Another year over, and what have we done?

On Gaelic Games:Phew! What a year we've had. At least now that the Australians are gone and unlikely to be back any time soon, it's safe to come out of hiding and see what's left of the family discipline.

The decision to suspend International Rules can be represented as a firm stand against violent play, although the anti-Australian agendas are so many and varied that it can be hard to do something as ambitious as isolate any one factor. But it's fair to accept that the scenes which marred the first quarter of the second Test were the catalyst which led to the parlous state in which the series now finds itself.

Is this revulsion at indiscipline detectable elsewhere? The current season of annual conventions has thrown up many hard words on the subject of International Rules but few attempts to place the matter in any context. (In fact, reference to chaotic and disgraceful scenes is often made through the reproachful filter of implied media exaggeration.)

Put another way, is it strange that when two organisations - one with a chronic disciplinary problem and the other that has been demonstrably successful in addressing such difficulties - co-operate on a project and it disintegrates into disorder, why does the former evidently feel so superior to the latter? Whatever else 2006 is remembered for, it's not going to be the effective confrontation of indiscipline.

The front-line competitive year started over 10 months ago with the commencement of the National Football League and ended three days ago, as Dr Crokes tidied away the last provincial club championship of the season.

On the very first weekend there was the Omagh fiasco during which a series of lapses into complete disorder nearly ended up with the crowd involved. This attracted enormous publicity. It had to. The match was televised and featured two of the most prominent teams in football.

Despite tip-toeing around the matter as carefully as they could, the CDC managed to leave a loose thread that was duly unravelled on appeal, meaning that the whole episode went largely unpunished.

Yes, this showed that the rules had to be untangled, but more importantly it showed that there was - and is - no guarantee that disrespect for rules will disadvantage the offender. This is the central problem of the disciplinary crisis.

Then there is the lack of leadership at all levels.

In an address at the GAA's annual coaching conference, Dr Eugene Young, the Ulster Council's director of coaching, spoke about the importance of setting an example. He accurately described the flurry of barrack-room lawyering whenever a player, particularly an important one, gets sent off for serious fouling.

As Young said: "How many times do we hold up our hand and say, 'what are we doing here - he's after hitting someone'?"

The very county boards which go into overdrive to try to liberate important players (Cork and Anthony Lynch, to name the year's most notorious example) are supposed to be enforcing the rules amongst their constituent clubs.

International Rules is another example in the way that its rulebook goes un-enforced. Maybe in the light of imminent disengagement it was considered futile to launch a disciplinary hearing into the scabrous scenes in Croke Park, but, two years previously, the Australians attacked Irish players before the start of the second Test and nothing was done about it.

Why? (Hint: Ireland won the Test and series handsomely and seemed more relaxed about premeditated violence.)

Over this year what has been learned? What has improved?

The club campaign just concluded has featured almost weekly displays of disregard for rules and uninhibited foul play. It's been an embarrassment, particularly given the new sensitivity to this sort of thing since November 5th - rather like a temperance preacher sternly rebuking his congregation while a video of his unsteady "partying" to The Birdy Song plays in the background.

Then, with almost comical symmetry, the Connacht Council decided that Frankie Dolan, in hot water after his tangle with a Corofin official during the provincial final - an obvious minimum suspension of 24 weeks under 142 (3) (ii) - should be charged with discrediting the association - suspension eight weeks and crucially with no requirement to miss at least one match - and so escape the deserved punishment of missing the next match, in this case the critical All-Ireland semi-final in February.

There is, however, something positive stirring, a light in the east, if you want to be seasonal. The recent match regulations agreed by Central Council last weekend and expanded on by GAA president Nickey Brennan yesterday are an indication that discipline is back on the national agenda.

The restrictions on sideline personnel are overdue and a welcome rowing back of a creeping permissiveness that diluted previous attempts at reform in this area.

Brennan's good intentions on this are clear, but he will remember that two years ago, when a raft of experimental disciplinary provisions were trialled during the National Leagues, it only took a few weeks' whingeing by county managers to kill the idea despite some impressive statistics suggesting skilful players were getting more protection and fouling was becoming a less popular option than usual.

As chair of the HDC that stood over the relevant hurling proposals in that package, the president will know that a steady nerve and firm backbone will be needed in the face of the imminent chorus of disaffection.

On a final and dispiriting note, it's a shame that in the middle of the recriminations over November's second International Rules Test the junior series has also been suspended.

The seniors may be having problems with indiscipline and a widening gap in ability, but after a rough couple of years when Ireland were quite unable to compete, particularly Down Under, with the Australian Academy players, changes were made to the rules and the result of the tweaking (allowing Ireland slightly older players) has been some cracking contests with the GAA team finally starting to win series and even when losing to give a good account of themselves.

Despite this and the absence of any malevolence, the series has been cast into limbo along with its senior counterpart. This was inevitable given the desire to review the whole status of the relationship between the GAA and the AFL, but the reason has nothing to do with any flaws in the junior game but rather the visceral resentment harboured towards the prospect of young footballers being scouted by AFL clubs.

As well as being an exaggerated grievance, this overlooks the benefit to young players of having an opportunity to play at representative level and develop their sports careers. The AFL interest in the junior series has nothing to do with club recruitment but rather the provision of international outlets as part of a career path for elite under-age players, something that other field sports are able to offer.

Should the GAA sever its links with the AFL, which would signal the end of the slightly dubious restrictions that have been placed on the recruitment of Irish players, it certainly won't be the end of Australian clubs, scouts and agents taking an interest in Ireland.

The GAA should enjoy Christmas, because there's a heap of New Year resolutions needed in the weeks ahead.