By pure coincidence recently, I came across the bereavement notices of the leading lady of the Irish circus industry, Marion Faucett, and her male counterpart Tom Duffy, within a few days of each other. Now read on. . .
Every one of us was surely brought to a circus at least once in our lifetime. In my case, it feels like donkey’s years ago, and, while I wouldn’t have a clue what attendances would be like these days, but, what is clear is that there are still plenty of circus acts out there!
Top of the list of which, in my view at least, has to be Mike Solan stepping down as Longford manager, only to step sideways and take over from Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly.
Aside from the fact that, for me at least, the move smacks of being a gross betrayal, going to one of their contemporaries and strongest rivals in both league and championship, what does the Mayo native think the Faithful County have – or he will be able to bring to them that Longford didn’t or don’t.
Mind you, it’s not the only strange bit of shuffling on the inter county management scene in what is supposed to be the off season in that particular realm.
Consider one of the most sought after coaches in the GAA switching codes as a team strives to end a drought, one county manager feeling he had no option but resign after “The goalposts had moved” in relation that were already put in place for 2027.
Finally, and perhaps most shocking of all, this website can reveal that one incumbent county manager was recently approached by another such entity even though those doing the asking already have somebody in situ.
Then you have the Ronan Curran situation in Cork and Stephen Mollumphy already giving the impression the new broom is going to sweep very clean indeed down Waterford way.
Away from the team management side of things, what I initially thought was simply former Mayo and Roscommon boss Kevin McStay expressing his own views in a recent interview would in fact appear to be an incoming GAA policy position. More rule changes!
Among the latest mooted alterations are:
A limit on consecutive hand passes to three.
The abolition of fisted points
The introduction of a Back Court Violation – commensurate to Basketball, – whereby a player passing the ball back into their own half will be penalised (presumably with a 14 yard free).
All kickouts to be taken from the 13M line – I actually thought that stipulation was already in.
Now, not wanting to be hypocritical here having longed for a curtailing (or culling altogether) of the handpass, it is indeed to be welcomed that the issue is at least being looked into. However, gut feeling is the ship has sailed on the matter. A case of closing the stable door when the steed has long bolted.
The other three proposals are frankly unnecessary. Indeed, not only is it surprising that this committee appears to be a different one from that headed by Jim Gavin – the best think tank ever appointed in the GAA – it feels like a case of making changes for the sake of it. And as has often been said in this space previously, not only is that of no use, it could actually turn out to be wholly counterproductive.
The delicious irony of which is the leader of the new committee (Kevin McStay) being a strong proponent of the abolition of fisted scores immediately after his own county used that ploy more than any other in ending their three quarters of a century title famine.
Add to that, then, the notion of a four point goal getting another spin out, and you do have to wonder would its inculcation not, directly or indirectly, lead to the devaluation and thereby dereliction of the usefulness, of the two-pointer – the greatest dictum ever introduced to Gaelic football.
Next, akin to the limitation of the handpass, I feel the introduction of a clone of the Back Court Violation is another case of having missed the boat in terms of extracting the greatest advantage which could have been derived from its introduction.
Simply because the glaringly obvious time to wheel that out was when the game was being poisoned by Mickey Harte and Jim McGuinness with their blanket defensive obsessions.
In that situation, teams simply would have been unble to sit into a pod or low block at the edge of the arc due to the requirement of keeping three up in attack.
Finally, that leaves the change of tack regard kickouts and, akin to the four point goal, inclination is that it won’t add a whole lot to things in its current guise.
What might be worth trying, though, would be letting goalkeepers take kick outs from the hand. And/or use the solo and go.
For once though, this corner will be hoping the majority of the proposed changes will be kicked to touch.
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