Dermot Earley says it is unrealistic for the GPA to cater for club players.

Speaking on the GAA/GPA All-Stars tour of Boston this week, the GPA president and former Kildare midfielder revealed that chief executive Dessie Farrell had explored the possibility of the players' body bringing club players under its wing. However, he quickly realised that the GPA wouldn't have the resources to cope with the vast number of club players that are out there.

"I know that Dessie did look at that, but there's a huge amount, is there over over 300,000 club players that are playing hurling and football in the country? To be honest, the GPA don't have the resources to deal with the club player," Earley said.

"The one point they did make is that all county players are club players as well so that by helping a county player you are helping a club player.

"I know there was an issue with the fixtures problem. Every club player has a right to go to their own club delegates to the county board to bring motions in addressing that.

"When you compare it to other players' bodies around the country or around the world, they just cannot cope with the numbers."

Commenting on Colm O'Rourke's claim that the GPA is elitist, Earley replies: "Colm asked a few questions and the GPA responded. I think the outcome of that was that people were made actually aware of the huge amount that they do.

"A lot of people didn't realise... even myself it was a bit of a learning curve as well to look at all the available facilities, courses and programmes, I think to get that out in the public domain was a good thing in the end."

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