gaahead wrote:neither of the three senior teams in the parish had enjoyed any success in modern times so how can you say its a good argument - and I dont agree that good players would be left by the wayside - there are intermediate and junior levels aswell - all 3 teams are forced to field a number of players who in all honesty would be more suited to those levels
I would think that if it was an amalgamated parish team, Jimmy Coughlan wouldn't have had such responsibility at a young age and as a result wouldn't have developed like he has. Doon picked him because they had to, and because he knew that he had to score heavily, he took on a lot and developed as a result. Players like Alan Lynam now would be another - he probably wouldn't get picked now for a parish team, but in truth he'll improve a lot more for having to step up and deliver for Erin Rovers.
Certainly knowing a lot of the Doon GAA fraternity quite well, I don't think they'd have the same level of pride in an all-parish team as they would in their own area.
As it is now, all three clubs field senior and junior teams, two junior sides in the case of Ballycumber. An amalgamated club mightn't find it as easy to field 7 teams, so participation would be less as well, which is certainly an undesirable outcome.
Regarding the point about every club having to field players who would be happier at intermediate or junior level - I agree - but other than Rhode and Tullamore I don't think there are any clubs in Offaly who don't have that complaint. Ferbane is one parish, albeit with a much smaller combined population, and some would argue we have four or five starters that are not quite up to senior club football. But that's the nature of club football - a good mix of the good, the young and developing, and those that are doing their best for the parish even though it's tough going.
As I outlined earlier, if Offaly want to go down this road, I'd much prefer to see them fielding divisional sides from the hurling district in senior football. Offaly football at the moment is being very well served by the smaller sub parish teams - Brigids, Doon, Ballycumber etc. It's the Shannonbridge/Edenderry/Ferbane areas that could do with chipping in and improving matters.
And regarding Hyper's post, Chino has been trading off his "potential" for two years now - it's time he stepped it up. I haven't seen him play a really good game for a long time now, and I can only assume Bracken was picked ahead of him on the U-21's on merit. Certainly he did more in the Meath match and in the Raheen final last year than I've seen from Chino since he was a really good minor.
Barry vs Sean Casey is a close call I'll grant you. I'd pick Casey, but there is feck all in it - I can understand how others would go for Malone though.
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