County Board Officers 2008

[True Red]

Having watched from afar I now enter the fray...........

I think you will find that Birr,as a club,arent too interested in fairness to other clubs,whether they be Senior or Intermediate. The Watkins kid is a good hurler but its the prerogative of Birr management whether they want to play him Senior or not.

You mightnt think thats fair but I am sure Birr couldnt give a monkey's what you think. They have Intermediate,Senior & Leinster club titles in the bag and from their point of view thats all that matters to them.

[Lone Shark]

By all means submit the motion, but personally I'd vote against it. Players recovering fom injury, players looking to scale back their commitment, players looking to player/manage a junior/intermediate team, personality clash with the manager, there are too many ways this could come about naturally.

[Offalys Future]

By all means submit the motion, but personally I'd vote against it. Players recovering fom injury, players looking to scale back their commitment, players looking to player/manage a junior/intermediate team, personality clash with the manager, there are too many ways this could come about naturally.

Alright i put it to you so.
How many times do you know that a player that played county u/21 or senior for his county and then the following year played intermediate while his club had a senior team.
HOW MANY TIMES?

[Treasurer]

Is Maureen Kincaid and Mary Dunne appointed on a full time basis?

Of course not. Well at least not full time in the sense of being paid!

As for the intermediate team, it's hard luck on other intermediate teams that Birr had the strength and depth to mind their intermediate panel so well, I don't see how it's something you could legislate against.

[Lone Shark]

By all means submit the motion, but personally I'd vote against it. Players recovering fom injury, players looking to scale back their commitment, players looking to player/manage a junior/intermediate team, personality clash with the manager, there are too many ways this could come about naturally.

Alright i put it to you so.
How many times do you know that a player that played county u/21 or senior for his county and then the following year played intermediate while his club had a senior team.
HOW MANY TIMES?

Beano McDonald played for Arles intermediate team after coming back from injury I believe. However that is secondhand info so I'm open to be corrected on it.

All that said, I've no doubt it would be very possible for a guy to play U-21 for Cork, Armagh or Dublin and fail to make the Nemo, Crossmaglen or Kilmacud/Na Fianna team the following year. I don't know of a case, but it is plausible.

[Over The Black Spot]

Personally, I don't think there's any issue with Birr & the level the choose to field players at.Take the two players who have come from the intermediate team.
The first is Brian Watkins who would have been behind JP O'Meara, Cleary, Verney, Claffey, Sid, Rory & Dylan Hayden & maybe more for a place on the starting back-line with Birr at the start of the year & so hurled intermediate. He was part of the Offaly U-21 setup but probably wouldn't have got the chance to cement his place but for injury to Michael Verney (with Hernon, Cleary, Coughlan, Leonard & Kenny all viewed as definite starters) & it was on the back of these performances that he came into the reckoning to stake a place with Birr. Padjoe obviously took the decision not to rush him & remember, he only came onto the team in the county final when Padjoe knew he had the ability & could deliver on the big day. The fact that Sid was permanently camped on the forward line and Sean Ryans injury made it logical to move Rory to midfield & let Watkins slot in to save too much disturbance. He has gone on to look like a real good prospect but, it's debatable whether he would have made the progress he has if he had been thrown into the senior team in May or June when their backline was in a bit of disaray & Sid wasn't performing to his usual standard.
The second is Keith Hehir, who similiarly wouldn't have been in the reckoning for a starting place at the start of the year either & probably gave the best indication of the level he was capable of in the intermediate final, which was towards the end of the senior campaign. He also profited from losses in form to Michael Dwane, Paul Molloy & Simon Whelahan which helped him get his foot in the door.
I would say well done to Padjoe for not rushing the players when he could have & thinking of their long-term development. Younger players do need to be rushed in the smaller clubs because needs must but I'm sure they'd be the first to admit that it's better to be given time to ease in at that level.

[True Red]

Wasnt James Masters left off the Nemo Rangers side that won the club All Ireland in 2003 managed by Billy Morgan after starring for Cork under 21's the previous year.

[midfield]

Ruled out of order as a motion for convention (as many of them usually are) and referred back for discussion at first county board meeting, at which point I think KK said they'd withdraw it, but I think they might have been missing the point that it couldn't be heard anyway.

Why was it ruled out of order?? Why is it out of order. Please explain!

[midfield]

Ya that motion shoudnt be allowed pass.
I think common sense should prevail though.

On thing i would be worried about is the Internediate grade.
If Birr are allowed to do next year what they did this year, it is completely unfair to other intermediate teams in Offaly.
Since the county intermediate final 4 of their players have made appearances for the seniors. So therefore they are senior players and shouldnt be let play intermediate.
One way of solving this is have the Senior and Intermediate finals on the same day.
what ye think?

That might or might not make a difference, but would be a step in the right direction. Who were the four players? How many that played in the intermediate final started on the senior final?

They often do the same and play a few 'junior' , only for these players to make the intermediate later.

How many players can be regraded from senior to intermediate or from intermediate to junior every year?

[Treasurer]

Why was it ruled out of order?? Why is it out of order. Please explain!

I'll get you the exact answer on this but I believe it's got something to do with fixtures/championships etc being part of the function of the management committee and it was therefore a matter for "ordinary" county board meeting rather than convention (most of the motions fall into the same category). So it's not that there is anything wrong with the motion itself, but that it will be discussed at first county board meeting instead.

How many players can be regraded from senior to intermediate or from intermediate to junior every year?

Seven, except for the team who won the championship, who can regrade 12.

[corner back]

12? that's a bit excessive

Seems like a daft rule.
So Birr can regrade 12 lads again.

I think a fairer system would be something like the one they have in cork now. You name 15 at the start of the year that are senior only and then after the first round of the championship any of those 15 who didn't play senior would be eligible for a lower level for the rest of the year.

I have been caught now in 2 different counties without championship hurling for a season having lost my place on senior teams. Maybe i should train harder.