Damien Comer says ‘soft’ attacking mark has no place in Gaelic football

Damien Comer is no fan of the advanced mark in Gaelic football which he says leads to ‘soft scores.’

The advanced mark was brought into Gaelic football in 2020 but the Galway full forward doesn’t feel it has worked and reckons Gaelic football would be better off without it.

The rule allows attacking players to call for a free shot at goal should they ‘catch a ball cleanly on or inside the 45m line’ from a pass that has travelled 20 metres or more, but Comer says that it takes away from both the art of tackling and the art of taking on your man in the game.

“I personally wouldn’t be a fan of it,” he said ahead of the 2024 Allianz National League season.

“I think the old-school way of winning the ball and taking on your man is a better way,” added Comer.

That being said, Comer feels that teams, including Galway, should exploit the rule more given that it is present in the game.

“I think it’s too soft of a score to be able to get so yeah I wouldn’t be a fan of it but, the fact that it is there, I think it could probably be utilised a bit better, even ourselves, it’s an easy way to free up the ball.”

“But overall I don’t think it’s a great strategy to have I don’t think it should be still in the game, but that’s for the others to decide.”

The 30-year-old would have more meas for the attacking mark if it was only inside the 21 and actually rewarded players for out-fielding their opponent, but even at that reckons it’s unnecessary.

“The art of defending and the art of taking on a man are obviously key skills of the game so I think by just getting a little punt-pass to your chest where you’re winning it two or three yards in front of your man, and putting your hand up for a free shot at goal, I think it’s a bit unfair.

“Fair enough, if you kick it in around the penalty box and go up and catch it above your head, I wouldn’t be completely against that.

“There’s an argument for that if you’re outfielding someone, but when it’s just a 20 yard punt-pass, I think it nullifies the whole objective of it.

“I don’t think it’s needed at all, although that is an alteration I would probably make to it (that it’s only inside the 21) But yeah, I don’t think there’s any need for it at all.”

The Annaghdown club-man endured something of a frustrating 2023 season, having picked up knee and hamstring injuries but he’s happy to report a clean bill of health, having come through Galway’s pre-season training regime unscathed.

“From a personal level it was a very frustrating sort of a year,” he reflects.

“I felt good coming back after a bit of pre-season and then the Mayo game, I was just trying to get back to fitness.

“Then I had the knee injury against Roscommon. I was lucky to get away with only being out for maybe six weeks with that and not doing my cruciate. T

“Then to get back then and have niggling hamstring injuries after that, trying to get it right, playing certain games, missing other games – it was frustrating overall. I felt like I was moving ok when I was on the pitch but I was just struggling to stay on the pitch.”

“It’s more what you can do outside of training, by diet, sleep, recovery, and then getting the balance right from a load perspective.”

“I’m at a stage now where I know my body well that if I’m in danger of doing something, I’d sit out a session. I’d rather be training all the time but you have to balance it. We’ve a great set-up in Galway and the S and C team would be on top of it that way.

“It’s not really avoidance, it’s more so being in the best possible shape and preparing well.

“Having a base of pre-season helps the robustness as well so having that bank of training done certainly stands to you.”

Galway take on Mayo in Pearse Stadium on Sunday, in a game that will get their Allianz National League campaign for 2024 underway.

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