Donegal legend Adrian Sweeney says League finals cull would be wrong

Adrian Sweeney doesn’t believe wiping the league finals from the GAA calendar is any kind of solution to making some space in the intercounty season. 

Jim McGuinness admits that a hectic, almost back-to-back league campaign, has taken its toll on his squad with some big hitters currently on the treatment table. 

Patrick McBrearty and, potentially, Ryan McHugh are the latest additions to a list that already contains the likes of Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Jason McGee and Brendan McCole - players that have picked up knocks in the middle of this campaign. 

They are inherited issues, but Coalan Ward and Conor O’Donnell have yet to play under McGuinness this year while Caolan McColgan and Niall O’Donnell have just returned in the last fortnight. 

So McGuinness and Donegal are feeling the heat ahead of their huge Ulster championship opener away to Derry on April 20.  

Sweeney acknowledges that something has to give, moving forward, in relation to what he says is an unsustainable intercounty schedule. 

“The league calendar right now is fairly congested and maybe a quick solution for some is to scrap league finals,” he said. “But that would be a knee-jerk reaction. There is no doubt that there is a serious workload being placed on players. 

“And regardless of your depth or whatnot, there are inevitably going to be lads picking up injuries. And Donegal, even with promotion and going through the league undefeated, have found that out. 

“The likes of Dublin and Kerry can absorb that same workload at this time of year as they know they can move back down through the gears for Leinster and Munster. The likes of Donegal don’t have that luxury in Ulster. 

“We are where we are this term but that doesn’t mean we can’t go back to the drawing board at the end of the season. We have to value our club players so we can’t look for wriggle room there. 

“Maybe it’s time to evaluate the pre-season competitions. You see the likes of Armagh fielding an U-20 side in Ballybofey in the McKenna Cup. 

“That might free up some weeks. And that’s probably all we’re really talking about. You’re looking for an extended period between the league finals and the start of championship.

“And I think that was the point Jim was making. We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. 

“We should be looking forward to two cracking finals on Sunday where there isn’t any thought or influence in relation to championship”. 

It says much about Sweeney that during one of Donegal’s most baron spells at senior level, he was still deemed good enough to pick up an All-Star award in 2003. 

The one significant medal he managed to pick up in that time was from 2007 when Brian McIver led Donegal to a Division 1 league final win over Mayo at Croke Park. 

Sweeney says that medal, but also the occasion of a day out at Croke Park, is something he still cherishes. Brian Roper and Barry Monaghan are two other legendary stalwarts from that day who would no doubt agree with those same sentiments. 

“It was a difficult time for Donegal back then, we just couldn’t get over the line in Ulster with Tyrone and Armagh so strong. 

“But that day, it’s a standout memory. It’s Division 2 at the weekend but there are young lads in that side that should be looking forward to Sunday and Croke Park without this kind of commentary on the relevance or significance of the occasion. 

“There have been some cracking league games this season and there is great interest in sitting down at the weekend and watching them. So why would you want to take away the finals from that? 

“Getting to Croke Park is still a massive occasion. Donegal might have got a little too used to it for a while during Jim’s first run. But it wasn’t always like that and it hasn’t always been like that since either. 

“I can bet you players wouldn’t want to see the finals fall by the wayside. There aren’t many genuine opportunities left out there, on big days, to get the chance to lift a trophy on that stage. 

“Besides Sam Maguire and the provincials which, being brutally honest, are closed shops for most, there aren’t any more chances out there to experience that ‘big day out’ type of occasion.   

“We do need solutions, yes. But cutting those games shouldn’t be one of the options”.