THE GAA’S ATTEMPT to remedy an apparent “obsession with possession” has been hit with some strong opposition.
On Saturday, GAA chiefs voted to introduce the ‘mark’ into gaelic football.
Playing rules chairman Jarlath Burns, whose committee proposed the motion, stressed that the spectacle of the high catch was in danger of the skill becoming obsolete – like the dropkick.
Dublin midfielder Michael Darragh Macauley is the latest high profile name to speak out against the new ruling.
Aidan O’Shea and Eamon McGee voiced their concern at the introduction of the mark without a recent trial, while plenty of others argued it will only slow down the game further.
Carlow star Brendan Murphy, who spent two years playing Australian Rules with the Sydney Swans, said teams in the AFL often utilize the ‘mark’ as a time-wasting ploy.
Dick Clerkin, the longest serving gaelic footballer in the country, took a different view.
Interestingly, former midfielders Burns and Darragh O Se were part of the five man committee that pushed the mark through.
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