Diarmuid Connolly has added his weight to calls for an All-Ireland football championship overhaul.

The Dublin legend believes the provincial championships are "dead in the water" and would like to see the championship aligned to the National League to ensure there are less mismatches like last Sunday's Connacht SFC semi-final between Mayo and Leitrim.

“There have been too many washouts. It’s no good for the team that gets beaten, it’s no good for the team that wins and it’s no good for the spectators," Connolly said in an interview with BoyleSports.

“Traditionalists won’t like me saying this, but provincial championships are dead in the water. There are high scoring games, but they are just mismatches. I’ve always liked the league, why can’t they scrap all the pre-season tournaments, play provincial championships as a knockout in March and April, and then start an All-Ireland series with more emphasis on the leagues?

“The top eight teams will be playing each other week in, week out and there would be a promotion system whereby if you’re good enough, you go up the leagues. Everywhere around the world is the same, so I don’t understand why the GAA have to dig their heels in on this because of the provincial championships.

“It's no good for the likes of Leitrim, how are they going to get players to play next season when they’ve been beaten by 24 points and are only getting one game?"

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