Gavin praises the work of FRC in efforts to tackle a tricky subject

The cold water that is the usual treatment from intercounty managers for new playing rules proposals got a little warmer yesterday when Dublin manager Jim Gavin broadly and enthusiastically backed the efforts of the Football Review Committee. Gavin, who met committee chairman Eugene McGee over Christmas to discuss the recommendations, praised the FRC at the launch of the Allianz leagues in Croke Park. “The FRC have done sterling work,” said Gavin. “They’ve really tried to define the tackle.

“We’ve been kicking this can around for long enough now trying to define the tackle – we’re all searching for it. Certainly I believe that the rules themselves are quite solid, it just needs a bit of polish. A bit of polish in terms of the definition of the tackle will serve us no end, the pulling and dragging and all that stuff which is spoiling our game.

“I like my teams to be physical but that’s within the rules. So if we can get on with it, let the FRC get on with their rule definition, it will give referees an ability to manage the game better. In fairness to referees, they’re doing their best and I know from the feedback from the referees group that they endorse the FRC’s efforts.”

Having lost Denis Bastick to what looked like a questionable straight red card during Saturday night’s O’Byrne Cup final against Kildare, Gavin could have been forgiven for venting a little when the subject came up yesterday. Instead, backing up his post-match remarks to the effect that indiscipline wouldn’t be tolerated in his regime, Gavin accepted Eddie Kinsella’s decision.

“He attempted to strike and that’s what it says in the rules – the rule is if you do that you get sent off. Where I might have the issue is, he was struck before he struck so he reacted to being struck, and then another opposition player came in and struck him again – yet a Dublin player gets sent off. So it’s not a frustration for me, it’s just the inconsistencies that I would see in the application of it.”

Managers role

Gavin’s remarks made for a change from the norm of intercounty managers pointing out that the game isn’t necessarily broke and so doesn’t necessarily need to be fixed. He accepted that managers have a role in helping the FRC’s recommendations move through congress but pointed out that they shouldn’t be seen as the arbiters of the strength or weakness of the proposals.

“I think that’s because the managers have the soapbox. That’s why they give their opinions. The Uachtarán Cumann Luthcleas Gael has set up a committee, they come back with their recommendations, they go to central council and that’s how it’s done. Ultimately, the managers shouldn’t have the power. The powerbase comes from club level. It’s a quite distinct democracy in the GAA. They tell their delegates through the county board and we either get this through or we don’t. That’s where it should come from.”

On that theme, the one tweak Gavin would give to the FRC proposals is the one that had the kibosh put on it a few seasons back by those very managers. The idea of the black card to combat cynical play should, in his opinion, be changed to incorporate a sin-bin along the lines of the one used in rugby.

“I still believe that the sin-bin is the only way to deal with it,” he said. “If you give the guy the black tick, the game is slowed down and he’s achieved his aim. Yeah, he might go off the pitch but it gives the opposition time to set up their defensive systems. The only way to hurt a team is to get them in the sin-bin and have them down a man straight away.

“I think the other proposal has gained momentum now and the referees support it as well. But I still wouldn’t lose hope for the sin-bin. I think Eugene’s concern was that it mightn’t work at club level or at underage but I’ve seen it used in schoolboy rugby and it’s worked perfectly well there.”