What was required

squads and they have tradition.

They are not getting to the latter stages of the championship every year by fluke. The GAA or the GPA can set it up anyway they want, the cream will always rise to the top.

I for one am really excited about the new changes and can’t wait until the summer of next year. Let’s whet our appetite why don’t we?

If this had been introduced last year Kerry would have been in Group 1 along with Galway, Donegal and Mayo.

Depending on the draw they could have played Galway at home, Donegal away and Mayo in Croke Park. There are three quality games against the best in the country which will test you.

From a players’ and management perspective these are the match ups you want and if you come first or second in your group you certainly deserve your semi-final berth. How can this not be good for the game as a whole and the supporters?

Does this all lead down the road to a tier system developing in the All Ireland series? Possibly and again I think this is an option that should be explored along with the complete abolishing of the provincial championships which I feel have also run their course.

That is for another day and for another congress though. Another decision that was given the green light was moving the All Ireland final itself to one of the last two Sundays in August.

Combine this with the introduction of extra time being played in the event of a draw and it all makes sense in terms of shortening the inter county season and switching the focus back on the club calendar.

Before you think I am giving all the GAA top brass slaps on the back here I want to address the Under 17 motion which was defeated. I think this was a big mistake.

I come from a rural area and back in Cromane, like so many other clubs not only in Kerry but around the land, we are struggling to field senior teams on occasion.

When we do it may be the bare 15 with nobody to bring off the bench if there is an injury or a black card. Allowing Under 17 players to play senior football would alleviate a lot of those issues for us and I was disappointed in our association when that motion was shot down. With one hand they give with another they take away I suppose.

To matters on the field and after a good opening win up in Donegal in early February, Kerry have now lost back to back games at home and their chances of winning the league have taken a serious hit.

On a day when it was difficult to play quick open football due to the conditions it was Monaghan who seemed that bit more tuned in and focused and deserved their one point win in the end.

Yet again Kerry will look to chances missed especially in the first half when they racked up seven wide’s playing with the aid of a strong breeze.

David Moran did manage to hit the net, but they lived to regret an excellent opening for Paul Geaney who usually finishes those types of chances for fun. Paul Murphy was unlucky to rattle the Monaghan post, but one statistic that sticks out is the fact that we didn’t score from play in the entire second half and only got two from play in the whole game.

You can put this down to some excellent pressure and defending from the Monaghan rear-guard but it’s not something we have come to expect from this Kerry side.

They have plenty to work on as they head to Roscommon next weekend in what is now a must win game if they are to continue their interest in the race for a final spot.