With the GAA coming into a new age and with a more professional view on things fitness levels are vital. The top teams such as kerry, tyrone, kilkenny, cork etc who are playing football and hurling right through to september most seasons would most defenlty need to be in peek physical condtion. Would GAA fitness levels be at the same level than professional soccer players? would a premership soccer player be able to cope with 70mins of championship pace football or hurling on a hot day in croke park in september?!

tyronegael91 (Tyrone) - Posts: 52 - 08/06/2009 20:30:43    305346

I would say there fitter than soccer stars as there constant on the go.

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 08/06/2009 20:49:12    305384

they are super fit players but no a premiership footballer is a multimillion machine while a gaa player is a amatuer premiership clubs spend millions to keep their players in tip top condition one club would spend in two months that all the counties would spend in a year .dell you should go to your man us training ground you will be amazed

hipster (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 08/06/2009 21:06:26    305417

The premiership lads would be fitter , you rarely see a pick of fat on them, although the gaa lads are very fit you do see a lot of them carrying weight. But the main reason for this is the premiership footballers are professional.

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 08/06/2009 21:09:49    305424

graham geraghty was meant to be the fittest at whichever club he had trials with!
couldnt see many soccer players doin the gaa trainings anyway!

datguy (Longford) - Posts: 34 - 08/06/2009 21:13:48    305431

No way, don't be fooled by this. Premiership players have to play for 90 mins, our lads for 70mins

Look at how much fitter the professional Aussie Rules players are and how they can go full tilt for the full game, our players can't match that and need to be subbed to keep our teams fresh.

Some of them might be close to the level though (e.g. Dooher) but the fact theyare not as fit doesn't really detract, its still the best sport in the world by a mile.

Beacaire Gorm (Dublin) - Posts: 597 - 08/06/2009 21:28:50    305461

Perhaps Geraghty was the fittest when he was on trial...however premiership football teams attitude and thinking towards fitness and health has constantly evolved over the last decade. In my opinion modern day premiership footballers are all of a similar fitness level and in general their fitness levels would be higher than gaa players. However, there are proably some gaa players who have a higher fitness level than the majority of prem players.

bap (UK) - Posts: 16 - 08/06/2009 21:55:42    305494

it depends what paremeters you are using, different sports etc. they may have an equal endurance capacity but strength/speed/ power etc doubtful. they are not on the same par with the aussies therefore highly unlikely that they could match fulltime professionals in another code. one offs like geraghty might in a one off trial or sprint paremeter but not over 90 minutes.

reddoctor (Tyrone) - Posts: 1241 - 08/06/2009 22:09:49    305512

Our GAA players wouldnt be as fit as even league of Ireland players they can play up to 45 or 50 games per season and they play 90 minutes anyone who played soccer at a decent level will know you have to be alot fitter

tinrylandman (Carlow) - Posts: 387 - 08/06/2009 22:28:31    305532

different atributes needed i suppose, more muscle and strength needed for GAA and the soccer boys have to focus mor on running all day without the physicality needed as much

Hllbilly_boi (Tyrone) - Posts: 202 - 08/06/2009 22:41:57    305550

People, you seem to forget the size of pitch and amount of distance covered by top level inter county players during a match. Soccer is so pedestrian in comparison having watched all codes at Croke (inc Ireland v Germany) Premiership soccer player may be extremely fit but have no concept of strength. 90mins v 70 mins may equate to approx 20% more on soccer field of play. Soccer pitch is max 100mtr length and significantly narrower Croker is at least 75% bigger again over wembly. Some 15 years ago I remember reading sports scientist article who tracked distance covered in GAA games against soccer and found GAA covered twice the ground of soccer players cover. For compartive purposes you can gauge GAA fitness v League of Ireland or Irish League as these guys are semi pro and you would have no contest.

KevHill (Antrim) - Posts: 271 - 08/06/2009 23:09:42    305607

a few years back, kilkenny brought their squad to old trafford for a fitness test and 19 out of 25 players tested were classed fit enough
to play in the premiership and that was about 6 years ago.

POD09 (Limerick) - Posts: 486 - 08/06/2009 23:10:06    305608

id say not all players would be as fit as soccer players due to the fact they are professional and they train every day of the week. But ther is exceptions, brian is just one who come to mind from a tyrone point of view. Iv heard that dooher had to be told to stop doin the plank exersize after bout 10mins in a tyrone fitness test because he could do it for that long and he could last 8mins in the cryotherapy chamber. Dooher could be up with the top sportspersons about and imagine what he would be lke if he was not as unfortunate with injurys!

tyronegael91 (Tyrone) - Posts: 52 - 09/06/2009 00:19:58    305690

Just been googleing about this subject and have found that in all studies done in Ireland the only place where gaa players seem to be fitter are upper body strenght

tinrylandman (Carlow) - Posts: 387 - 09/06/2009 01:14:25    305718

Professional soccer players cover around 8km per game, and most of that would be at moderate pace and with relatively prolonged rest periods. For comparison an average runner would cover 11/12 km in 90 minutes. No idea what an inter county gaelic footballer would cover but be surprised if it was less than 8km.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 09/06/2009 08:41:02    305770

the intensity of a GAA game (exclude sundays, Dublin v Meath, for now) compared with the intensity of a Stoke v Blackburn game...the number of hits, jumps, lunges, sprints, variety of passing, overlapping wing play, 3-man weave attacking, a 45, kick from the hands, from the ground, sideline balls - Dooher, Jordan, McMahon (s), McGuigan, O'Neill, Penrose, Harte...Soccer players fitter? The best way to compare is to watch!

naomhbrid (Antrim) - Posts: 29 - 09/06/2009 09:37:53    305809

+10mins for the plank? Thats beast!! Dooher is a machine, no wonder he can ride those tackles as he runs down the line!! After 3mins i'd be burning!!! The new tight fitting jerseys show that alot of GAA players are in top shape, but its night and day to compare them with professionals. Its not even about the training, its about the recovery time that professionals have.

Anytime (Dublin) - Posts: 93 - 09/06/2009 09:51:43    305820

Inter County GAA players far fitter. Soccer boys play in a tiny little pitch and the game is often at walking pace.

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 09/06/2009 09:52:29    305821

Gaelic players are fitter than soccer players. If you watch a gaelic match the forwards and backs are constantly running full tilt. chasing things down all the time. they take far more bigger knocks than soccer players. then if you watch a soccer match, for alot of the game the backs just pass the ball back and fourth to eachother keepin possession at jogging pace then they launch an attack which only lasts about half a minute. Aussie rules players are miles fitter than soccer players too.

gaelic_life (Down) - Posts: 286 - 09/06/2009 10:03:57    305832

Soccer players are alot fitter, Shane mccabe plays soccer for glentoran and he is by far the fittest gaa player in fermanagh.

Fermfave (Fermanagh) - Posts: 118 - 09/06/2009 10:59:24    305902