Gaelic football really has allowed itself to lose the plot.
We’ve become so paranoid about what the outside world thinks, about how good some games are between six hurling counties and about what constitutes entertainment that champions are no longer allowed to see a match out.
Even the term ‘seeing the game out’ is an evil nowadays.
Dublin beat Donegal 2-15 to 0-16 but the last 10 minutes of the tie seemed to make the country sick to their stomachs because Jim Gavin’s side kept the ball, held possession, ran the clock down and ran the legs off the men from the hills.
The reaction though was typical. Disgusting, they said. Puke football. Just attack.
They could’ve kept attacking and, yes, it would’ve looked better but at what stage does this stop becoming a sport when there’s so much interference to strip management of all tactics.
Dublin could’ve done the honourable thing and played football the way it’s supposed to be played – whatever that really means – or they could just play percentages, win the match and go home.
They scored just 1-6 in the second half which is a concern and, despite going 2-12 to 0-8 ahead, they allowed the opposition to reel off five-in-a-row and make a fist of proceedings again. Once the Dubs reestablished their buffer though, they played keep-ball and, until Paul Flynn scored late in injury time, 12 minutes had passed since their last point. It wasn’t their best performance but it’s another win on the road to another title.
But, as the ball was held onto and safely popped around, the Donegal fans booed. Dublin fans? They began to cheer every pass.
“The crowd are getting very angry, especially Dublin supporters,” Dessie Dolan saw it differently though.
“I know the Dublin supporters are cheering every pass but it’s unusual to see something like this in the GAA.
“This has been happening since the 64th minute.”
Now, we’re going to spend the week debating about a new rule that should come in to stop Dublin professionally getting the job done and saving their own legs for four more games needed to win the All-Ireland. People who use sentences like ‘getting the job done’ will be made fun of, called young ones, science nerds, scoffed at for saying things they never actually said like a ‘chess game’.
This is where we’re headed because we’re so worried about every single game not being the best game it could ever have been.
When Dublin relentlessly bury teams into the ground, the championship is shite because Dublin are too good.
When a team defends against them and throw everyone behind the ball, football is dead.
Now, when Dublin keep the ball and make absolutely sure they get the win they need, they’re a scourge.
Poor Donegal. Give them the ball back.
This isn’t a training drill. It isn’t some sort of fantasy land where every player fulfils their duty to come out and attack to your satisfaction. It’s the All-Ireland championship and just about every neutral in Ireland now wants to see Dublin beaten so you can see why they’d take zero chances with anything they do. They leave nothing to doubt. They win.
Interestingly enough, when Derry did the same thing against Dublin three years ago at Croke Park to keep the score down, they were roundly booed by the home Croke Park support. But it was silly of Dublin fans to do that then and it’s sillier for anyone to do it to Dublin now when they were actually holding onto a lead – Derry weren’t – and seeing through a vital win in a new format.
This is a great sport that’s getting stronger and better. 10 minutes of hand-passing isn’t going to destroy it. Relax yourselves.
