The Allianz National Leagues may have returned at the weekend, but conversations around the GAA continue to be dominated by one issue.
The All-Ireland club football final between Kilmacud Crokes and Glen is still a hot issue within the Association, with the Derry club appealing the result of the game after their opponents had 17 men on the pitch during the closing stages of the contest. A solution has yet to be found, with the GAA handling the whole thing very poorly.
With the final outcome of that process still very much up in the air, some of their players are already turning their focus towards other commitments.
Ciaran Whelan shocked to see Glen player line out for Derry
Derry got their Division 2 campaign underway over the weekend, securing a comprehensive victory over Limerick in Owenbeg on Saturday afternoon.
The game produced few talking points, other than a couple of inclusions on the Ulster side. Both Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty, who had just wrapped up their club season with the Glen the previous weekend, each played over 5o minutes in the game.
It seemed like an odd decision, with the pair having little rest during what has been a mammoth club campaign.
Speaking on RTÉ GAA podcast, Ciaran Whelan admitted he almost felt sorry for the pair having to line out at inter-county level so soon after their defeat the previous weekend.
.@whelo35 can't fathom why Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty played for Derry against Limerick on Saturday
🗣️https://t.co/S9GZkgL0E0
🗣️Spotify https://t.co/3QdGTK3Dks
🗣️Or wherever... https://t.co/12rlCO45dF
🗣️ YouTube https://t.co/uT47vCxv81 pic.twitter.com/EK45tPnMNM— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) January 30, 2023
I was sitting in the car genuinely feeling sorry for Ethan Doherty and Conor Glass for playing, and playing the full game (Doherty was replaced in the 53rd minute, Niall O'Donnell came on for Glass with two minutes remaining).
I was struggling to get my head around that one considering there’s 17 games possibly over 21 weeks.
You just wonder mentally, do those guys just need a break after a difficult, difficult week?
For Rory Gallagher, it’s a winning habit. They want to get back to Division 1. They want to win an Ulster championship, they will be going gung-ho for everything.
Both Glass and Doherty will play big parts for Derry as the season goes on, but you would have thought that a week or two off after their club exploits would have been best for all parties.
Hopefully the lack of downtime doesn't catch up with them later in the year.
SEE ALSO: Kerry Football Legend Excited By Move Into Hurling Management
