GAA: Derry skipper Chrissy McKaigue calls for overhaul of inter-county championship structures
- Published
McKaigue captained Slaughtneil to a seventh consecutive Derry hurling title in 2019
Derry captain Chrissy McKaigue has called for a structural change of the inter-county Championships, and described football's new playing rules as a "disaster".
In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport NI, the Slaughtneil dual-code star said he believed the decision by some counties to condense club championships to free-up time for inter-county preparations was "wrong".
"I would be all for changing the structures, irrespective of this pandemic," said the Derry captain.
"I think it's time for a fresh approach. Our National Leagues are our best competitions, they're the most exciting and the most competitive. There's something on the line."
"I think we should keep the National Leagues, eliminate the pre-season competitions and create a Champions League format where you could use the National League to seed groups.
"It would be refreshing, create novel pairings in the Championship. I would not be in favour of going down the route of tiered championships.
"In some way tradition is great, but some traditions in the GAA are holding us back."
Club and county divide 'big enough'
McKaigue will captain Derry against Armagh this autumn in the rescheduled Ulster Championship
"I still think there could be something better, a clearer template," he said.
"Is there a way to keep the provincials among that? Perhaps there is.
"Down manager Paddy Tally has been talking about a condensed season, I agree with that."
"It's easy to have a go at those making the decisions, it's not an easy job.
"I speak about it only because I'm passionate about the GAA and we want the best for our games."
McKaigue is in favour of a condensed inter-county season
The Armagh club final will take place on 11 September, with the Derry showpiece on 11 October.
That means Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney will have a full month more than his opposite number Rory Gallagher to prepare his team, without the disruption of club championships.
Some counties have already taken steps towards condensing their club championships in order to devote more time to inter-county competition.
"I don't think that would be accepted in Derry and rightly so, I would say that it's wrong," said McKaigue.
"I just don't know how any county player, who's a club player also, would be happy with that.
"For me, we're constantly glowing about how important club is to the Association, but then there's certain parties in the GAA that totally contradict that message"
"I'd be a bit concerned. The divide between club and county is big enough without creating a bigger divide.
"Our Association is about the club game. Our county is a representative team and sometimes in some stretches of the GAA that goes amiss."
Enforced break 'certainly needed'
McKaigue is arguably the most high-profile dual player in Ireland.
He played for Sydney Swans in the AFL, but Derry GAA and Slaughtneil was always rooted in his mind.
County season runs into club season for both football and hurling so while the break brought about by Covid-19 was accidental, it was one which, for McKaigue, was very much needed.
"Physically my body was beaten up and maybe (I was) mentally struggling too," he said.
A key player in football and hurling for club and county, McKaigue's seasons are relentless
"The successes are great, but the defeats are hard. I certainly needed a break from the game."
"To me, Gaelic games first and foremost is a community organisation, and that's every single club.
"We've seen that in Derry, we see it at my own club Slaughtneil.
"Food parcels, charity fundraising different ways of supporting local people and that's what the GAA is all about, it's refreshing to see.
"That's why we're the best community organisation in the world."
'Better to have never introduced the new rules at all'
The GAA has stated it will keep the controversial new playing rules for the 2020 championship.
"What would be best is to have never brought them in," said McKaigue.
"Logically it would have made sense to maybe provide some grace, the county guys have played three or four league games and McKenna Cup.
"I found them to be a disaster.
"I thought they totally distort what Gaelic football is all about. To me, Gaelic football wasn't designed for that.
"Soccer is the most watched sport in the world, and how many times have we seen 0-0 draws? To me, we'd have been better giving teams and managers more time to work on the rules."