Goalkeeper Niall Morgan was the star of the show as his Ulster side got the better of Munster 0-23 to 2-11 in interprovincial Gaelic football action amid a spate of trialled rule changes in Croke Park.
The Tyrone legend - winner of the Sam Maguire Cup in 2021 - has an educated right boot and showcased his penchant for scoring points with a beautifully taken score in the behind-closed-doors fixture on Friday evening.
Morgan, who sauntered towards the opposition posts, curled a beautiful effort which warranted a two-point haul as per the new regulations which were trialled at GAA HQ.
READ HERE: Breaking Down The Seven Major Rule Changes To Be Trialled In This Weekend's Railway Cup
Niall Morgan with the first 2⃣ Pointer of the game! 🔥@UlsterGAA #AllianzGAAinterpro #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/s2R4xqDq6m
— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 18, 2024
The Player of the Match showcased his defensive prowess with a point-blank save at his own end, while also showcasing an impressive range of passing on the day.
Big moment - big save by Niall Morgan 🧤#AllianzGAAinterpro #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/SkEbv0F4WQ
— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 18, 2024
But more pressing than Morgan's star performance was the nature of the fixture, which was a radical overhaul of Gaelic football as we know it.
The Football Review Committee - led by ex-Dublin boss Jim Gavin - introduced a spate of new measures to try and improve the spectacle of a sport which has fallen behind hurling singificantly in terms of entertainment value in recent years.
While some rules have proved popular other changes have proved contentious - as pointed out by Aidan O'Shea after his Connacht side beat Leinster earlier in the day.
Niall Morgan warns of new challenge for goalkeepers under new rules
They have certainly been impactful and goalkeepers are sure to feel the brunt of them if installed permanently going forward, according to Morgan.
While he reaped the rewards of venturing up the pitch, he warned that goalkeepers are going to have to improve their fitness if they are to continue to do likewise on a regular basis.
"It is just a case of now I have to get up the pitch and goalkeepers are going to have to be a lot fitter," Morgan told TG4 after his win.
"We are going to have to get our high-speed metres up.
"We'll be with the strength and conditioning coaches this year instead of the goalkeeping coaches I would say.
"But look, the game did have to change - there is no doubt about it."
It is a potential change which could heavily change the typical role of a Gaelic football goalkeeper going forward.
On the evidence of his performance, Morgan certainly has the skillset to adapt to the new measures if required of him going into the new season.
He will return to action in Saturday's interprovincial series final meeting with Connacht on a day where we are likely to learn even more about the new implementations.
