Marc Ó Sé believes that a change does need to be made to the Kerry GAA Senior Football Championship.
The competition received plenty of criticism this autumn due to poor attendance numbers and uncompetitive games. There were just a handful of genuinely good matches as East Kerry claimed the title for the fourth time in five years.
Eight senior clubs take part in the championship along with eight district teams comprised of players from intermediate and junior sides. There have been calls for the number of senior clubs to be increased from eight to 12.
Between the district sides of West Kerry, South Kerry, Feale Rangers, Shannon Rangers and St Brendan's Board, just one win was claimed this season.
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Despite this, their participation continues while Kerins O'Rahilly's were relegated from the top tier after they lost a Kerry Senior Club Championship playoff to Na Gaeil in October. The relegation playoff being contested by those two sides means Na Gaeil will be the only Kerry senior club from Tralee in 2024. Austin Stacks dropped to intermediate level last year.
At Kerry GAA's annual convention on Tuesday night, chairperson Patrick O'Sullivan confirmed that Dara Ó Cinneide is set to head up a review.
"Eight senior teams, it needs more," Ó Sé said at the launch of GAAGO's 2024 championship schedule.
"I remember when we (An Ghaeltacht) won the intermediate [in 2017], I was player-manager. We won the intermediate, went on a run in the Munster campaign, lost to Moy in the All-Ireland semi-final in Thurles.
4 December 2023; Football analyst Marc Ó Sé in attendance at the 2024 GAAGO match schedule launch at Croke Park in Dublin. Fans can avail of 38 exclusive matches in Ireland for €69 up until December 31st". Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
"You had to give the boys a break and then a few weeks later you’re playing in the senior club championship. So no sooner were we up we were back down again.
"It’s only when it happens the big teams, the Austin Stacks and the Kerins O’Rahilly’s, that people start to take notice of it.
"Tralee, there’s only one team in the senior now and you have Stacks and Kerins O’Rahilly’s in the intermediate championship.
"Certainly, with the teams that are playing in the county championship, divisional teams, there are some teams that don’t make the effort and then you have teams, say like Austin Stacks and Kerins O’Rahilly’s [that do]. I mean it’s Kerins O’Rahilly’s first time ever going down out of the senior championship.
"I would like to think 12 teams or something because there is good competition in Kerry. 16 teams might be a bit much but maybe 12 teams."
27 January 2018; Marc O'Se of An Ghaeltacht in action against Sean Cavanagh of Moy Tir na nÓg during the AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Semi-Final match between An Ghaeltacht and Moy Tir na nÓg at Semple Stadium in Tipperary. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile
Ó Sé, who played for West Kerry, believes there is still a place for the district teams.
"The beauty about the divisional teams is that it gives everybody a chance to play county championship football, which I think is unique," said the five-time All-Ireland winner.
"It basically means then that if you’re a good enough player you will get on your divisional team or if your club is too weak to play county championship you’ll get on your divisional team. I really like that side of it.
"You get to see players who might be playing Division 5 football who stand out. We’ve seen that in Kerry, Donnchadh Walsh, Sean O’Sullivan (from Cromane), players who come from weaker clubs and they make their break with the inter-county team. That’s where they get to showcase their skills."
