Changing from the open draw would be a backward step

SINCE the suggestion of a return to the seeded draw in the Munster Football Championship was mooted in recent weeks, the idea has gained a little momentum and, sadly, it would appear that support is growing.
Following Sunday’s final, which attracted a small attendance, those who want to get rid of the open draw are making their case again.
At the end of the day, it will be down to a decision of the delegates representing the counties of the province. If Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford vote for the open draw, it should remain in place. It’s that simple. However, should one or more of these counties decide to row in with Cork and Kerry if and when a vote is taken, then it is likely to revert back to a situation where Cork and Kerry will be on opposite sides and can only meet in the final.
An official attendance of just 9,139 at Sunday’s final between Clare and Cork has sparked more calls for a return to the old ways. They point to crowds of 40,000 plus at Munster finals involving the old firm.
Cork and Kerry clashed in the provincial semi-final this year, with the attendance a little over 20,000. If they can bring double that to a final, why not at semi-final stage.
Could it be that, in the current economic climate, people just don’t have the finances? Is it not true to say that attendances are down all round? It is time for GAA authorities to face up to the real issues and come up with a price structure that is fair in the current climate. Maybe then the attendance figures will pick up again.
If attendance figures are to be used as a guideline then surely the combined attendances at Munster championship games in each of, say, the last 10 years should be examined closely. There may have been a big difference in the numbers at some of the finals but, overall, the figures for each campaign have been similar.
Reverting back to the old way won’t help improve the standard of football, which should be one of the main considerations in any proposal for change.
Meanwhile, while the result on Sunday was anticipated, it is fair to say that Clare could have been closer to their opponents at the final whistle. Clare gave Cork too much space in the opening half and allowed them through too easily for the game’s three goals, the third of which should not have been allowed.
Ahead of the game, it was generally expected Clare would play a sweeper behind their half-back line. It didn’t happen and, in hindsight, this was a costly mistake. Cork broke through from midfield too easily and the Clare half-backs struggled throughout the opening half.
Clare could, and should, have had a goal or two, while there was understandable annoyance with some of the decisions of match official Eddie Kinsella in the second half. Gary Brennan was clearly pulled down by Eoin Cadogan near the end at a time when the Cork dual player was already on a yellow card.
The Clare forwards created quite a number of scoring chances which must be encouraging. Overall, Cork were livelier and moved the ball quicker. This was also evident in the play of the boys and girls in the primary games, which took place at half-time in the senior final. Here, Cork moved the ball far quicker and were much stronger than their Clare opponents.
Coaching young players is something talked about regularly and, in the case of Clare football, the subject has been raised a lot in recent times. It is not enough for the county to appoint coaches. Clubs must also take a more detailed look at this. While some are doing great work in this area, far too many clubs are not. Coaching at juvenile and school levels must be stepped up if Clare are to match “the big boys” at adult level.
Clare will be back in action at the end of the month in a qualifier tie for a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final. In the past two years, they have been very close to beating both Offaly and Down in qualifier ties. Maybe it will be a case of third time lucky on July 28.