GALWAY STAR FORWARD Damien Comer says the advanced mark is “unfair” and leads to “soft” scores in Gaelic football.
The attacking mark was introduced in 2020, and allows players to call for a free shot at goal if they “catch the ball cleanly on or inside the 45m line” from an in-play kickpass “that travels at least 20m and without touching the ground”.
“I personally wouldn’t be a fan of it,” Comer told reporters at the launch of the 2024 Allianz Football League.
“I think the old-school way of winning the ball and taking on your man is a better way. I think it’s too soft of a score to be able to get.
“The fact that it is there, it could probably be utilised a bit better, even ourselves. There’s easier ways to free up the ball. But overall I don’t think it’s a great strategy to have, I don’t think it should be still in the game, but that’s for others to decide.”
Asked whether he would prefer to turn and take defenders on when the ball is won, he added:
“The art of defending and the art of taking on a man one-on-one are obviously key skills of the game so I think by just getting a little punt pass to your chest where you’re winning it two or three yards in front of your man, and putting your hand up for a free shot at goal, I think it’s a bit unfair.
“Fair enough if you kick it in around the penalty box and go up and catch it above your head, I wouldn’t be completely against that. There’s an argument for that if you’re outfielding someone, but when it’s just a 20-yard punt pass, I think it nullifies the whole objective of it.
“I don’t think it’s needed at all, although [changing it from inside the 45m to 21m line] is an alteration I would probably make to it. But again I don’t think there’s any need for it at all.”
2023 was “very frustrating,” Comer says, both individually and collectively.
The Annaghdown man suffered a knee injury during the league and had to contend with hamstring niggles thereafter. He’s fit and firing now with a full pre-season under his belt and a balance to be struck going forward.
The Tribe’s Division 1 campaign opens with a showdown against Mayo at Pearse Stadium this weekend. Their Connacht rivals beat them in the league final and ended their championship run last time out.
“It was very disappointing,” Comer, who is back teaching in Claregalway College after a career break, said of last season.
“When you come off the back of an All-Ireland final appearance the year before and then only make it to the prelim [quarter-final] the following year, our expectations and our goals would have been higher. But every year you start at the bottom and you have to earn the right to get to the top.
“The Armagh game was the big one, it just cost us. It was our own fault, we had plenty of chances to put the game away but we didn’t. It was a bit raw for a while alright, but everyone had to get over it.
“Probably not enough of us stepped up when we needed to. I think the belief was there, just the performances didn’t back it up. If we can marry the two going forward, it will be a big thing for this group of players.”
Comer also spoke about signing an open letter alongside other Irish athletes declaring their solidarity with the Palestinian people and calling for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza”.
“I’m not really sure as to what impact it’s going to have, to a certain level. It’s to contribute and not throw a blind eye to it.
“You see it on social media and on the news outlets every single day. It’s a hard watch, to be honest. There’s times when you want to try and not see what you’ve just seen. But what good is that doing? If it’s happening in the world, you may as well open your eyes to it and see it.
“Coming from a teaching background, you see how vulnerable kids can be. To see what’s going on in Gaza is cruel, the constant bombardment of schools, hospitals, buildings.
“Anything that’s going to help bring a ceasefire over there is something I’d gladly support.”
Galway’s Damien Comer was speaking at the launch of the 2024 Allianz Football League.
