GAA: The GPA backs a motion to radically overhaul current county competition structure

All-Ireland winner Niall Morgan has spoken in favour of the motion on behalf of the GPA

The Gaelic Players Association has said it supports a motion that would radically overhaul the existing competition structure within inter-county football.

Proposal B would see the league and championship seasons merge, and mean that the provincial series would no longer be tied into the All-Ireland.

The motion will go before a special GAA congress in Dublin on 23 October.

Ulster GAA Secretary Brian McAvoy has said he is strongly against it.

GPA chief executive Tom Parsons and Tyrone All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Niall Morgan, a member of the GPA national executive, both spoke on Thursday to outline the organisation's support for the motion.

While the support from the GPA for the motion is strong, the body will only have one vote on the issue at the Croke Park summit later this month, and the motion will require 60% of the total vote to be carried.

In essence, the proposal would allow for the provincial championship series to be played off before the proposed Sam Maguire round-robin across the National League's four divisions.

Instead of the provincial series being linked to the All-Ireland, the round-robin league/championship would see the top five teams from Division One, the top three from Division Two and the winners of Divisions Three and Four play in a 10-team All-Ireland play-off.

The five Division One teams and winners of Division Two would automatically qualify for the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

The GPA was formed in 1999 to represent men's inter-county players

Joining these six would be the winners of a match between the Division Four winners against second in Division Two, and winners of a match between the team top in Division Three and the team third in Division Two. The last eight would then be a straight knock-out.

"The status quo isn't working, it is systematically broken and there needs to be change," said Morgan, who last month helped the Red Hands win the All-Ireland title.

"The GAA has put forward two proposals for change and we as a GPA are going with the majority of our players and backing Proposal B.

"This is about trying something new. People are crying out for change. Some people are against change but I always use the analogy that when you build your house you don't keep it the exact same as it was on day one.

"We have already had change with the introduction of the back door and the Super Eights. This is just a further change and there is plenty to gain from trying it.

"This is not a GPA proposal, it is one from the GAA working taskforce that we are backing. This is not about getting rid of the provincial championships, they are still there and it will still mean just as much to me winning an Anglo-Celt next year as it has before."