Now the unstoppable train that is Dublin GAA have steam rolled another football championship, surely the GAA will look to redistribute the funding Dublin have been receiving to put more counties on the leg up programme, similar to what Dublin have been receiving for underage development (Yesterday Dublin won an 8th all Ireland in 10 years without players such as Jack McCaffrey, Diarmuid Connolly, Bernard Brogan, Paul Flynn, Cian O'Sullivan, Kevin McMenamin and Michael Darragh McCauley, arguebly once in a lifetime type players)

I would say Meath definitely require help. Haven't won a leinster since 2010, an All Ireland since 1999 and they have the footballing culture to become competitive. Give them funding so they can employ full time S&C coaches, nutitionists and educators for their underage players. Funding where they no longer have to penny pinch and can have 30+ players on a panel and have as many players learning at elite level at underage, so if some opt out at senior they can have to pick from.

Galway could possibly be another. Havent won an all ireland since 2001. Again another county with a footballing culture.

Cork another possibility.

Obviouslt i'd love to see Louth get a leg up. Only ever seen them in a leinster final once in my lifetime. Hopefully Micky can improve it.

annoyedplayer (Louth) - Posts: 30 - 20/12/2020 11:10:00    2324445

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3512 - 20/12/2020 13:35:23    2324541

Here I'll give you the Dublin response:

Money? what's a money? We're great and you're just sh*t, stop being sh*t, that'll fix the problem.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 20/12/2020 13:39:38    2324545

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4241 - 20/12/2020 14:09:35    2324561

Sweetspot (Kildare) - Posts: 323 - 20/12/2020 14:15:19    2324570

I'd like to see a fair avd concrete system implemented though,, one that is sustainable.

I don't like this idea of "well these lads haven't won an all ireland fur a while,, sure we'll get them to the top" followed by "right, they've won enough now, now to get,, erm,, yes these guys an Al ireland".

The GAA would be essentially choosing who wins,, total farce.

The single most important factor in winning an all Ireland should always be a good home grown football culture created and sustained by dedicated volunteers and kids who want to play the game and represent their counties.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1722 - 20/12/2020 14:55:20    2324592

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 20/12/2020 15:25:47    2324607

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 20/12/2020 15:32:22    2324610

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 20/12/2020 15:46:57    2324621

annoyedplayer (Louth) - Posts: 30 - 20/12/2020 16:02:35    2324636

The standard excuse/apology is that this Dublin team is just a "once in a generation" team, same as any other once in a generation team in other counties, such as Kerry 70s and 80s, and Tyrone noughties.

That is, it's just another great team that comes along every now and then..  They'll run their course, so no need for people in other counties to be too concerned.  Blah blah.

The problem with this narrative is that it's nonsense.

For instance, for a while, Kerry struggled to replace Bomber, Moran, Spillane, Sheehy, O'Shea et al (those surnames still are like poetry to me!); and Tyrone are still struggling to replace Canavan, O'Neill, Dooher et al.  Both those teams, like any other great team, struggled once a core group of key players retired.

But the same does not apply to Dublin.  The core of the Dublin team that won their first of the 6 in a row has already been replaced several times over, and Dublin are looking stronger than ever.  

This Dublin team is not a once in a generation team; it's a once in a lifetime conveyor belt.  

Naturally, truly great teams do not happen all the time. So either something miraculous has happened to the Dublin DNA in the last decade, or else you need to look at other factor$. Go figur€ folks.

You know the main reason why Dublin won yesterday?  Nothing to do with god-like geniuses on the pitch.  They won because of superior conditioning that allowed them to pull away in the last quarter.

It's the difference between having a full-time, top-class, professional S&C coach, and either a part-timer, or none at all, or "some local lad who may or may not know a bit about the weights".

Any of us can do basic S&C by ourselves and you'll soon be a lot better than your neighbour who sits on the sofa with the remote and a slab of beers.  

But, left to our own devices, our training soon becomes unbalanced.  Your development becomes uneven.  You end up with (typically) big guns and weak back and core muscles.  Etc.

To optimise your physical development for the precise demands of a particular sport calls for far more than just an enthusiastic part-timer giving you a photocopied page with a few routines on it. You need consistent, personalised attention. A trainer can do a lot more with 40-50 guaranteed weekly hours than he can with a couple of hours on a Wednesday night.

Full time, high quality conditioning counts in the end.  At the end of a game, a well prepared enthusiastic amateur is starting to gas out.  You can still drive yourself to peg it in a straight line, sure.  But your agility goes.  And your decision making skills falter.  You need to be very fit to have your mind still clear and sharp after huge exertion.

There wasn't much in it yesterday, for much of the game.  But Dublin simply had that little bit more in the tank.  Their conditioning is game-specific, and is a credit to them.  It would be great if all teams had access to similar resources.

In addition of course to having how many youth development officers in Dublin - 70? 80? - funnelling new talent in; and of course being able to play all your championship games at home.  Imagine Donegal playing all their championship games in Ballybofey ...

I wasn't born yesterday folks; spare me all this "it's just a once in a generation team" stuff.  Dean Rock a better player than Mikey Sheehy? Get real. This is systemic structural bias and structural dysfunctionality by the GAA on a national scale.

It's ultimately got nothing to do with Dublin who are only maximising the resources they've been given.  This is an issue for the GAA.  Does it want to administer all counties equally and fairly, or does it want to continue with its whack-a-mole "approach" to county development?

I want to see all counties being the best they can be. So that it's genuinely the players with the most god-given talent that win. I want to be in mortal dread of Fermanagh. I want to be worried about Meath again.

