Derry county star and Glen club man Conor Glass has given the GAA a headscratcher.
Have you ever heard of a screamer? Most of us would describe it as a peach of a shot from far out. That's not the case down under.
The AFL is known for screamers of a different kind. Also called a specky or a hanger - it's a style of catch where a player marks the ball.
Having spent five seasons at AFL side Hawthorn - Conor Glass has brought a taste of Aussie Rules to the football fields closer to home.
That was seen over the weekend as his club Glen got the better of Monaghan side Scotstown. They advanced to the AIB Ulster Club Championship semi-finals.
Conor's Catch
The mechanism of a screamer in the AFL usually involves the ball-catcher jumping up on the back of their opposition player.
It might seem a bit drastic - but it's widely celebrated in Australia. So much so that they have an annual 'Mark of the Year' competition.
Commentators throughout AFL games will reference speckys as a contender for the award which shows how relevant it is to the game over there.
Mitch McGovern takes an absolute screamer! #AFLCrowsDogs pic.twitter.com/zz8sjbVa1U
— AFL (@AFL) July 7, 2017
When playing for his club side in Derry - Conor Glass is somewhat of a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the park and often mops up high balls.
During the Glen vs Scotstown game, however, he pulled off a screamer which looked fairly elegant but the referee gave a free the other way.
Big grey area in GAA.
The rulebook states “To charge an opponent in the back or to the front”.
IMO the action of taking a ‘specky’ is not deemed a charge. We are taught to jump with the knee up & if the opposition is standing under the ball then it is at his own risk. pic.twitter.com/gBPiTNP1y5— Conor Glass (@Conor_Glass) December 6, 2021
Conor Glass has since taken to Twitter to reference the 'grey area' of the GAA rulebook. He believes he did nothing wrong and should be allowed to do it.
"To charge an opponent in the back or to the front" is a referral of rule changes that came into effect in 2014. That falls under notable infractions.
There's no mention of infractions in the rulebook when discussing the mark system. Although it does address contact when in the air.
"In order to be awarded a 'Mark', the ball must not have been touched in flight by another player." As is the case here - the Scotstown player didn't touch the ball.
With many players coming and going between the AFL such as Conor Glass, the GAA might have to address the issue sooner rather than later.
See Also: Can You Get 10/10 In Our Quiz Of The Club GAA Weekend?
