Antrim footballer Matthew Fitzpatrick has been handed a 48-week ban by the GAA.
The Irish News reports that Fitzpatrick appeared before the Association's Central Hearings Committee on Monday night cited with 'misleading the investigation'.
It was the third time in recent weeks that Fitzpatrick had appeared before a GAA disciplinary committee.
The initial two appearances were regarding an off the ball incident during Antrim's ill-tempered Division 3 National League game against Armagh on March 25th. It was a match which saw the referee show three red cards (Armagh's Stephen Sheridan and Antrim's Conor Murray and Stephen Beatty) and Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney subsequently hit with a 12-week ban.
Fitzpatrick was given a one-match ban following both of those hearings. However, he successfully appealed on both occasions.
It was a matter which caused real tension between the Antrim senior football panel and the county board. In a letter sent to clubs in late April, the Antrim footballers were highly critical of their county board.
After a letter from the GAA was sent to the county board asking that a player involved in an off the ball incident be identified, the county management team and two members of the county board agreed that the player could not be identified with 100 per cent certainty. However, the county board subsequently identified the player as Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Antrim's Matthew Fitzpatrick is handed a 48-week suspension arising out of @Armagh_GAA and @AontroimGAA league game. Grotesque punishment.
— Declan Bogue (@DeclanBogue) May 15, 2017
Antrim joint manager Gearoid Adams told the Irish News that he was concerned for the player's welfare.
I don't know if there's a precedent of the same guy being trialled three times. My issue with it is the welfare of Matthew Fitzpatrick. Mentally, he's not in a good place because he's ok one minute and the next he's not playing.
Fitzpatrick is set to again appeal this new ban in a bid to be available for Antrim's opening game of the Ulster Championship against Donegal in Ballybofey this weekend.
Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile
