What's the opinion on the mark, and it's proposed introduction in football in an attempt to counteract the amount of handpassing in the game? Personally I don't think I'm a fan. Although it may bring in a slight increase in the amount of high fielding I think it could drastically reduce the flow a game. Perhaps it could act as leveller allowing weaker teams to play a humongous full forward to play long balls in to. Is that the game we want? Either way, the game would change radically. Thoughts?

Gavvygavgav (Dublin) - Posts: 382 - 25/11/2015 12:22:52    1809768

I would be for it. I think it will restore the catching philosophy in gaa rather than breaking the ball. I'd go with it before i limit handpasses.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 25/11/2015 12:43:23    1809778

If the international rules proved anything the other night it is that we do not need the mark in our game for passes out the field that are betweeen players in close proximity to one another. It just fragments the game way too much and would eventually see the art of the clever corner forward diminishing out of the game. there is some merit in the mark from goalkeepers kick-outs but honestly I cannot understand this constant obsession with taking away from our game. Sure maybe get rid of the solo, the fist pass, the short kick-outs etc. etc. and revert back to the catch and kick of past decades which lacked any great skill, cleverness and overall was a far worse game than the game of the current era.

Adamski (Dublin) - Posts: 339 - 25/11/2015 12:55:56    1809783

Before anyone proposes to introduce the Mark Id plead with them to watch the game v the Aussies , we saw both sides of the mark , on the positive front high fielding was rewarded on the negatives well it slowed the game down savage , people position themselves to get a pass to stop it was like a version of tag gaa ,
If and I mean if it was feasible to incorporate it into our game say a kick out that travels over 45 mts I could live with that but lads looking for the tactical mark no way .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 25/11/2015 13:15:59    1809793

Well something needs to change because right now Gaelic Football is a game where skill & craft play second fiddle to athleticism, strength & swarming the opposition.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 25/11/2015 13:21:38    1809799

Well something needs to change because right now Gaelic Football is a game where skill & craft play second fiddle to athleticism, strength & swarming the opposition.

slayer (Limerick) - 25/11/2015 13:21:38
There's plenty of skill and craft in football. While strength and athleticism has improved undoubtedly it doesn't mean that has made the game worse.

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 25/11/2015 13:33:44    1809808

Slayer, please explain to me how you make that out. There are huge levels of skill in the game at present which are combined with strength and athleticism. Most games have evolved like this over the years. Also are you trying to tell me that the game was better back in the 70s and in previous decades. Nostalgia is blinding your opinion!!!

Adamski (Dublin) - Posts: 339 - 25/11/2015 13:38:07    1809814

Totally against the mark (is this another stupid Burns suggestion?) It'll be a fundamental change to the game, make it half-a**ed aussie rules. All it'll lead to is a lot of confusion and stop/start play. Leave well alone, there are no serious problems with the game as it is that can't be solved by implementing the current rules properly.

rcarragh (Dublin) - Posts: 305 - 25/11/2015 13:49:24    1809824

Also are you trying to tell me that the game was better back in the 70s and in previous decades. Nostalgia is blinding your opinion!!!

I am & it is not nostalgia. The players Dublin had for example in the 1970's & 1980's were way better footballers than today.

Matt Connor stood out in the 1980's even though he was on a team that had limited success. Fat forward to now & players like Colm Cooper and sometimes even Bernard Brogan can be smothered by systems and double marking. The art of kicking outside the 40 is rare, high fielding is a dying art and a defender kicking the ball is something you don't see too often.

These days athletes can be coached to play Gaelic Football, Jim McGuinness led his team by asking a player to put on two stone to compete with the modern game.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 25/11/2015 14:10:53    1809836

There's plenty of skill and craft in football.

Inside the last 30 yards of the pitch yes. This is where you see players like Brogan, Cooper etc slotting scores from tight angles.

Outside those last 30 yards of the pitch, power, speed and aggression are more important.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 25/11/2015 14:15:46    1809839

slayer
County: Limerick
Posts: 5808
I am & it is not nostalgia. The players Dublin had for example in the 1970's & 1980's were way better footballers than today.

