Isn't there an obvious alternative to league finals?

The arrival of Easter brings with it a new dawn in the GAA season. With the conclusion of the Allianz Football League with next weekend’s finals in Croke Park, the following weekend we’re straight into championship football.

It’s still hard to get your head around the congested nature of the calendar since the changes of recent years came into effect and the relentless nature of the schedule certainly has its benefits, as well as its drawbacks.

Above all, I think the split season model has worked reasonably well. When it comes to considering the merits of the schedule that is there at present, the most important consideration, to my mind, is that of the players and managers involved. By and large, the response has been positive.

Players want to play games and across the board there seemed to be a broad agreement that the ratio between training and games needed to be better. Eliminating large gaps in the calendar between matches helped address that imbalance.

What the league campaigns of recent seasons have shown us, however, is that the system does need to be tweaked. A week here or there can really help generate some breathing space for players and supporters alike.

The main issue with the hurling league in recent years has been a lack of any significant edge because it was so unlikely any of the so-called stronger counties would be relegated due to the format of having the top teams spread across Divisions 1A and 1B. Now, however, with a system of having the top teams in one division after this year, we have a situation where the likes of Waterford and Dublin find themselves in the second tier. Division 1A next year will be highly competitive – and should help the competition rediscover some of its mojo.

On the football side of things, Division 1 has become a curious space. Somehow, we now find ourselves in a situation where, if you asked most counties where they’d like to finish, many would say third as opposed to first. This is primarily down to the fact that managers are of the opinion that a league final can be more of a help than a hindrance, depending on their calendar for the championship.

For example, one report on Kerry's win over Galway last Sunday led with this: “Kerry finished their campaign with a win in Killarney and will head on their warm-weather training camp on Easter Monday without the hassle of a league final the day before.” Mayo also provide some evidence in this regard. In reaching the last two league finals, they have had contrasting experiences – a hammering at the hands of Kerry in 2022 and a win over Galway in last year’s decider.

Last year’s tight turnaround to a meeting with Roscommon a week later provided the perfect situation for the Rossies to raid Castlebar and leave Mayo’s Nestor Cup ambitions in tatters. The defeat to Kerry hardly helped Mayo the year previously in terms of morale, though they did have a three week break to a joust with Galway which they ultimately lost by a single point.

Even this year, many managers have been speaking not about reaching a league final but more about getting to six or seven points in the table, which generally means you’re safe for another year. Avoiding relegation, as opposed to winning the thing, is the primary objective, even for the likes of Dublin and Kerry.

The situation is different in the lower tiers where league final appearances, dates in Croke Park and silverware at this time of year matters a whole lot more. For many counties, it’s their only realistic chance of making that impact at a national level. But again, avoiding relegation or achieving promotion is the main aim.

The question that has been asked is can we do without league finals?

Of course the occasions in Croke Park are important and provide a festival of football over a weekend with four deciders across Saturday and Sunday. Of the last five national league final double-headers held in Croke Park (excluding the Covid campaigns of 2020 and 2021) the average attendance at the Division 1 final is 42,000, which isn’t a bad return, though the GAA has been fortunate to have had Mayo or Dublin contesting the final in each of those years (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023). It still represents a decent day of income for the association.

In an era of change, of course everyone wants to try and keep everything on the table. League finals, even if they are easily forgotten, do provide memorable moments for counties and the league is a proud competition within the GAA’s structure. Would removing finals altogether and letting whichever team finishes top be declared the winner add something to the competition?

Consider this.

A final day shootout. In Castlebar, Mayo face Dublin with a win for the home side set to give them the title. But, should they slip up, Kerry can take home the bacon, but only if they get the better of Tyrone at Healy Park, with the hosts needing a result to stave off relegation. Similar scenarios are likely to occur in other divisions too.

All four Division 1 games throw-in at the same time – 4pm on the Sunday, two hours after Division Two matches got underway. The day previously, the same thing could happen with Divisions Three and Four. Every tier would have its time in the spotlight.

Instead of a weekend of drab finals, you could have a weekend of intense drama. Scores flying in from different grounds, the picture changing in an instant when a certain team scores or concedes. TG4 and RTÉ can help cover the situation; social media also helps out.

As well as the benefits of having such a dramatic weekend of football, you can also free up an extra weekend to remove the need for certain counties to have only a few days preparation before making their championship entrance. That is something virtually all counties would agree to. With the extra preparation time, teams may be more likely to have a cut at the last round of league fixtures.

Of course, there is also the danger that, like last weekend, virtually all of the potential outcomes have been decided before the final day arrives. There are also sponsorship and broadcast requirements to be considered when it comes to league finals and existing commitments on both of those fronts.

Change means challenges, and the league finals have been a key part of the GAA’s calendar for some time. But, in 2021 when they were removed and league titles were shared in some instances, no one really batted an eyelid. Would we really miss them if they were gone?