Eamonn Fitzmaurice: 'I'd be very excited in general'

By Cian O’Connell

FRC member Eamonn Fitzmaurice is excited about the new Gaelic Football rules that will be implemented next year.

Fitzmaurice, who won All-Irelands as a player and manager with Kerry, was speaking following GAA Special Congress at Croke Park.

All 49 motions were passed and Fitzmaurice is looking forward to the upcoming campaign. “There still were good games, but there was a lot of the same game,” Fitzmaurice reflected about recent campaigns.

“I'd be very excited in general, both for club and county next year. We're going to have a new game, it's going to be faster, it's going to be more direct, it, it's going to allow our players, who've never been as skilful or as well conditioned to express themselves in a manner that's going to be entertaining for the crowds that are going to be there."

Fitzmaurice also anticipates that the enjoyment factor will increase for footballers at every level. “I think that will transfer down to club level as well,” Fitzmaurice added.

“Possibly as a player, talking to some of the lads, some of the enjoyment of just playing had gone out of it. I think where the enjoyment was, was in the competing, the trying to win.

“But the actual joy of just playing football, which certainly all of us would have had a lot of, I think that was gone and I think that will be back. I think that players are just going to enjoy the act of playing again, as well as competing on top of it.

“I'd be very excited, for Kerry and club football in Kerry, but also nationally. I can't wait for the games to start, I can't wait for the bright coaches and managers to get stuck into it and to bring their own nuances and to see the best version of all of our players now, rather than maybe the way that a lot of their talents have been limited over the last couple of years.”