Kilmacud Crokes break their silence to challenge Glen’s objection

Kilmacud Crokes have informed the GAA that they will be challenging the objection by Glen to last Sunday’s All-Ireland club final.

The Dublin champions, who won the match 1-11 to 1-9 and were presented with the trophy have been pondering their response to the dispute, which was caused by their having 16 players on the pitch in the closing seconds.

The move will come as little surprise, as all the indications from the club, which has not said anything in public about the situation, were that they would strenuously resist any objection.

On Friday evening, the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee received Kilmacud’s counter-objection. They must now deliberate on the matter.

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On the face of it, there’s not much to consider. The 16 players can be clearly seen, as the Derry club’s Danny Tallon lines up a 45 in injury time. At the heart of the matter is the choice of penalty under Rule 6.44: forfeit, replay or fine.

All week the talk has been about a replay but there have also been suggestions that Kilmacud will refuse to participate in a second match and instead return the trophy to Croke Park.

That is for the future, as the CCCC now have to organise a meeting. It’s not the most convenient weekend with a Central Council meeting on Saturday and the intercounty season getting under way with the start of Allianz Football League.

Sources indicate that the meeting is likely to take place on Monday. It will have to decide what happened and what penalty if any to impose. Indications to date have been that a replay is the most likely outcome but there is a sense that the issue will end up at the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA), the GAA’s independent arbitration service.

Kilmacud’s counter-objection is believed to be founded on their having done nothing wrong. Video of the closing seconds shows two replacements being sent on by the club, sequentially. The first, Tom Fox makes contact with Paul Mannion, who leaves the field.

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The second, Conor Casey runs in and referee Derek O’Mahoney restarts play by giving the 45 the go-ahead. Dara Mullin, who is the second player being replaced, remains on the goal line apparently unaware that he is being taken off.

Tallon’s kick falls for corner forward Conleth McGuckian, who shoots narrowly wide. Mullin eventually leaves having been a 16th man for about 45 seconds.

The club’s contention is that they were interrupted making a substitution by the referee restarting the match. Had the 45 been ordered to be retaken, the matter would have died.

If a replay is ordered by the CCCC, it will be open to Kilmacud to take the matter to the Central Appeals Committee (CAC) – this type of situation does not involve the Central Hearings Committee, whose functions are effectively carried out by the CCCC.

After appeal, the final resort is to the DRA. Since the arbitration service was introduced it has all but eliminated court challenges to GAA disciplinary decisions.