JACK MCCAFFREY RECKONS former Dublin colleague Ger Brennan only broke his silence about his 12-week ban because of ‘a particularly verbose member of the GAA hierarchy’.
Dublin manager Brennan will be free to resume sideline duties at Kingspan Breffni on Sunday when the 2023 All-Ireland winners take on Cavan in a make or break Round 2B fixture.
Brennan issued a statement through his solicitor last week responding to various remarks made by GAA President Jarlath Burns in media interviews on Tuesday.
Brennan complained about ‘insulting’ comments made by Burns around the disciplinary process and said the entire episode had left him feeling ‘disenfranchised, undervalued’ and experiencing ‘a lack of belonging to the association’.
Speaking at this afternoon’s launch of PTSB’s new sponsorship of the PTSB Dublin club leagues and championships, ex-Footballer of the Year McCaffrey said he felt that Brennan behaved ‘really admirably’ despite the ‘overly harsh’ ban and kept quiet until feeling compelled to speak out.
“I think Ger has acknowledged and apologised and held his hands up early doors,” said McCaffrey.
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“And probably felt that his punishment was overly harsh and pursued his appeals, as far as I could see, quietly. And was unsuccessful in them. And then didn’t say a peep really – until he did. Which I think was prompted by a particularly verbose member of the GAA hierarchy talking about it.
McCaffrey pictured with Brennan in 2013. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“And I think Ger has every right (to feel aggrieved). He was punished, he accepted his punishment. Why do people still need to keep having a pop off him in the media over it? Sorry, that might be a mischaracterisation of what happened but I do have a huge amount of sympathy for Ger in feeling that he was overly, harshly punished.”
McCaffrey said he didn’t feel that the heavy treatment meted out to Brennan, compared to the lack of action taken against Donegal manager Jim McGuinness for a relatively similar incident in the Kerry game, amounted to ‘an anti-Dublin thing’.
“I don’t think it means that everybody should get a 12-week ban, two wrongs don’t make a right in that instance,” said McCaffrey, who referenced the 12-week suspension dished out to former Dublin colleague Diarmuid Connolly following an altercation with a linesman in 2017.
“I am reminded of an episode when I was playing, when one of our teammates got a 12-week suspension for touching an official, and it just became clear that a lot of people touch officials over the course of a season, from watching games, and yet don’t get 12-week bans.
“So I think that’s a case-by-case thing, it’s not an anti-Dublin thing at all. I’m a firm believer that anyone involved in the GAA at any level is doing it with the best intentions and doesn’t go out to treat anyone unfairly. I’d give everyone the benefit of the doubt there. But I can completely sympathise with Ger feeling very disappointed.”
Dublin are desperate to ignite their Championship campaign after back-to-back defeats to Leinster opposition, Westmeath and Louth. Brennan has missed Dublin’s last four games in all, because of the ban, which arose from an incident during their National League tie with Galway on 22 March.
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“It’s just such a pity really,” said medical doctor McCaffrey, a six-time All-Ireland winner. “And I think Ger has behaved really admirably around the whole thing, in terms of just keeping the head down in so far as he could. And they got on with it as a group.
“I think particularly in a first season when you’re trying to find an identity as a gang with new players and everything like that, I just felt sorry for them having to deal with that. And I think Dean (Rock) in fairness has done a remarkable job. I’m sure he didn’t see himself in that role six months ago, 12 weeks ago even.
“I think they’ll have some regrets over it because it’ll have affected the year, and they’ll just need to kind of look back on it and obviously make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Jack McCaffrey was speaking at the launch of PTSB’s new sponsorship of the PTSB Dublin Club Leagues and Championships. The new partnership between Dublin GAA and PTSB includes all four codes, from minor level upwards, with PTSB now the official Club League & Championship Sponsor of Dublin GAA, Dublin LGFA and Dublin Camogie.
