No bother JayP :D

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8592 - 24/02/2015 21:57:10    1696582

Soma
County: UK
Posts: 874

1696514
JayP
I challenge any Gaa player to play up front, or go watch LOI striker and then tell me that these guys are fit.
Isnt this exactly what Eoin Skinner Bradley is doing for Glenavon, and managing just fine at it? Alright it is the northern equivalent but the point stands.

And Michael Donnelan and Jayo struggled at the top level in the LoI?!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13710 - 25/02/2015 10:44:08    1696636

I don't think that was due to fitness levels Mes? Just found it odd someone suggesting an intercounty footballer would struggle to have the fitness to play up front in the LoI, Skinner is notoriously lazy and manages to do it.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 25/02/2015 11:46:19    1696652

there are only 11 players on a soccer team. they play for 90 minutes. all players are constantly on the move.
to categoricaly state that the dublin football team would be fitter than a LOI team is wrong full stop.

regarding this post below from Glensboy
Back in the day in London we had a guy called Mick Flanagan, ex professional soccer player and capped 3 times for England B, train our hurling team. He was a damn good trainer and brought a different approach to our training methods. He togged out for our junior football team without any prior practice. His skill level was plain to see and I am sure with some practice and familiarity with the 'physical' side of things he could have been very effective.

I believe he scored a point from play. We let him take a couple of frees, in those days they were taken off the ground. He just couldn't get the knack of rising the ball to go over the bar. His whole football career, as a striker, was to keep the ball below the bar. Even up at training he couldn't manage the free off the ground.


I find thatextraordinary. surely everyone is capable of kicking a ball high. It's easier than kicking it low. don't soccer players do it all the time as well with free kicks and clearances. oh and I remember Mike Flanagan playing with Charlton.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 25/02/2015 13:54:50    1696710

Speaking generally now (obviously there will be exceptions), I would imagine the sports would rank below as follows, based on your average participant at the elite level i.e. (intercounty GAA, international rugby, professional soccer (premier league0:

Stamina (endurance running):
1. Gaelic Football
2. Soccer
3. Hurling
4. Rugby

Upper body physical strength:
1. Rugby
2. Gaelic football
3. Hurling
4. Soccer

Proportionate strength (i.e. core body strength relative to body size)
1. Soccer
2. Gaelic football
3. Rugby
4. Hurling

Quickness/agility (i.e. reactions)
1. Soccer
2. Hurling
3. Gaelic football
4. Rugby

I would welcome any thoughts on the above. Are there other measures of fitness I haven't touched upon?

If I was to pick just one instance of where a player might succeed in switching between any of the sports above, having never played, I would imagine the most successful would be a professional soccer player making the transition to intercounty football (based on the fact that their hand-eye co-ordination, balance, core strength, kicking would all be of an elite level).
Can I stress again these are general observations!!

Mondo (Longford) - Posts: 148 - 25/02/2015 15:16:50    1696764

just read on the main page that Aaron kernan is back from his test.
His pace over a 5 yard sprint wasnt up to scratch, but he won a test over "distance covered in training". This was against a premier league outfit by the way (Sunderland).
What do ye all make of this? Sounds like he done okay to me. Jayp was going on about "conference level" fitness among inter county players earlier in this thread. Seems like the fitness is on a par with a premier league team (4 levels above conference Jay P), but maybe GAA players lacking a bit of sharpness that the pros have.
No real surprise to me. give the Sunderland players a full time job to deal with and theyd lose a bit of the sharpness.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 25/02/2015 20:00:16    1696896

im not suprised...gaa players would be very good over distances but soccer players over a small distance would be extremely sharp and quick off the mark...look at suarez for instance..no sprinter but very quick over few yards

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 25/02/2015 21:19:59    1696922

Id question those results actually. It has long been proven that soccer players cover more ground per minute than gaa players. Im not denying he may have won the test, but Id be wondering if sunderland are going to put their senior players on an endurance run at this point in the season. It's pretty unlikely in fairness.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 26/02/2015 09:48:30    1696972

True, the Master but at the same time, aaron kernan has retired from inter county football, and hasnt been training with Armagh. okay, hes been going at it with cross, but his fitness wouldnt be at its peak at the moment.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 27/02/2015 09:41:35    1697305

S Goldrick = You have the right fella there ok. Maybe with enough practice he could have mastered scoring frees from the ground. I think we tend to forget that the art of scoring from 'ground frees' was very specialised. Could all of the guys who currently score frees from their hands master 'ground frees?'. A soccer centre forward does not usually have to rise the ball over the cross bar. The don't 'kick the ball high'. You just have to have a look too at penalty takers in both codes. Different dimensions etc and mixed results. Not a skill everyone can master.

Glensboy (Antrim) - Posts: 290 - 27/02/2015 10:52:25    1697324

theyve a different skill set joncarter, although its scandalous how many pro footballers are completely one-footed, way more than their gaelic counterparts. I think people give them far too much credit just because they get paid, to me thats proof that theyve actually very little skill at all

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 27/02/2015 11:20:15    1697334

Interesting stats by Ray Boyne....

http://www.sportsjoe.ie/world-of-sport/infographic-which-sports-make-their-players-cover-the-most-ground-in-a-regular-season/15395

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 28/02/2015 13:08:11    1697624

Joncarter, I never said gaa players had conference level fitness. Thanks for selectively taking something out of context. Somebody said that LOI players would be comparable to league 2 sides in England. I just noted by that line of thinking would gaa players be conference level in comparison to the Aussie Rules boys. Point being, its hardly scientific to say that. Look at the amount of soccer players who came from LOI and are playing in Englands top two tiers. General observations about LOI players dont stack up.

Ps. I love the GAA. I just think the soccer bashing is silly.

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 28/02/2015 13:40:27    1697635

My apologies Jayp. Took it up the wrong way.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 28/02/2015 15:01:03    1697644

No bother Joncarter

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 28/02/2015 15:26:08    1697648

they arent the average league of ireland player though jayp...the average league of ireland player is of a very ordinary level..people do love to bash soccer though

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 28/02/2015 20:20:25    1697739