Former Cork goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack has accused the Cork County Board of playing politics in their opposition to the motion proposing that all 20 metre frees be struck from the 20 metre line.
The motion, put forward by the playing rules committee, of which Cusack is a member, was obviously inspired by Anthony Nash's jet-fuelled 20 metre frees which were such a feature of last year's championship. Nash's ability to gain yards on these frees, through his monstrous pick-ups, caused controversy at the end of last season. Many expressed their fears for the safety of defenders standing on the line, facing these rockets. This sparked the GAA to examine the issue.
There wasn’t too many people who made a big deal of the man (Nash) changing the rules during the All-Ireland, but post- (All-Ireland final) it the responsibility on the Association is to deal with.
And it’s disappointing... realistically, what you have seen over the last number of months is a form of clientele politics at play from the usual suspects acting under the cover of the GAA to play out small-town politics. These people will be the first to run for cover if we see not alone a player at inter-county but a player in a juvenile or a club game getting hurt.
Cusack was quick to praise "the fantastic skill" of Nash in executing these frees but he insisted the rules had to change.
But I think you also need to look at it from the point of view that a glaring anomaly exists within the rules, in that the rules state there needs to be 20m between the striker and the goalkeeper.
[Irish Examiner]