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'Why do people keep having a pop off him in the media' - McCaffrey defends Brennan
JACK MCCAFFREY RECKONS former Dublin colleague Ger Brennan only broke his silence about his 12-week ban because of ‘a particularly verbose member of the GAA hierarchy’.
Dublin manager Brennan will be free to resume sideline duties at Kingspan Breffni on Sunday when the 2023 All-Ireland winners take on Cavan in a make or break Round 2B fixture.
Brennan issued a statement through his solicitor last week responding to various remarks made by GAA President Jarlath Burns in media interviews on Tuesday.
Brennan complained about ‘insulting’ comments made by Burns around the disciplinary process and said the entire episode had left him feeling ‘disenfranchised, undervalued’ and experiencing ‘a lack of belonging to the association’.
Speaking at this afternoon’s launch of PTSB’s new sponsorship of the PTSB Dublin club leagues and championships, ex-Footballer of the Year McCaffrey said he felt that Brennan behaved ‘really admirably’ despite the ‘overly harsh’ ban and kept quiet until feeling compelled to speak out.
“I think Ger has acknowledged and apologised and held his hands up early doors,” said McCaffrey.
“And probably felt that his punishment was overly harsh and pursued his appeals, as far as I could see, quietly. And was unsuccessful in them. And then didn’t say a peep really – until he did. Which I think was prompted by a particularly verbose member of the GAA hierarchy talking about it.
“And I think Ger has every right (to feel aggrieved). He was punished, he accepted his punishment. Why do people still need to keep having a pop off him in the media over it? Sorry, that might be a mischaracterisation of what happened but I do have a huge amount of sympathy for Ger in feeling that he was overly, harshly punished.”
McCaffrey said he didn’t feel that the heavy treatment meted out to Brennan, compared to the lack of action taken against Donegal manager Jim McGuinness for a relatively similar incident in the Kerry game, amounted to ‘an anti-Dublin thing’.
“I don’t think it means that everybody should get a 12-week ban, two wrongs don’t make a right in that instance,” said McCaffrey, who referenced the 12-week suspension dished out to former Dublin colleague Diarmuid Connolly following an altercation with a linesman in 2017.
“I am reminded of an episode when I was playing, when one of our teammates got a 12-week suspension for touching an official, and it just became clear that a lot of people touch officials over the course of a season, from watching games, and yet don’t get 12-week bans.
“So I think that’s a case-by-case thing, it’s not an anti-Dublin thing at all. I’m a firm believer that anyone involved in the GAA at any level is doing it with the best intentions and doesn’t go out to treat anyone unfairly. I’d give everyone the benefit of the doubt there. But I can completely sympathise with Ger feeling very disappointed.”
Dublin are desperate to ignite their Championship campaign after back-to-back defeats to Leinster opposition, Westmeath and Louth. Brennan has missed Dublin’s last four games in all, because of the ban, which arose from an incident during their National League tie with Galway on 22 March.
“It’s just such a pity really,” said medical doctor McCaffrey, a six-time All-Ireland winner. “And I think Ger has behaved really admirably around the whole thing, in terms of just keeping the head down in so far as he could. And they got on with it as a group.
“I think particularly in a first season when you’re trying to find an identity as a gang with new players and everything like that, I just felt sorry for them having to deal with that. And I think Dean (Rock) in fairness has done a remarkable job. I’m sure he didn’t see himself in that role six months ago, 12 weeks ago even.
“I think they’ll have some regrets over it because it’ll have affected the year, and they’ll just need to kind of look back on it and obviously make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Jack McCaffrey was speaking at the launch of PTSB’s new sponsorship of the PTSB Dublin Club Leagues and Championships. The new partnership between Dublin GAA and PTSB includes all four codes, from minor level upwards, with PTSB now the official Club League & Championship Sponsor of Dublin GAA, Dublin LGFA and Dublin Camogie.
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Dublin GAA Gaelic Football Ger Brennan Jack McCaffrey Speaking out