There was a glimpse at the new-look Gaelic football on Friday night, as two televised interprovincial games gave fans their first chance to witness the Football Review Committee's recommended rule changes in action.
The FRC have spent the last eight months examining the modern state of Gaelic football in an attempt to devise a shake-up of the rulebook which can make the sport the most exciting amateur field game in the world.
Perhaps the FRC would have hoped for a slightly more high-octane curtain raiser, as Connacht had little difficulty swatting the Leinster selection aside by 18 points in front of a sparse Croke Park crowd.
Only the lower tier of the Hogan Stand was opened on Friday night and even that was not particularly full, though the crowd had grown slightly by the time Ulster and Munster faced off at 8pm.
The crowd in attendance were rewarded with a more intriguing contest in Friday's second game, with two very different approaches making for a fascinating game under the floodlights.
Ultimately, Ulster would hold on for victory to progress to Saturday's final - though their approach in the closing stages drew frustration from the Croke Park crowd.
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Gaelic football interpros: Ulster's possession game met with boos
Ulster took an early lead in the second of Friday's Gaelic football interprovincial "semi-finals," and would hold that lead through to the end of the game to set up the decider with Connacht on Saturday evening.
Many of the rule changes proposed by Gaelic football's Review Committee have been proposed to do away with the slow, possession-based football we have become accustomed to in recent years.
Though the challenge game environment will naturally raise questions about the nature of Friday's trial run, generally one could see a change in mindset, with players looking forward in possession to get attacks moving.
However, with Ulster seeing out victory in the second game, they briefly decided to play keep-ball just inside the Munster half, with goalkeeper Niall Morgan joining the attack.
This author was stationed in the press box in the upper Hogan Stand and could hear a smattering of boos from the crowd below. Footage has now been shared on social media showing the half-hearted rejection of Ulster's possession approach.
It didn't take one full game and the Ulster boys are being booed for intelligent possession football.
Are we starting to see some of the cracks yet? pic.twitter.com/b4eJxwl9YW— Stephen O'Meara (@somearagaa) October 18, 2024
It was a light-hearted moment. However, the fact it took until the closing stages of the second game for any phase of intense possession-based football to break out could be a sign of what is to come under the newly-proposed Gaelic football rules.
