PETE McGrath believes some inter-county players are hanging up their boots too early and reckons more emphasis should be given to the positive aspects of playing sport at elite level.
The Fermanagh manager has straddled the old and new eras of Gaelic football and although he acknowledges the career of an inter-county player is shorter than 10 or 15 years ago, he still feels some players are retiring a “shade early”.
On Tuesday, the GAA and GPA commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute [ESRI] to carry out an in-depth study of the demands placed on inter-county football and hurling players and how they balance their personal lives.
“If you look at Gaelic Games, even at club level now, every club wants to do well, every club is forward-thinking, every club is putting in place a pretty professional set-up.
“And at county level it’s two or three tiers up again. Within sport generally, and particularly in Gaelic Games, there is this pursuit of excellence.
“Players are asking a lot of themselves. Managers and teams are setting high standards and players are asked to buy into it.
“And after a period of time, given a player’s life situation and job situation, the squeeze becomes too much and we’re probably getting a lot of players stepping away earlier than maybe 10 or 15 years ago,” said McGrath.
“The kind of fall-out from that is you can only give so much for a certain amount of time.
“[But] I think generally too many inter-county player sign off too early in their careers. We’re getting this burn-out or fatigue and people are stepping back a shade early.”
Entering his third year as Fermanagh boss, McGrath preferred to accentuate the appealing aspects for players to remain involved for longer.
“What I find, certainly among the players I’m working with, they’re enjoying it, they’re finding it fulfilling.
“People are generally better doing things like that rather than maybe being at a loose end and looking for something [else] to make their life more meaningful.”
While time commitments to playing at elite level in the GAA are at an all-time high, McGrath countered: “You’d like to think by the environment that you set up there are things there that help people with their lives generally – it helps them to develop as individuals, to accept accountability and responsibility, and helps them to recognise loyalty to others.
“When you have that collegiate responsibility, I think that’s a good thing in your life generally.”
As part of their research, the ESRI will ask every inter-county player about their experiences and will publish their findings in Decemeber.
Meanwhile, veteran defender Ryan McCluskey has returned to the fold and played the first half of Fermanagh’s narrow Dr McKenna Cup defeat to Monaghan last Sunday.
Not many 35-year-olds are still playing at inter-county level – but McGrath is delighted to have the Enniskillen Gaels clubman back on board after missing his county’s Championship campaign last summer due to a hip problem.
“I suppose for every so-called rule there’s an exception,” said McGrath, “and Ryan McCluskey has been playing for Fermanagh for 16 or 17 years. He looks after himself exceptionally well. Physically, Ryan looks the same as he looked 15 years ago.
“He did contemplate last year being his last; as it turned out he played very little because of injury and he’s determined not to go out on that kind of note.”
The 1991 and ’94 All-Ireland winning manager added: “He’s worked really hard in the autumn, he had a bit of surgery in the summer, he’s in good enough shape and he’s determined to make a contribution. And his experience, leadership qualities and what he brings to the group are important.
“But Ryan is like any other player: he’ll be picked on merit, he’ll not be picked on reputation or what he’s done in the past, and he knows that.
“But he’s put himself in a good place in terms of team selection.
“It’s very positive for us that he is so keen and we’re just glad that he’s there. He is, to an extent, bucking the trend.”
Despite their opening day loss to Monaghan, Fermanagh will still hope to qualify for the McKenna Cup semi-finals – as they have done under McGrath in 2015 and 2016 – with upcoming Section B games against St Mary’s and Antrim.
“Over the last two years the McKenna Cup has served us very, very well in terms of getting people into the right frame of mind and getting them up to the intensity ahead of the League.
“If we get the same out of it this year then we’ll be pleased.”
McGrath has undoubtedly raised standards and expectations within the Erne County since taking the reins in 2015.
They reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals in his first year in charge, losing to Dublin, while Fermanagh were desperately unfortunate to go down to Mayo in Round 2B of the All-Ireland Qualifiers last summer.
McGrath, typically, is aiming high in 2017.
“I’d be very, very optimistic, very positive and very robust about what this squad can deliver,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent there, there’s a lot of character there, a lot of ambition… A lot of solid progress has been made and they have been exposed to a number of big matches against big teams.
“Okay, we maybe fell short marginally over the last couple of years. But there is no doubt the confidence and experience are now a very important part of their armoury because they know they can mix it with anyone and that they aren’t that far away from achieving something major.
“The ambition is there, the willingness to do the hard work is there, and as individuals and as a collective they are as capable as anyone in this province. That’s my belief and I know that’s their belief and that’s what we’re determined to go out and prove in the weeks and months ahead.”
