dubarra (Wicklow) - Posts: 541 - 12/04/2018 16:02:35    2092616

disappointing corofin contingent in the Galway squad it seems. No lundy, Farraghers by 2, Dylan wall, Liam Silke and possibly Ian burke as well-very disappointing. Gary Sice retired too early, he had more to give and is a loss to the setup for sure.
Obviously everyone would like to see each county as strong as possible for the championship. It doesnt work out that way more often than not sadly

stekhli (Dublin) - Posts: 3121 - 12/04/2018 16:46:58    2092637

Cian Dillon back in with Clare. Bonny Duggan, Tots and Gearoid O'Connell out. Kieran Bennett joins his brother Shane in leaving the Waterford panel.
Doubts persist over whether Colin Fennelly, Richie Hogan and Paul Murphy will play for the Cats this year.
No word yet on what Cuala players have joined the dublin panel

stekhli (Dublin) - Posts: 3121 - 13/04/2018 19:07:54    2092896

Players are now taking matters into their own hands with regards careers, social life and family life. Non of the the associations in the GAA have represented their best interests. The worst of these is the mothership, GAA head quarters. What is new there as that has always been the case.
The debate can go on forever about professionalism or not but until something is made more attractive for these players to stay at home have a social life, and have fun playing with their friends (club) the way it started for them. O they do it for the love of the game and no one is forcing it on them. That wears thin when to participate at the top level you are expected to train six days a week and may be twice a day.
Radical change is required but that takes leadership. If not something of real value will be lost.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2665 - 13/04/2018 22:41:06    2092937

Brendan Murphy spending the summer in America.
Massive loss for Carlow.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 24/04/2018 11:07:34    2094702

thebronze14 (Donegal) - Posts: 42 - 24/04/2018 16:42:48    2094790

The season is now effectively over for the majority of teams.

I think its amazing we don't see a hugh number packing it in after the league, primarily from the weaker counties.

In the coming years I feel this is the direction it will go unless the GAA provide a shorter season with at least 8-9 in the primary competition.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 25/04/2018 11:26:17    2094925

Westmeath are missing Paul Sharry, Kevin McMaguire, Shane Dempsey and Paddy Holloway for 2018. All definite starters. It seems to be the same with a lot of the counties around a similar level, with players just walking away. Meath, Offaly, Carlow etc. Who can blame the players when one team is just going to walk it in Leinster. Especially, for Westmeath won got hammered in two Leinster finals in 2015 & 2016 by Dublin. Dublin also hammered them in 2017.

Matthew (None) - Posts: 1007 - 25/04/2018 14:33:10    2094967

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FantasyGAA (Tyrone) - Posts: 16 - 25/04/2018 14:44:38    2094970

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 25/04/2018 14:54:33    2094973

FantasyGAA (Tyrone) - Posts: 16 - 25/04/2018 16:02:30    2094986

There is another example. It is more attractive for Marty Kavanagh to go to the U.S. than stay at home and play for Carlow. You here players coming out stating the status co that professionalism would not be good for the game. (including our own Austin Gleeson). However how many GAA players when offered a professional career in other sports turn it down. The two Hunts would have been inter county players and the list from other counties is long also. I doubt if Austin would turn now a professional career. I am not saying the professionalism that other sports follow is totally suitable for GAA but it needs to be more attractive. There are many formulas that could be followed. We all know there are well paying jobs in the GAA but at what end of the spectrum. If all the players stopped playing in the more these full time officials would be on the dole.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2665 - 25/04/2018 22:31:12    2095028

Gowran_Yank (Kilkenny) - Posts: 96 - 26/04/2018 14:13:06    2095094

Gowran_Yank (Kilkenny) - Posts: 96 - 26/04/2018 14:44:50    2095104

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1319 - 27/04/2018 10:55:50    2095236

The_DOC (Galway) - Posts: 709 - 27/04/2018 11:34:40    2095244

Throughout division 4 3 and 2, players are leaving panels for different reasons at a rate we have never witnessed before in football in recent years. From Cork to Derry from Wexford to Galway, the number of players leaving panels is unprecedented and very worrying. Colm Keys in the Irish Indo recently wrote an article on this matter. He had done research on players who played in last years league and championship in the 32 counties, but did not play any part in this years league whatsoever . The numbers are very revealing. What is for this is a national wide issue.

