Sport

Enda McGinley: A modern brand of GAA football is emerging... it’s been well worth the wait

Dublin keeper Stephen Cluxton leads out his team at Croke Park, Dublin. Picture by Seamus Loughran.
Dublin keeper Stephen Cluxton leads out his team at Croke Park, Dublin. Picture by Seamus Loughran. Dublin keeper Stephen Cluxton leads out his team at Croke Park, Dublin. Picture by Seamus Loughran.

Ok, let’s take a break from COVID-19.

From Coronovirus, clusters, super-spreaders, self-isolation, bubbles, face-masks and social distancing.

Let’s rewind the clock to that simpler time back at the start of the year, when one of the big issues perplexing the GAA world was simply the latest tranche of playing rules and their role in the bigger debate about where football was going.

For several years, people had grown increasingly weary of a breed of football where zonal defensive systems and a safety-first possession game held sway.

As much as no one enjoyed watching it, anyone involved with a team knew that it was a sure fire way of making you tough to beat.

It spread like, well, like an epidemic.

The game had always been an evolutionary being.

From the rudimentary game of the 40s and 50s, Down in the 60s sparked a cultural change by realising it might be better to try to pass to a team mate rather than just hoof the ball.

Kerry in the 70s and 80s realised that training regularly and being fit might be an advantage also.

In the 90s the realisation dawned that the fist pass was actually a highly-effective way to move the ball up the pitch and could be utilised more.

Come the Noughties, Mickey Harte decided that forwards could tackle and defenders attack.

In the last decade, Jimmy McGuinness realised that if opponents could only score from certain areas it may be useful to block off that area particularly as it also creating space in your own forward line.

In response to this last tactic, Jim Gavin and his historic Dublin team, decided that if an entire tactic is built around turn-overs then maybe it’d be best to retain the ball.

An overly flippant and simplistic narrative of the evolution of our game, yes, but you get my point.

The big problem was that the last two developments, that of defensive football and its nemesis, safe retaining of possession and playing the percentages, spoiled the aesthetics and enjoyment of the game in a manner never seen before.

It made players avoid contact, flair and creative play became a sign of naivety while one on one battles disappeared.

Our fast-paced, full-blooded game, became pedestrian.

Even in the heat of Championship battle, passages of play occurred where players could literally be walking, soloing the ball and fist passing to an unmarked team-mate.

The GAA as it so often does, turned to the rule book to fix things.

To be honest, I was in the boat that felt that something was needed rules wise as the new tactics were just too effective for teams to move away from.

Yet, as within its committee rooms the GAA began to consider how best to shape the game, the game itself started showing signs of change.

Mayo and Kerry demonstrated that one effective response to Dublin’s retaining of possession was to get in their faces.

High press and forward pressure appeared and some truly awesome games were beginning to occur.

On top of this, thanks to the excellence of the likes of David Clifford, Cathal McShane, Paddy McBrearty, Conor McManus and Andy Moran, direct ball into full forward lines became a common option again.

Consequently, the rules when they came, aimed as they were, at encouraging more contested ball through long kicks either from kickouts or into forward lines, seemed behind the curve.

The forward mark in particular, seems an awkward artificial attempt to control things that had naturally began to find their way.

In fairness, the sin bin and kickout changes have either been positive or of minimal impact.

The loss of a man is much more punishing on teams than a player being replaced.

The kickout rule has not curtailed the creativity which has been such a positive change ever since Stephen Cluxton decided he’d quite like to pass to a team-mate.

The forward mark however remains hard to love.

My heart sinks when I see a good flowing move and pass into a forward line come to a halt and we all get to watch a free kick.

My head hurts as I see the level of inconsistency with the rules application and players understanding.

To be honest, I thought I’d a good handle on it, but the more I watch, the more confused I get.

One passage of play in Derry saw a player a full 10m inside the 45 take a shot which dropped short but was caught by a team-mate.

Presumably because it seemed such a long and high kick and a good catch the referee awarded a mark.

Laughable yes, but put this in the last minute of a Championship game and its dynamite.

In the end, from what I can see the rule changes have not had a notable impact.

The game itself has evolved and what is most striking, as you look across multiple games in multiple county championships, is that a new, modern game of football has emerged.

It brings together a kaleidoscope of tactics and skills which any team planning to lift big honours need to be proficient in.

Kickouts short and long have to be options.

On opposition kickout, zonal, surrendering or full press all must be able to be employed as required.

Defensive man-to-man marking, zonal, high press and tracked runners all are on the must have list.

Offensively teams must have fast counter attacking, long ball or patient multi-phased play options in their armoury.

Through all of this players must be able to think and adapt on the spot.

Not just individually but the top teams need to be able to sense and act collectively as they switch from tactic to tactic in real time.

This game intelligence requirement is at a higher level and more crucial than we have ever seen before.

Best of all, as teams show increasing competency across the whole spectrum of the modern game, the old holy trinity of work rate, courage and skills, comes back to the fore.

When teams display similar levels of tactical acumen, it is those working harder, staying in the fight longer and executing their skills better that will triumph.

Yes, of course there are moments of dour lateral play in front of a packed defence but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking the games of old were all fantastic spectacles either.

The feast of club action is showing that a modern brand of football is emerging.

It may have taken its time, but it looks like it’s been well worth the wait.