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Zzzzzzzzz.
Why is it that no matter what, as sure as there's a sun in the sky, people give out about 'The state of the game', 'It's not the same as it used to be', 'Players aren't as good as in the 70's', 'Dublin aren't winning' bla bla bla.
Gaelic Football is the most entertaining and exciting game in the world. Yes, it evolves. Yes, the emphasis changes from county to county and from year to year. The style of play now is fine. It is Gaelic football in 2008! What is wrong with that?! So what if players hand-pass all the time, half-forwards increasingly track back, half-forwards rarely score, free takers kick from their hands, and midfielders can't field any more? What we have are players who are supremely committed, fitter and stronger than any other footballer in the past, and more formerly weaker teams coming to the fore and throwing their weight about. What is wrong with that? I defy anyone to tell me that footballers are less skillful with ball-in-hand than in the past either. The presence of fantastically natural footballers all over the country throws that one straight out of the water. Gooch, the three O'Sé's, Conor Gormley, Sean Cavanagh, Aaron Kernan, Alan Brogan, Bryan Cullen, Ciaran Whelan, Ronan McGarrity, Kieran McDonald, Nicholas Murphy, Anthony Lynch, Paddy Bradley, Karl Lacey, Dessie Mone, two Freemans (I could go on and on and on) are fantastic athletes and footballers and a match for any players of the past.
Gaelic football does change, and it changes because of astute managers analysing the way teams play, and, armed with supremely gifted footballers, working out intelligent ways of beating the opposition - it should not rely on old fat men to make rules to tell us how we should play.
Gaelic football evolves and goes in circles. The game will continually evolve, and as long as there are intelligent managers and fit, gifted, commited players, the game's in good hands.
gaagaablackshp (Monaghan) - Posts: 18 - 14/04/2008 11:58:48
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Got to agree with gaagaablackshp on this one. The game has evolved and trying to change it is just regressive. The games will constantly evolve as managers and players devise new ways to gain an advantage.
Personally, I have my own theory on the direction football has taken over the last 10-5 years.
Not trying to wind anyone up here, but I do think the lifting of "the Ban" has been played a part in killing off the old-style of "catch-and-kick". Soccer has always had an ethic of possession being crucial. Look at the old games on TG4 and it is easy to see that territory was considered more important than possession. A team was happier for their opponents full back to have the ball on his own 21 than for their own centre back to have it on his own 45. As more players were exposed to soccer, a new understanding emerged, that your opponents can't score when you have the ball, and that you can't score without the ball. It is only in the last 10-15 years that managers who have experienced and played soccer during their own development have emerged, and have applied this new ethos to the game.
I think that this is main reason for the increase in the hand-pass. Think about it for a second, is it easier to dispossess a player taking a pass over their head, or a player taking a pass on their chest? And what is the more accurate way of getting a pass onto a players chest, the 40 yard kick or a 20 yard hand pass?
For those who want to legislate in an attempt to revive kick-passing, who are you to tell people how to play the game?
Why not find ways of using the kick-pass to beat these new methods? Or even better, why not do what Kerry have done in the last two years, and try to mix the best elements of new and old, and try to bring our game to an even higher level?
black&white (Sligo) - Posts: 1628 - 14/04/2008 21:51:11
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Gaelic football is a great game played well but Hurling is a far better game cos the ball is out there obviously available (and moved quickly) virtually all the time. If managers etc get around the rules, stifle skills and spectacle thus reducing players ability to express themselves via skill and athleticism frustration and violence inevitably follow.
Football must tho be maintained as a strong FAIR contact game (that is a key virtue differentiating it from all other kicking team games) Reward skill, promote openness and do not be scared of change. The game has improved in terms of fitness, skill and tactics out of measure in the last 20 years but I do not think anyone should be scared of rule change to help further promote skill, spectacle and player enjoyment by way of showing and using your skill and fitness to the optimum. I see too many pileups, tugging matches and stop start play. We must seek to eliminate that and speed everything up.
The bottom line is that the ball is in effective play less than 40% in the average Gaelic football game. Do the stats on the most exciting games and see that %age climb.
All I say is increase the time the game is actively happening as a contest by making sure the ball is available and cheating is totally discouraged. It will never be perfect but it can be a lot better.
cjx (Tyrone) - Posts: 270 - 14/04/2008 23:13:25
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Following all the post here with great interest and taking eveyones points and mulling them over. I have my own strong opinions
but do wish to make one point. That is we as supporters, club members, players, coaches, and all and sundry must not be afraid of rule changes. Some down the years may have been good, some kept, some withdrawn or modified, but one must always look at ways to IMPROVE and ENHANCE the game for supporters and players alike.
The head in the sand mentality, that all is fine and good, this is the way it always was so leave it alone is a blinkered view. Having done a bit of research, I think this might open a few eyes and maybe minds to see change will happen.
1888- referees issued with a whistle
1889-Counties instead of clubs in All Ireland
1892-teams reduced from 21 a side to 17, goal now worth 5 points, previously a goal outranked any number of points
1896-goal reduced to 3 points
1913-teams reduced to 15 a side
1966-until this year forwards line up for the throw in
1975-handpass reintroduced
1990-frees from the hand allowed
We all love the game, lets keep the mind open that some change can be beneficial!
bogger from meath (Meath) - Posts: 226 - 15/04/2008 20:56:51
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For the record, teams being defensive does not equal cheating.
Every successful team in history was defensive, some to a greater extent. Even Arsenal double up on Cristiano Ronaldo when they play Man U, but still play attractive attacking football. So it goes that Tyrone/Armagh/Monaghan/Derry/Kerry (yes, Kerry!) defend well but that doesn't mean they leave/left out O'Neill/McDonnell/Freeman/Bradley in favour of an extra full back!
Don't vilify football teams, players or managers because they are smart and know how to defend. They haven't forgot about the attractive side. Don't try and tell me Kerry aren't exactly the same as this, but better at it. The long ball in to Donaghy = robbed from Armagh. Corner and half forwards bombing forward and scoring = Tyrone. Just because they are better at it doesn't mean their brand of football is better.
Bogger, I have no problem with change rules for the benefit of the game. My problem is the rose-tinted glasses and the try-to-get-things-back-to-like-they-were-in-the-old-days approaches. Changing the game for the fututre is one thing, changing to be like the past is a completely different one.
And, why does everyone choose to forget that we did actually try to bring in the lift-off-the-ground rule and it failed?! Diehard, change the record.
gaagaablackshp (Monaghan) - Posts: 18 - 16/04/2008 22:43:42
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