Changes to minor

.skid

http://www.thescore.ie/minor-proposals-liam-oneill-890711-Apr2013/
Saw this the other day and was fairly thick over it (mainly because i'm on my last year minor next year :P) Wondering what the rest of ye make of it?

Quixoticelixer

I wouldn't like to see minor go down to U17, if they don't want minors to play on adult teams can they not just ban that without changing the age limit on minor? Though I wouldn't agree with that either.

For some players, it really is a case of if you're good enough you're old enough. I've followed Adare's fortunes in the last decade, I remember Adare playing Loughmore-Castleiney in the Munster club championship in 2007, Noel McGrath stole the show that day just a few weeks shy of his 17th birthday.

And I'll never forget Declan Hannon walking off to a standing ovation from both sets of supporters when Adare were pipped by Newtownshandrum at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in 2009 a few weeks before he turned 17.

.skid

I thought you weren't allowed play adult hurling if you were below 17 though?
The problems of burnout only apply to a minority of players like. They're still gonna wind up gettin called up and have county minor and school hurling so it won't change much.

premierstone

Burnout is not restricted to a minority, far from it infact, just look at the two players mentioned by Quixoticelixer - Noel McGrath has looked a spent force since 2010 at 20 Years old and Declan Hannon looked a very tired player to me at the latter stage of last year and there are plenty of other high profile examples aswell.

I agree with the powers that be that something needs to be done to address this huge problem area and the reduction of the minor grade to u-17 is the most logical but possibly bring back u21 a year aswell so as to avoid a situation where you have players that are too old for u17, and not good enough to make the step up to u21.

.skid

premierstone wrote: »

Burnout is not restricted to a minority, far from it infact

Ya but they were also hurling minor and harty and county minor and under 21 and probably fitzergald if they were 17. What I meant by minority is that it's usually just the best players that play county and top level school have the burnout problems because of all the pressure from teams to get em playing. Your average club hurler won't have the same problems with burnout and there's a lot more average hurlers than there are stars like them.;)

munchkin_utd

.skid wrote: »

http://www.thescore.ie/minor-proposals-liam-oneill-890711-Apr2013/
Saw this the other day and was fairly thick over it (mainly because i'm on my last year minor next year :P) Wondering what the rest of ye make of it?

as far as i can see the change isnt through yet is it?

this is the current rule, see page 83
http://www.gaa.ie/content/documents/publications/official_guides/official-guide-2013-part1.pdf
and is the same as it ever was.

The rules can only be changed at congress (as far as I am aware of) so that'll be 21st/22nd February before you have a change, or not as the case may be.

I have a vague memory of this being an issue a couple of years ago but the motion was defeated.

.skid

Ya it hasn't changed yet but I heard that they'll make the decision before 2014. Late February seems very close to the start of the minor season to make a call on changing the age though.

Davin Stand

premierstone, if you think Noel McGrath is a spent force, you obviously did not see him playing hurling or football for Loughmore for the last few weeks.

premierstone

Davin Stand wrote: »

premierstone, if you think Noel McGrath is a spent force, you obviously did not see him playing hurling or football for Loughmore for the last few weeks.

I have indeed seen him in recent weeks and he has been an inspiration, I have also seen him been completely redundant for Tipp for over two years now, surely you can't deny this??

Gest

premierstone wrote: »

I have indeed seen him in recent weeks and he has been an inspiration, I have also seen him been completely redundant for Tipp for over two years now, surely you can't deny this??

You could say that about most tipp hurlers the past 2 years. Doesn't mean he is a spent force.

I agree though that he has a lot of miles on the legs already. Hopefully with careful management he can become one ot tipp's leading players again.

premierstone

Gest wrote: »

You could say that about most tipp hurlers the past 2 years. Doesn't mean he is a spent force.

I agree though that he has a lot of miles on the legs already. Hopefully with careful management he can become one ot tipp's leading players again.

Yeah please god he rediscovers he's spark, been a dual player doesn't help and most of the McGraths in general, say Tom, Pat etc all peaked very young.

skylady

This will force young lads into senior football /hurling too early - up to now it was a personal decision for minors to play with the seniors or not - suited some but not all. My 15 year old (16 shortly) son thought he would have 2 years at minor - now possibly only one year ie 2014 - physically small and light - definitely won't be ready for senior in a years time - small club - not enough for u21 team and virtually no u21 competition in this county so probably end up giving up GAA.

jethro081

skylady wrote: »

This will force young lads into senior football /hurling too early - up to now it was a personal decision for minors to play with the seniors or not - suited some but not all. My 15 year old (16 shortly) son thought he would have 2 years at minor - now possibly only one year ie 2014 - physically small and light - definitely won't be ready for senior in a years time - small club - not enough for u21 team and virtually no u21 competition in this county so probably end up giving up GAA.

the situation you describe there is exactly what i thought of when i read that article. as an above poster said, if you want to confine players to their age group, then so be it, but i don't see why you need to reduce the minor age limit.

premierstone

jethro081 wrote: »

the situation you describe there is exactly what i thought of when i read that article. as an above poster said, if you want to confine players to their age group, then so be it, but i don't see why you need to reduce the minor age limit.

Because in the vast majority of cases the players in their last year minor are already playing senior aswell, the move is designed to have a clear distinction between minor players and senior players, I agree with you and the previous poster who's example highlights the issue that the initial transition will be problematic, ie lads who would normally be in the last year u18 in 2015.

.skid

premierstone wrote: »

Because in the vast majority of cases the players in their last year minor are already playing senior aswell, the move is designed to have a clear distinction between minor players and senior players, I agree with you and the previous poster who's example highlights the issue that the initial transition will be problematic, ie lads who would normally be in the last year u18 in 2015.

Really I think it comes down to clubs demanding too much from young players. I'm lucky my club knows what there at but I played a challenge a few months back against a team that had a county minor who had played for the county earlier that day and was playing against us in the evening. Twas a pure joke and there was no need for him to be played. No wonder burnout is a problem like.

premierstone

.skid wrote: »

Really I think it comes down to clubs demanding too much from young players. I'm lucky my club knows what there at but I played a challenge a few months back against a team that had a county minor who had played for the county earlier that day and was playing against us in the evening. Twas a pure joke and there was no need for him to be played. No wonder burnout is a problem like.

Agree completely I had a bit of a 'run in' with a selctor in my own club recently over a county minor dual player we have who still has another year minor and recently he played 9 matches in 13 days and this selector called to his house and gave him a bollocking because he missed an u21 training!