GAA Football Review Committee chairperson Jim Gavin stands for a portrait after a briefing of the GAA Football Review Committee at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
Football Review Committee Chairperson, Jim Gavin, is excited by the prospect of seeing his Committee’s Gaelic football rule enhancements in competitive action in the upcoming Allianz Football League.
They’ve been trialled in challenge matches at club and inter-county level and in last year’s Allianz Interprovincial Series, but a full League campaign where every match is of real consequence will stress-test them more rigorously.
Gavin is optimistic that that the public will like what they see.
“After all the planning, the preparation, the long engagement with the clubs, counties, provinces, World GAA, Congress, and Central Council, we're finally here,” Gavin told GAA.ie.
“We're going to see the new rules in action for the first time in the League up in Ballinamore on Saturday when Leitrim play Laois in Division 3. I'll be there to see the ball being thrown in for the first game under the new rules.
“As a Football Review Committee we're very excited to see whether all the concepts will turn into what we believe they can be and realise the vision that the Association has for Gaelic games, in this instance Gaelic football, that it can be the most exciting amateur game in the world to play and watch.
“Anytime you try something new there's a bit of anxiety to see will it work. We've had the fortune as a Football Review Committee to see them in action in our sandbox or trial games, in the interprovincial games, and, indeed, in some recent challenge games.
“We've full confidence that what's coming down the tracks is going to be an exciting game. The five skills that people wanted to see, kick-passing, high-fielding, long-range scores, one to one contests, and goals, they're going to see plenty of that over the seven rounds of the National League.”
Odhran Murdock of Ulster and Diarmuid O'Connor of Munster contest the throw in at the start of the second quarter in the Allianz GAA Football Interprovincial Championship semi-final match between Munster and Ulster at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile.
Gavin doesn’t just believe the new FRC rules will make for a more exciting experience for spectators, but for players and coaches too.
“If I was playing the game and these new rules were presented to me, from what I've seen of them I'd be excited,” he says.
“It's very much an attacking game. There's lots of kick-passing and energy in the game. But also it speaks to the modern innovations where teams can retain possession and control play if they so wish to.
“There's a very nice balance between the modern game and the traditional game and the things we're going to see are a lot kick-passing, a lot of high-fielding, a lot of long-range scores, we're going to hopefully see a lot of goals and we're definitely going to see a lot of one to one contests.
“I think for any coach that's being presented with these new rules there has to be a lot of excitement. I've spoken to a lot of inter-county coaches and managers. It took them maybe a little while to understand it but when they saw them in action on the training field and in recent challenge games I have only heard positive comments on the rules.
“There's excitement and at club level I have heard the word 'fun' being used which is always nice to hear. I think we're in for a great season.”