Players rarely left panels 20 or so years ago. But with the introduction of the qualifiers in the early 00s, we saw players from div 3 and div 4 teams walking away when there team was beaten in the championship and their county undertook the qualifer route. The GAA didnt care. But it set a dangerous precident. For the first time ever many players would leave a panel ( many of them went to US for the summer ) in the championship, in the summer. In the last 5 or 6 years we have seen players leaving panels for many reasons in strong traditional counties , division 2 teams. For example Jamie Clarke possibly the best forward in the country, definatly the best Armagh footballer of his generation. This year and 2 seasons ago he did not commit to the county team. Counties like Cork Down and Meath are all seen a turnover of their panels that were unimaginable 10 years. Its not just division 2, 3 and 4 teams. Some division 1 teams are also facing the same issue. We are now seen players leaving at a level for different reasons we have never seen before in the game nationwide

Anyway here are the stats, the facts. Make of them what u want.

What counties have the lowest number players that have left the panel this year? . Yes the top teams in division 1 have the less player drain.
Below r the number of players who were in played in the league and championship last year for their county but did not resurface in 2018 league for different reasons

1 Tyrone 4 players
2 Monaghan 5 players
3 Dublin 6 players
4 Donegal 6 players
5 Mayo 6 players
Basically 5 of the 6 best teams in the country all sucessful counties, recently have the lowest number of player turnover in the country .

The other division 1 teams numbers are
Kerry 11 players ( Kerry are in transition, and are overhauling their panel. This would be a normal number for a county in transition)
Kildare have 9 and Galway have 10 players who were on last years panel. ( I would say kildare are probaly a division 2 team and while Galway have shown great promise this spring. Until we see those performances repeated in this summer and next year, we will then see Galways true worth . Derry Cork Roscommon and kildare had strong division 1 league campaigns in the last 5 to 6 years , but he championship that followed was very poor for all those counties. ) But overall the top teams in the country, keep their players best. Outside div 1, its a different story altogether, with player turnover at unprecedented levels in the last few years.

We are seen for the first time in the last few years huge players turnover in strong traditional counties eg Cork Down . These counties are having their worst decade in generations . For example this is Meaths worst decade in 100 years, Galways worst decade since 1900 ( their worst decade in 100 years also ) and Down and Cork worst decade in 70 years and Armagh Derry and loais worst decade in 50 years. It is also kildares worst decade in 90 years so far along with the 1980s.

All these counties are reaching all time lows collectively . As Paddy O Rourke said recently players are putting in huge effort but with no sucess on the field. The below stats tell the picture nationwide

Below r the number of players from counties who have were on panels last year, played in the league or championship in 2017 but did not play any role in this years league on the county team or panel.
First we name strong football counties who were successful in the recent past

Roscommon 12 players
Derry 19 players
Cork 18 players
Meath 16 players
Offaly 16 players
Galway 10 players
Down 12 players
Cavan 10 players
Laois 11 players

20 or 15 years ago it would be unimaginable if 12 players were off the Down panel in 12 months or 18 players in Cork. But that is happening now. Do the GAA care?. What happens when players start to leave the Mayos and Kerrys in droves in the future.

Other counties players who participanted in last years league or championship, but did not resurface this year

Leitrim 13 players
London 14 players
Sligo 13 players
longford 12 players
louth 14 players
Westmeath 13 players
Wexford 17 players
Wicklow 15 players
Clare 10 players
limerick 12 players
Antrim 14 players
Armagh 10 players

From a national level. This is very worrying. For nearly all division 2 3 and 4 teams the numbers are huge. There has been a major turnover of players in the last 12 months from Derry to Cork. 22 of the 32 counties have 10 or more players that participated last year but havent this year. More then one in three of every footballers nation wide that played a competitive game for their county in 2017 did not resurface in 2018 . Of the 1040 players nationwide who saw action in the league or championship in 2017, 366 have not played so far in 2018. 35 % of the players from all the 32 counties who played last year in the league or champuinship did not resurface in this years league.

This is part and parcel of modern football. Every year now across division 2 3 and 4 and even division 1 counties there is a massive percentage fall off in the inter county game.Do the GAA care? Will the problem get worse?..Or we already nationwide at crisis level?. If the current trend continues in all the counties continues things will inevitably get worse and worse and maybe 1 or 2 counties in the country wil have very little turnver players. Is that what will happen in 2020s 2030s and 40s?. Time will tell.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 30/04/2018 21:55:58    2095827

@Furlong1949

By introducing the Super 8 is shows the GAA don't see this as an issue.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 01/05/2018 08:37:26    2095875

But it must be said counties are sucessful then the players stay. But its not the players staying to make the county sucesful. That might not make sense. Its the counties r sucessful and the players stay.

