The demands being placed on modern day inter-county players are not sustainable, warns Michael Duignan.

The two-time All-Ireland winning Offaly star points the finger of blame at managers who think that ruling with an iron fist is the way to go and treat their players as commodities.

"It's just a control thing from management teams over great players," he remarked to The Irish Independent.

"They're not allowed think for themselves now on the field or do anything off the field. Where are we going with the game? And how are we allowing it to happen?

"Players might feel that they're part of it, especially in the top counties when they're being well looked after, but look what's expected of them. How does it make sense to have players training 25 times in a month from a sports science point of view? Or from any point of view?

"From a life balance point of view? You hear stories about players asking for a night off from training because of work commitments and that being held against them. That's madness.

"How are you going to win with a whole lot of players who are all being corralled the one way? I just think it's counter-productive for the coaches that are doing it. And I think it's completely wrong that the players are being used in that way."

 

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