As Gaelic football enters a new era with new rules that will make the game unrecognisable in some quarters, it may surprise some to learn that one of the biggest stars in the sport hasn’t even had a chance to try them out.
Derry defender Gareth McKinless can’t think about new enhancements because he is still playing the old game with his club Ballinderry as they prepare to face Mayo’s Crossmolina in a rearranged Intermediate All-Ireland Final on Sunday.
So, while his Oak Leaf team-mates were learning the ins and outs of 40m arcs, and doing the new ‘solo and go’ where you can play on instead of stopping to take a free kick, the Shamrocks star didn’t want to risk mixing and matching.
“No, I have had no experience of the new rules at all yet,” admits McKinless.
“I just said that I would leave it until the club is finished, I didn’t want to start doing a ‘tap and go’ in the middle of a different sport.
“It is going to be a big change, and the boys will obviously have a head start, but hopefully we can get to where we want to get to as a whole in the sport.
“I understand the reason for change, but did it need 18 or 19 changes in the one year? It’s objective of course, and I think the National League will be a great ‘trial and error’ period.
“People might not see it that way when two teams are relegated, but that’s the way it is.”
Although the rest of Paddy Tally’s team will have a head start, they would rather be playing club football this time of year because it means they would be competing in the club All-Ireland series.
Ballinderry have a very young team and not many thought they would have made it this far in the competition, but McKinless backs the youthful stars to guide them to glory.
“I think the average age in the squad is around the early 20s, and we probably hadn’t produced enough players for a large number of years,” explains the All-Star.
“There were years where we were getting nobody through, but thankfully over the last few seasons we have got six or seven through, and we plan to get a few more through next year too.
“It really is the younger lads who are driving the whole thing on, pushing the standards and without them we wouldn’t be where we are.
“We have had some great teams in the past, blessed with great players, but we probably did take our eye off the ball in terms of development.
“It’s just natural, there are loads of teams out there who have dominated, won loads of Championships at senior level, and then dropped off, so we have to try and find that balance.
“We have a good crop now, and hopefully we can win on Sunday.”
Ballinderry take on Crossmolina in the Intermediate All-Ireland Final on Sunday at Croke Park. The game will be aired live on TG4 with throw-in set for 1.30pm.