.

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts: 800 - 01/03/2016 11:50:23    1829703

Very unfair on the cohort of players born in 2000. Surely Croke Park can see the solution that we all agree on here: Run an u17 and u18 championship in the year 2017, before the lowering of minor age in 2018.

liner (Mayo) - Posts: 756 - 01/03/2016 21:00:54    1829937

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaa-considering-plans-to-introduce-an-under18-gaa-all-ireland-championship-34503766.html

Bit of common sense approach here , once off tournament for the 2000 lads , could be curtain raiser for u21 finals , just glad they get day in the sun if proposal goes ahead

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 02/03/2016 14:49:57    1830138

Sounds like it will be a straight knock out competition starting in July so the final might be played before the quarter finals?

lillyboy (Kildare) - Posts: 429 - 02/03/2016 15:16:04    1830150

Damothedub

I read the article, its a good idea. One thing that's confusing though, it says its being done for football AND hurling (did I read that right?). But I thought the new age limits were just being introduced for football, not hurling. Which doesn't make sense, hurlers do a leaving cert as well. Does anyone know if the changes are being applied to both codes? Everything I've read before this pointed to the contrary.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 02/03/2016 17:22:55    1830190

Marlon the new rules apply to both codes. As far as I know the only difference is in football you can only play either u-20 or senior at intercounty level, in hurling you can play both.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 02/03/2016 17:43:24    1830195

Soma

Ah, yes, I think that's mainly the case. I've looked at the motions, and I think this is how it is:
The minor grade change does indeed apply to both hurling and football. But I think the U-21->U20 age restriction change applies only to football. At least according to the motion (motion 5) that went before congress. The U21 grade will be unchanged for hurling.

I do understand why they wouldn't want to restrict U21 hurler's from playing senior, as the talent pool for the majority of senior intercounty hurling sides in the country could not sustain that, and vice versa. But I'm not sure why the age limit change (from 21 to 20) would only apply to football, if they're trying to tackle burnout.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 02/03/2016 19:12:17    1830229

Just seen there that they're bringing in a once off u18 grade in for 2018, glad to see someone with a bit of compassion in the gaa.

gaillimh4sam (Galway) - Posts: 14 - 03/03/2016 17:33:16    1830526

A most welcome plan, I'm sure Central Council will accept the proposal.

liner (Mayo) - Posts: 756 - 04/03/2016 18:08:29    1830849

Great. Can we dry all the tears now please?

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 04/03/2016 18:52:16    1830856

U21 as a concept for me was a waste of time. The best U21 talent already playing senior football / hurling anyway. If the idea of underage football is as a stepping stone to senior then its surplus to requirements. U20 or indeed U19 less likely to be playing senior.

crikey (Australia) - Posts: 355 - 04/03/2016 19:28:45    1830865

Spot on Crikey.

Particularly in smaller counties there is huge reliance on U21's to play both at that level and at senior. They are also likely to be playing Sigerson etc.

jimski (Kildare) - Posts: 381 - 05/03/2016 10:54:18    1830922