Fennelly worries that players are close to breaking point
FORMER Kilkenny star Michael Fennelly was surprised by the revelation that the average inter-county player is spending 31 hours dedicated to his team and he wonders if the GAA are coming close to a breaking point in the commitment they ask of their players.
‘I was a little surprised by the 31 figure, I thought it would be closer to 25,’ says the former Hurler of the Year. ‘And you have to ask yourself where is it going to end in terms of what is being asked of players, what they are being asked to give. The social aspect I am most worried about, players just can’t have a social life.
‘And teams are coming back earlier and earlier. The League starts at the end of January, so a lot of teams will be back in November.
‘I would say all teams, even though the rules say differently. You can’t blame the manager, because he will be under pressure straight away if they lose one or two matches. But the players shouldn’t be forgotten in all of this.’
Former Galway defender Ollie Canning points to recent retirements in Tipperary of players still in their late 20s to show that players are deciding the commitment is too great.
‘It is becoming the game of a younger and younger man.’