Take Donegal its not that players said we are staying that turned Donegal around, it was the appointment of a brillant charismatic innovative manager Jimmy MCGuiness , who captured the players and counties imagination similar to how loughnane did with Clare in 95 or Griffin dis with Wexford in 96 or Heffernan with Dublin in 74.

Monaghan have a brillant underated manager in Malachy O Rourke who is after McGuiness and Galvin the best manager this decade. Also Monaghan have their best set of players in 30 years.

Dublin have a golden generation of players backboned by excellent managers and coachs, a vibrat club scene and ever growing population where Dublin GAA senior teams huge popularity will lead to more and more youngsters wanting to play for the Dubs, Even Meath and kildare have become football nurserys for future Dublin footballers.

Mayo have produced quality footballers and top class managers for the last 15 years. If All Ireland medals where given out for bravey this current Mayo team would have a few All Irelands by now. But whats driving Mayo to 4 All Ireland finals in 6 years, which has never happened before ( A county losing 4 finals in 6 years). To keep coming back is remarkable and you have to admire their bravery. But its become so important to Mayo people to win Sam. Its like the county, the players, the fans are on a crusade to win Sam. In that so many times you hear Mayo fans ' before I die I want to see Mayo win Sam'. It means so much to Mayo people. Winning Sam would mean more to them then any other county. Its become a counties dream, almost obession to end the famine and break the curse. Thats what driving these brave Mayo footballers. I think if Mayo had won in 2012 or 13 they wouldnt have reached the last 2 finals. I know its hard to prove. But Mayo quest for Sam is being driven by the passion and hunger of a county desire to win an All Ireland that has become so important to every man woman and child in Mayo. Very admirable passion.

kerry are always strong , thats the genius of kerry football, though this has been one of Kerrys least sucessful decades. The All Irelands in 2014 and 1997 ( even tough 97 was so important, they defeated Clare Cavan and Mayo to win Sam) are probaly in the bottom 2 of All Irelands kerry have won in the last 50 years. 52 53 55 59 69 70 wins, 75 78 79 80 81 84 85 86 wins, 2000 to 2004 06 07 09 wins where all better teams then 2014 team. In every decade kerry have produced all time greats 60s eg O Connell, Dwyer 70s 80s eg Sheedy J O Se P Spillane, 90s Moyihan Fitzgerald D O Se 00s Cooper Sullivan T O Se. How many all time great players, best in their position ever have kerry produced since 2010. I would say no kerry debuted since 2010 would b3 considered an all time great. So it has been a poor decade for kerry so far. Still they have still been competitive and strong.
Tyrone have produced teams in 80s 90s 00s and this decade that where all contenders for Sam. Before 80s Tyrone where div 3 county. But with underage sucess good planning and great management they have become a serios power in the last 40 years. Even though I think the teams of 80s 90s and of course 00s are stronger then the current outfit.

So all the counties above have been sucessful for different reasons . The players then stay in sucessful outfits and the sucess continues. However if the current thread continues players leaving panels in the majority of divsion 1 teams will be an issue in the next 10 years or so. Then the GAA might sit up and take notice again. When we have All Ireland semi final like we did in 1982 when 15000 people turned up to see Kerry v Armagh. The Super 8s are going to make things much worse for div 2 3 and 4 teams. If a team make the last 8 outside div 1 the chances of three massive hammerings at the hands of div 1 teams will set those teams back big time. The GAA dont seem to care that there is a massive exodus of players from county panels in this decade the like we have never seen before.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 01/05/2018 20:05:11    2096088

The stats are from Irish Independent. When I first read them I was shocked at how widespread and high numbers are throughout the country particularly leinster. This is leinsters worst decade ever in terms of competitiveness. Compared to the late 90s a golden age, where you had 4 top division 1 teams in the provience all winning titles eg All Ireland leinster national league division 1. Even the 00s was much more competitive with it been Westmeath laois and kildares ( along with 90s) best decade in generations. Even in Meath we declined in 00s we still defeated Kerry Dublin Tyrone Mayo and Galway in the championship. We havent beaten 1 top division 1 team in the championship this decade so far. Players leaving leinster panels and panels nationwide is a serious negative trend. But as Paddy O Rourke said, your putting in so much effort with little or no return

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 01/05/2018 20:06:32    2096089