Players need to be ‘sensible’ in returning to games – Cooney

When Jack Cooney spoke to the Westmeath Examiner yesterday afternoon, he described the three months – and counting – where Gaelic games, and other hitherto-‘normal’ areas of Irish life have come to a virtual standstill, as “a very grounding experience”.

Some weeks back, the Westmeath senior football manager made a strong case for an open draw championship later this year in the race for the Sam Maguire Cup.

However, the GAA’s latest position suggests that the two remaining rounds of the National Football League will go ahead in October prior to what are bound to be hectic provincial and All-Ireland campaigns.

As things stand, Westmeath will finish out their schedule in a ‘dog-eat-dog’ Division 2 of the league, where promotion and relegation issues are still very much up in the air, followed by the daunting prospect of squaring up to Dublin, the undisputed kingpins of the ‘big ball’ game nationwide throughout the ‘tennies’, in a Leinster championship quarter-final.

While the likes of the ‘Super 8s’ and the new Tailteann Cup seem certain to be shelved, the men in maroon and white look sure to be guaranteed at least one match in the Qualifiers whenever their provincial campaign comes to an end.

Cooney still feels that the powers-that-be “have missed a really good opportunity to try something different”.

“A 32-county draw, be that completely open, or even with the top two and bottom two divisions seeded, would have generated huge excitement among supporters across the country,” he said.

“It would have been very novel, like when ‘Back Door’ started (in 2001). There was apprehension about that at the time, but it allowed counties to develop and became a huge success.”

The Coralstown/Kinnegad clubman and former Westmeath player continued: “Everybody wants a return to action and the focus will initially be on club scene.

“This is good, as that involves 99 per cent of playing population.

“We would love to at least maintain our Division 2 status and we will be putting a big focus on both of those outstanding league games (Laois at home and Kildare away), but we have to be very mindful of the club scene.

“All inter-county players are well looked after these days, but player welfare is vital and this crammed fixture list will put a lot of pressure on players and management teams.

“Players themselves will need to be sensible. There will be a high risk of injuries if games are played in too much of a rush.”

Cooney, who was absolutely delighted to meet up with three of his management team for a social distancing barbecue last weekend – their first face-to-face get-together since the Covid-10 coronavirus pandemic totally altered the face of Irish society – is understandably apprehensive about the very tight proposed schedule.

“The GAA will be restricted as regards facilities such as floodlights. Also, nobody knows how this schedule is going to impinge on next year. There could still be a couple of uncontrollables in all this,” he concluded.

– Gerry Buckley