i just want to show the actual number of players and panels and numbers below altogether. I think that alone shows how widespread players leaving panels. For nearly all division 2 3 and 4 teams the numbers are huge, anything over 10 is a high number, 22 counties have over ten players.
Below r the number of players who played in the league and championship last year 2017 for their county but did not resurface in 2018 league for different reasons
* 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 championship did not resurface in this years league. That is a very high turnover of players.
The number of players which left this year runs a very close line to the percentage fall off from year to year in the last couple of years in the inter county game.
There is definatly a trend occuring, is it a player drain? Well compared to 20 years ago, 19 players didnt leave a Derry panel over a year or 12 players didnt leave a Down panel or 18 players didnt leave a Cork football panel 20 years ago. And I know for a fact that 16 players didnt leave a Meath panel over a year, 20 or 10 years ago.
The breakdown in terms of players leaving each division is Division 1 66 players Division 2 103 players Divsion 3 107 players Division 4 94 players Division 2 and 3 are the divisions with the biggest drop off of players.
The players are not peripheral , they are players who played some part in a competitive game in the league or championship in 2017
The total number players used in 2017 in the league and championship / The number of players who didnt return this year
Galway 33 / 11 did not return Leitrim 37/ 13 did not return London 31 / 14 did not return Roscommon 32/ 12 did not return Sligo 32 / 13 did not return Kildare 33 / 9 did not return Laois 34 / 11 did not return longford 29 / 12 did not return louth 33 / 14 did not return Offaly 35 / 16 did not return Meath 37/ 16 did not return Westmeath 33 / 13 did not return Wexford 32 / 17 did not return Clare 27 / 10 did not return Cork 35 / 18 did not return Kerry 35/ 11 did not return Limerick 29 / 12 did not return Antrim 33 / 14 did not return Armagh 32 / 10 did not return Cavan 34 / 10 did not return Derry 37/ 19 did not return Down 33 / 12 did not return
Mayo 34/ 6 did not return Dublin 35/ 6 did not return Donegal 31 / 6 did not return Monaghan 30/ 5 did not return Tyrone 31 / 4 did not return
The present player drop out rate is inevitable and not at all surprising. Professional levels of dedication and training for, in the majority of cases, very little tangible reward. There is only so far the esteem and status of being a county player will keep you driven. Players today basically have to put their lives on hold if they commit to playing for their county. Derek McGrath, the Waterford hurling manager, seems to have a very healthy attitude to players deciding to take time out from the panel to go travelling/ attend to other aspects of their lives. Other managers could take a leaf from his book.
The proposal for a 2 tier All Ireland football championship could help stall some of that player drop out rate from the lower division teams cos at least the players at that level would have a realistic target to aim for which would make the commitment seem more worthwhile. Presumably it will eventually come into fruition as these things tend to do in the GAA eventually.
Not all counties are included in the stats Carlow for example . I am not 100% but i think we have lost maybe 3 or 4 from last years playing teams Which if accurate breaks the trend some what.
Gary Kelly Brendan Murphy An other whose name escapes me
sorry i have read it wrong both Brendan and Gary played league this year but have left since So the numbet of players in action in 17 who did not return for league for Carlow is minmum i would say. So what can we make of that. 70 players turned out for county trials at begining of 2018 season
Replying To Blackbog: "sorry i have read it wrong both Brendan and Gary played league this year but have left since So the numbet of players in action in 17 who did not return for league for Carlow is minmum i would say. So what can we make of that. 70 players turned out for county trials at begining of 2018 season"
Sorry about omitting Carlow. Actually the stats I have show Carlow have the best retention of players in div 4 3 and 2 along with Tippearey. Of the 30 players who competed in Carlow in league and championship in 2017 only 7 did not resurface in this years league. Of the 31 Tipp panel 7 did not resurface in this years league. Fermanagh also have only 7 players who did not come back. So outside div 1 Carlow Tipp and Fermanagh have the best record.
When you look at Derrys drop to div 4, player turnover has to be a role. Derry are top of the table with 19 non returnees this year. And I have been told thats the same number that left last year in 2017 and the same tge year before . For a county like Derry which I would say would have not a massive playing number , that is a massive reason for drop to div 4. Hopefully we see Doire back soon a great football county with great football people.
Its the smaller counties with smaller playing pop which really could suffer. Cork have lost 18, a massive lost, but Cork has one of the biggest football player numbers in the country. Counties like Longford who have lost 12, leitrim 13, london 14, Sligo 12, Wexford 17 that is a massive number for those counties. The GAA should do more.
Fermanagh have one of the lowest non returnees this year but in the last 2 to 3 years they have lost allot of players.. Remeber when Fermanagh played v Dublin in 2015 quater final. 20 players from that Fermanagh panel on that day are now not on the Fermanagh panel now. How does a team compete when it has such turnover. If the Dubs lost 20 players in 3 years how would they compete.