Football

McGeeney and McGrath welcome introduction of mark

Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath is in favour of the mark 
Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath is in favour of the mark  Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath is in favour of the mark 

INTER-COUNTY managers Pete McGrath and Kieran McGeeney have welcomed the introduction of the mark passed at Congress last weekend.

McGrath believes the playing rule change, designed to encourage the art of high fielding in Gaelic football, has the “potential to open up the game” and described the current manifestation of the goalkeeper's kick-out as “horrific”.

“I’d be happy enough with the mark,” said the Fermanagh manager.

“I do think that it’s going to open the game out and I think it’s going to protect people who have got that skill to win a high ball. I think it will change the complexion of the game and what it will do in that area is it’s going to do away with this horrific situation where a man gets the ball and he’s surrounded by eight people pushing and shoving and then he’s penalised. I think it will be a positive rule change.”

The introduction of the mark was a major success for the playing rules committee, chaired by Jarlath Burns, who tabled the motion at congress. It just about garnered the two-thirds majority required (68 per cent) to come into operation. Central Council will meet in mid-March to decide whether or not the mark will be introduced in time for this year’s Senior Football Championship.

In Eoin Donnelly, Fermanagh boast one of the best fielders in the modern game. Asked if that swayed his thinking on the rule change, McGrath smiled: “That might have something to do with it alright.

“If the man who makes the clean catch comes down and he has five seconds of freedom to get a ball in early or go on a solo run, it has the potential to open the game out. I think it will be a positive and a very interesting change to what we’ve been looking at in recent times, particularly in that middle third where we get too much crowding and so much swarming.”

Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney gave the mark a more cautious welcome than McGrath - but feels the new rule has some potential: “I think it will improve the game. [But] I suppose the bottom line is I don’t know,” said ‘Geezer’.

“Like in most cases in life, you’re looking to see what you end up with, what game are we looking to see. I think that should be our starting point. People get on their hobby horses about different things. If we stop the game for a catch, I suppose the impact remains to be seen.

“If you stop and take the free, even though you’ve five seconds to take it, it gives players more time to filter back, so it’ll be harder to kick pass the ball, which we’re trying to do. It just depends. If it works out, great - I’ll be all for it.”

During his playing days, McGeeney excelled on the International Rules stage, where the mark was an integral part of the hybrid game. The 2002 All-Ireland winning captain added it was perhaps worthwhile to extend the mark to other areas of the field to reward high fielding.

“I can’t understand why we’re giving it to midfielders [between the two 45m lines]. If a corner-back or corner-forward catch the ball, it should be allowed because that’s what you want and you’re going to get more scores.

“You saw Gavin [McParland] getting his hand to two balls [against Fermanagh], but was then surrounded by four or five fellas.”

However, for the Armagh manager, Gaelic football probably has bigger concerns than trying to protect the art of high fielding. The fuzzy definition of the tackle has been a long-time bugbear of McGeeney’s.

“I love hurling because the players don’t look for frees but, in our sport, we look for them,” he said.

“We get them and we play for them. Gaelic football is a fast-moving aggressive sport with a lot of skill in it. And if we want to see that continue, then the rules should reflect the way we want the game to be played.”

McGeeney, though, has backed congress' decision to abolish the U21 grade at inter-county level in favour of a new U20 grade, describing the change as a step in the “right direction”.