I'm not holding my breath.  It's Ireland, ad hocery rules, we're used to be mucked about; and the county boards are un-touchable (despite being in many cases unfit for purposes and living in the past) 

Nothing will change.

essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 20/12/2020 16:05:07    2324638

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 20/12/2020 16:44:47    2324655

You know the main reason why Dublin won yesterday? Nothing to do with god-like geniuses on the pitch. They won because of superior conditioning that allowed them to pull away in the last quarter.
It's the difference between having a full-time, top-class, professional S&C coach, and either a part-timer, or none at all, or "some local lad who may or may not know a bit about the weights".
Any of us can do basic S&C by ourselves and you'll soon be a lot better than your neighbour who sits on the sofa with the remote and a slab of beers.
But, left to our own devices, our training soon becomes unbalanced. Your development becomes uneven. You end up with (typically) big guns and weak back and core muscles. Etc.
To optimise your physical development for the precise demands of a particular sport calls for far more than just an enthusiastic part-timer giving you a photocopied page with a few routines on it. You need consistent, personalised attention. A trainer can do a lot more with 40-50 guaranteed weekly hours than he can with a couple of hours on a Wednesday night.
essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 827 - 20/12/2020 16:05:07It wasnt solely or even a lot due to their conditioning. Sides at the top level are doing the same or equivalent work in their counties.
The county teams dont have a part timer giving a photocopied routine and bla bla bla
A local club i know of had a hurler in tipp squad and it was far from just a phtocopied sheet. They did sessions on their own but they videod what they were doing and sent it on to coach. They also did plenty sessions with several of squad with a coach as well.
You dont need to have full time s&c coaches with right processes, players knowing what they should be doing and getting monitored all the time.
Full time, high quality conditioning counts in the end. At the end of a game, a well prepared enthusiastic amateur is starting to gas out. You can still drive yourself to peg it in a straight line, sure. But your agility goes. And your decision making skills falter. You need to be very fit to have your mind still clear and sharp after huge exertion.
There wasn't much in it yesterday, for much of the game. But Dublin simply had that little bit more in the tank. Their conditioning is game-specific, and is a credit to them. It would be great if all teams had access to similar resources.
In addition of course to having how many youth development officers in Dublin - 70? 80? - funnelling new talent in; and of course being able to play all your championship games at home. Imagine Donegal playing all their championship games in Ballybofey ...
I wasn't born yesterday folks; spare me all this "it's just a once in a generation team" stuff. Dean Rock a better player than Mikey Sheehy? Get real. This is systemic structural bias and structural dysfunctionality by the GAA on a national scale.
It's ultimately got nothing to do with Dublin who are only maximising the resources they've been given. This is an issue for the GAA. Does it want to administer all counties equally and fairly, or does it want to continue with its whack-a-mole "approach" to county development?
I want to see all counties being the best they can be. So that it's genuinely the players with the most god-given talent that win. I want to be in mortal dread of Fermanagh. I want to be worried about Meath again.
I'm not holding my breath. It's Ireland, ad hocery rules, we're used to be mucked about; and the county boards are un-touchable (despite being in many cases unfit for purposes and living in the past)
Nothing will change.
essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 827 - 20/12/2020 16:05:07Dublin with travel being much less their players have far more time for r&r. How much do players in tyrone and countless other counties have to drive many hours a day to/from work. Dubs dont have that as much so that helos huge amount.
Many counties could certainly get more of their own development officers through using sponsors/benefactors funding like many other sports do.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3512 - 20/12/2020 16:50:07    2324657

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 20/12/2020 17:08:06    2324667

Ah lads this whole debate is getting out of control and eating up every topic on Hoganstand.....

The funding that Dublin get from GAA headquarters is neccessary and is used to develop an interest in GAA with young Juveniles.... whether its used effectively in growing numbers or not is a seperate debate and yes other counties need more funding to develop intetest in youngsters the same way.


Dublin always had a population advantage BUT have shown a remarkable ability in recent years to become a very effective production line of top class footballers ( surely we can stop talking about it being 1 team at this stage ? Average age of the 'team' is getting younger... ) and at the same time have become a super effecient Business ( 1 of the most successful Medium sized businesses in Leinster possibly ? ), run by some incredibly capable talent....

None of that is going to change in the short term so theres no point in giving out about it on here.
No Dublin supporter ( or any other County supporter, if they are honest and were in the same position ) is going to agree to any change.

Dublin Ladies completed 4 in a row today... are Dublin incredibly lucky to have the Best Ladies team in history AND the best Mens team in history at the exact same time ?...

Dublin have the population of a Province and if they are led in the correct manner ( as they are now ) then it will be a poor return if they dont win 7/8 out of every 10 All Irelands.... thats not an Anti-Dublin statement but just an opinion of where I think we are at.

Black+Blue (Galway) - Posts: 122 - 20/12/2020 17:42:39    2324687

Funding isn't the problem. The problem is that football is poor in country at the minute. Apart from Dublin every other team is bad. The Dublin team is a very good team and while they are beating every other team it is not because they are invincible supermen or funding its because every other team is poor. Kerry Galway armagh tyrone meath cork donegal are not as good as they were 10 20 years ago when they beat Dublin. All are going through transition periods the players will come again but the county boards need to get their house in order to facilitate them.
Funding talk is smokescreen to hide the fact that County boards are doing their job.
Having watched the all ireland yesterday that Dublin team while been good are nothing special

tom84 (Cavan) - Posts: 334 - 20/12/2020 17:44:39    2324689

I certainly believe that a lot more money should be spent in Connacht. That is a GAA heartland. It deserves some funding.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2520 - 20/12/2020 17:51:46    2324693

annoyedplayer (Louth) - Posts: 30 - 20/12/2020 17:54:42    2324696

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4898 - 20/12/2020 17:58:16    2324698

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4898 - 20/12/2020 18:00:35    2324700