The CPA's Anthony Moyles joined Ger and Eoin on OTB AM earlier today to talk GAA fixture congestion, the strenuous activity on players divvying their efforts for both county and club and GAA attendance figures at Croke Park.
Moyles was saying earlier that, even if a player were to be knocked out with their county side in July it may mean that they will may play for seven to eight consecutive weeks between club and county. However, as the ex-Meath player noted, it doesn't necessarily need to be that way.
“If you were talking about here in Meath... you might get lads out in March. You might start your pre-season in March and you’d do 4-6 weeks.
"If your county team gets knocked out a bit earlier than August, say they’re gone the start of July, you could bring things forward a bit...to ensure that there’s no overlapping at all and give, obviously, say, a dual player a bit more time off.
“At the moment, even in Meath, dual players are out. Like there’s Championship matches on this Thursday, this Friday, and then the following week there’s county or club gaelic football championship matches on.
“These guys are literally playing nearly 7 / 8 weeks in a row. Now that’s fine but it doesn’t need to be that way.”
Moyles then gave his thoughts as to how, in an ideal world, he'd plan the season if there was to be a re-forming of the GAA calendar.
“I certainly think that you start in March and basically you’re finished kinda you know September / October depending on how well your club championship goes.”
The former Meath captain also had his say about the GAA and having inconsequential games set in Croke Park, stating that he'd be very surprised if attendances like last week continued with nothing at stake for the sides.
“The GAA I’d say are fairly worried about the attendances and they may see that the final, be it the All-Ireland Hurling final or the All-Ireland Football final especially, is really the only the major spectacle that could potentially be there where you get an 85-900,00 people or full capacity in Croke Park.
“I’d be amazed if they got anything like they did last week unless there’s something major on the line."
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