The Leinster MFC commenced yesterday with five first round games taking place, but it'll be another 10 weeks before its Connacht equivalent gets underway.

It begs the question: why is the race for the Tom Markham Cup so drawn out? And here's another couple of questions that needed answering while we're at it: Why is there still no backdoor for the early fallers in the Connacht and Ulster minor championships when the safety net is there for their counterparts in Leinster and Munster? And why are the beaten provincial finalists allowed back into the championship at the same stage (All-Ireland quarter-final) as the provincial winners?

Surely the GAA can come up with a better system that ensures a level playing field for everyone. The current structure is flawed, unbalanced and unfair. Then again, the same can be said for the majority of championship structures at inter-county level.

It's ridiculous to think that all six Munster counties played their first championship match last Wednesday night and Roscommon, Mayo and Galway won't see championship action until July (Leitrim and Sligo get the Connacht MFC underway on June 27). The U21 football championship is run off between February and May. It's a level playing field for every team. Why can't the minor championship be like that?

Hopefully, a full debate will materialise about the minor championship structure and, indeed, about the structures at all levels in the near future.

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