Matt Connor stood out in the 1980's even though he was on a team that had limited success. Fat forward to now & players like Colm Cooper and sometimes even Bernard Brogan can be smothered by systems and double marking. The art of kicking outside the 40 is rare, high fielding is a dying art and a defender kicking the ball is something you don't see too often.

These days athletes can be coached to play Gaelic Football, Jim McGuinness led his team by asking a player to put on two stone to compete with the modern game.

Judging by any games I've seen on TG4 over the years today's footballers skills are light years ahead of those in the past.

Passing and score taking is much better nowadays. I'd seriously question your assertion that scoring outside the 40 is rarer now than before.

High fielding has become less significant as tactics have evolved, true but it is still in the game.

I'd also imagine that the likes of Matt Connor et al didn't shoot the lights out every day either.

In 30 years time some of us will probably be on here talking about the good old days of the 2000s and 2010s because football will probably have evolved again ;)

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 25/11/2015 14:50:20    1809849

I think Brolly's idea of both sets of midfielders only contesting the kick-outs has some merit with six players from each team being between goals and 45 on each side.

opa01 (Cavan) - Posts: 501 - 25/11/2015 15:15:20    1809863

Well something needs to change because right now Gaelic Football is a game where skill & craft play second fiddle to athleticism, strength & swarming the opposition.

I can bench over 105kg, squat 130 and deadlift 160...I'd only make the starting 15 of a junior team if they were badly stuck. Good skills are still the essential for any footballer slayer.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 25/11/2015 15:49:39    1809871

slayer
County: Limerick
Posts: 5809

1809839
There's plenty of skill and craft in football.

Inside the last 30 yards of the pitch yes. This is where you see players like Brogan, Cooper etc slotting scores from tight angles.

Outside those last 30 yards of the pitch, power, speed and aggression are more important.

Power ,speed and agression have always been important parts of the game when it come to defending and attacking. Todays players and more powerful and athletic while you now have full back line players soloing forward and scoring points and goals too. Just because it's not only forwards scoring does not mean the game is less skillful. The forward will more often than not attract attention as they tend to do most of the scoring but now the added conditioning allows backs to display skill too.

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 25/11/2015 16:51:22    1809892

The players Dublin had for example in the 1970's & 1980's were way better footballers than today.

I disagree with that statement. I'd say Jimmy Keaveney from the 70s would be the only forward to make the current Dublin team, Duff and maybe Rock when he was up for it from the 80s might be close but for forwards that's about it. No Jayos, charlies or dessies etc. The current Dublin forward line is far better than anything I've witnessed since the 70s. Overall there's only a handful of players from the 70s and 80s (Mullins, Whelan, Moran, Curran and a few others) that would come close to the current team, that's from the pick of 20 or 30 years.

In my opinion there are many more top class forwards playing now than even ten years ago, despite the alleged lack of time and space and massed defences. Giving a mark, especially from a kick-out, just favours either faster or taller players - no skill other than getting into space as fast as possible and a relatively accurate punt, or being big. Get the ball kick it to the runner. Stop. Re-group. Run down the clock if necessary. Do it again. Why should the smaller player be at a disadvantage leaving them unable to fairly compete? We'll see giant full forwards and balls lumped into the box endlessly. A rubbish taller player will be more use to a team than a good smaller player. The game we have now has teams and coaches trying everything to overcome their limitations, get the best out of what they have available to compete, to win something and push the Dublins and Kerrys as close as they can. That's supposed to be what sport is about, and I'm all for it. Changing the rules because of a few whingers who think everything was better in the past but actually weren't there or can't remember it is a serious mistake.

rcarragh (Dublin) - Posts: 305 - 25/11/2015 16:59:07    1809896

Maybe a mark for balls kicked from outside the 65 metre line to inside the 21 metre line. Would encourage long kicking and teams to leave forwards up the field. Only a suggestion so please don't go mad if you don't agree!
I also like the idea of a mark from the kickout!

mawmouther (Meath) - Posts: 109 - 25/11/2015 17:09:55    1809899