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Michael Murphy is back to shoot the lights out. Morgan Treacy/INPHO

As Gaelic football enters a new world, what does 2024 championship tell us?

Kerry would have beaten Armagh and Donegal would have taken care of Galway in last year’s games with a two-point mark.

FROM TALKING TO some Gaelic footballers as they concluded their pre-season games, three elements have stood out from the suite of new rule changes in this first week of the Gaelic football national league.

The responses are a mixed bag. Already, Donegal manager Jim McGuinness has said to a gathering of local media in that county that the game will not be allowed to settle.

For a coach that done more than anyone else to slow the game up, this will prove a challenge and a shift in his coaching of a game that he likens will be, “A version of hurling,” in the future.

Though McGuinness will also appreciate another change, that of the two-pointer from a shot landed outside the new 40-metre arc.

Some players have confided that they felt their team had scored a couple of those in challenge games this winter, only to be missed by the referee.

The referees we talk of were among among the very elite. The players concerned, reasoned that it must be difficult to spot the lines when you are at pitch level.

The final rule change that will provoke a huge culture change is the polite handing of the ball to an opponent when a free has been conceded. No longer will teams be allowed to buy themselves some vital seconds to funnel back into defence as a wrestle for the ball occurs.

A prediction here though; the two-point rule will have the greatest effect.

We say this after a 42.ie in-house investigation where we watched back this year’s two All-Ireland semi-finals and final.

Now, hands up.

There was no 40-metre arc drawn on the pitches. Our findings are based on efforts that went over from areas we are guesstimating were outside that distance.

And naturally the teams would have approached the games differently if they were playing with a two-point arc.

You know this. I know this.

Don’t fill the comments section underneath this with diagrams and video stills with all sorts of lines and squiggles. We won’t respond. Take it to the DRA if you want or better still, GAL. 

First up, Armagh’s win over Kerry in the semi-final.

Under the new rules, Kerry won the game in normal time, 1-21 to 1-18.

In the first half alone, Kerry had their long-range shooting boots on. Paudie Clifford, Tony Brosnan, Dara Moynihan, Seanie O’Shea, David Clifford from a free and Diarmuid O’Connor all landed shots from outside the 40.

Armagh only got their first in the 45th minute through Aidan Forker. Rian O’Neill, Stefan Campbell and then Rian O’Neill from around 50 metres rounded off their improved shooting in the second half with Paudie Clifford as Kerry’s only successful distance shot in the second half.

There was only one example in extra-time, Armagh’s Jarly Óg Burns’ effort on 73 minutes.

Under the new rules, the game would have finished a draw after extra-time (I get it, Kerry would have won in normal time, but bear with us), 1-23 each.

So, onto the All-Ireland final for Jack O’Connor and Kerry!

And, they would have been joined there by Donegal in a repeat of the 2014 decider after they beat Galway in our simulated game.

At half time, the score under old rules was Donegal 0-10 Galway 1-7. Under the new rules, it would have been Donegal 0-15 Galway 1-10.

Galway won the game 1-14 to 0-15, but under 2025 rules, Donegal would have prevailed 0-24 to 1-19.

oisin-gallen Specialist: Oisin Gallen. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Donegal had a hat-trick of long-range efforts each from Oisín Gallen, Paddy McBrearty, and Michael Langan.

Galway’s two-pointers arrived from two Shane Walsh frees, a Rob Finnerty free and one each from play from Paul Conroy and Liam Silke.

Towards the end of the game, McGuinness took off his captain McBrearty, who appeared to mutter something and didn’t look too happy about being substituted. It would seem unlikely he would be taken off again when his shooting was so hot.

So, onto the All-Ireland final!

In the last couple of minutes, Galway were gamely coming back and trimming Armagh’s margin as the clock ticked into red.

Just as the digits read 70.30, with six minutes of time added on announced, Shane Walsh let fly with a free kick. On the left side of the pitch, it suited his right foot.

At the time, Galway were a point down; 1-11 to 0-13. Walsh’s shot dropped shot. Jarly Óg Burns caught the ball on the line and Armagh got it away.

Round about this time, the stadium was ‘on wheels.’ Spectators were on their feet and a thrilling, exhilarating finish was playing itself out.

But hang on.

If the new rules were in situ for that game, then Armagh would have had 1-17 to Galway’s 0-17 on the scoreboard at that stage.

The fascination in the end would have been to see if Galway could have fashioned a goal against a side that had conceded just one in their previous six games.

As it happens, 1-11 to 0-13 was how the score finished to Armagh.

Under 2025 rules, as mentioned above; Armagh 1-17 Galway 0-17.

Armagh’s two-pointers came from Oisín Conaty, Aidan Forker, Ben Crealey, Rian O’Neill, Niall Grimley and Oisín O’Neill. Galway’s came courtesy of three from Paul Conroy, and one from Céin D’Arcy.  

This study is not exhaustive and the sample size isn’t huge.

But in the three games we looked at, the team that shot the most two-pointers, would have won the game. It literally is a game-changer of a rule.

Over the last number of weeks, teams have been in heavy experimentation mode. Like Pink Floyd in the studio with endless patience from their label. There’s no way they would have given away anything that they could use at a later date.

But from this weekend, you will see teams defend from out around the scoring arc. That means fewer bodies around the goalmouth to gum up that area.

With two successful shots from range now yielding more than a goal, there will be less urgency on teams blessed with shooters to try to rattle the net.

Instead, there will be a lot of incursions into the heart of a defence to attract defenders deeper, before the ball is recycled outside the shooting arc for an attempt. In that respect, the game will resemble basketball more in the way that the Golden State Warriors frequently look to locate Steph Curry to drain a three-point shot.

Towards the end of the All-Ireland final, the future Football Review Committee member, Eamonn Fitzmaurice said on co-commentary as Galway were probing for a clean shot at the Armagh goals; “Both teams in different ways absolutely committed to their systems, trusting their systems in the last couple of minutes of an All-Ireland final.

“Training they would have done all the way during the year, it’s come down to this.”

Our hope for the 2025 is a lot less reliance on systems, and more development of the long-range shooter. With the improvement in general skills level, we’re going to be wildly optimistic and agree that Gaelic football can once again be one of the most thrilling field sports.

The best teams will be the teams with the best shooters. In that regard the teams may not change but we’re looking forward to seeing what the teams with the biggest boots; Armagh, Galway, Donegal and Kerry, will produce.

Can’t wait.

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