Andy Moran reckons that an extended intercounty season as well a sprinkling of new rules will re-invigorate Gaelic football.
Moran has seen both sides of the coin as a player and as a manager. As a player, the majority of his seasons went right up to September while as a manager, working within the condensed calendar, the seasons have ended much earlier.
He feels that it's 'too cramped' as things stand and questions whether the split season actually benefits the majority of counties.
As he sees it, it only impacts on those who make the All-Ireland semi-finals and finals.
"We did this split-season thing but who does it affect really, that's the key thing I'd ask," the Electric Ireland ambassador says.
Pictured is former Mayo Minor footballer, Andy Moran, ahead of the 2024 Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Finals. This summer, Electric Ireland are using their social channels to spotlight players from across the Championships, in recognition of the major impact that playing Minor can have on young people’s future successes, on and off the field. You can follow the campaign on social media @ElectricIreland and via the hashtag #ThisIsMajor.
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
"24 out of the 32 counties are going to be out of the championship come July.
"So who are we really trying to influence with this split season. It's the teams that get to the All-Ireland finals and semi-finals anyway."
"And they're the only teams that are affected."
"I do think the distance between the league and the championship is too compacted," he continues.
Moran cites the example of his Leitrim footballers beginning their provincial championship campaign the week after they played Laois in the Division Four League final.
"Like if you look at Laois and Leitrim and I'm just using that example because we were in it.
"You're going to a League final, you've got to let boys de-compress and chill-out a bit, and then come back and do a burst of fresh training before the championship. But at this minute we don't have that."
"I do think all the bodies have the best interests of the players and supporters at heart.
"But I also think people realise that tweaks have to be made."
The Jim Gavin-led Football Review Committee is focusing on the rules of the game but the 2017 Footballer of the Year says they should be looking at the season structure as well.
"I think they need to get involved in the season structure as well."
"Boys want to play games.
"Leitrim had 13 competitive games, but nine of them were played over 11 weeks. It's too much. We can see it from the rate of injuries in players.
"We're not seeing some of the best players in the country because the season is too squeezed. I would lengthen the season."
In terms of the rules of the game, Moran says an obvious starting point for bringing more excitement is calling it quits for the forward mark.
"I don't see a benefit of the forward mark at all," he says.
"It came in in my last year playing. I don't think it was ever a rule that I was saying 'oh yeah, this is going to be brilliant.'
"In fairness, we've done our trial with it and we've given it four or five years but I think no matter what we do with the mark.
"I don't think that's Gaelic football.
"We want to see goals/excitement, players going for goal.
"You see Shane O'Donnell there in the hurling, he wants to go for goal every time he gets the ball and you see how exciting that is.
"Everyone wants to watch him playing. I think we need to get that back into Gaelic football. A lot of the other stuff being suggested is exciting."
Former Mayo Minor footballer Andy Moran was speaking ahead of the 2024 Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Finals. This summer, Electric Ireland are using their social channels to spotlight players from across the Championships, in recognition of the major impact that playing Minor can have on young people’s future successes, on and off the field. You can follow the campaign on social media @ElectricIreland and via the hashtag #ThisIsMajor.
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