Over the past number of years, GAA teams' style of play has been a topic of much debate. We've seen teams operating with blanket defences, pulling back a sweeper and slow build up play in order to carve out results at the highest level and that doesn't always impress viewers, pundits and even players.
The additions of analysts and statisticians to backroom staff all around the country, including those operating in the lower leagues of the GAA has now become a regular thing with players every move, decision and pass tracked and analysed ahead of other games.
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GAA: Quigley on the new era
One man who has been a talisman for his county for well over a decade is Fermanagh's Sean Quigley. A player who on his day would likely get into the full forward line of the majority of teams around Ireland.
Speaking on The GAA Social podcast on BBC, Quigley spoke about how much the GAA has changed and how the addition of modern technology has often hampered games and players' performances.
Sean Quigley said:
I like to play football and do things off the cuff. You make mistakes,
Games now, boys are nearly afraid of doing something they know has a chance of failing. They won't do it because they know it has a chance of showing up on the screen on Tuesday night at training.
The players have all the stats now. They might have 50 possessions, 35 hand passes and went nowhere with the ball and didn't really contribute to the outcome of the game.
The Roslea Shamrocks clubman also spoke about how he feels an "average player" could get themselves into the county team if they just "got themselves into really good shape and did what they were told to do".
County players now, it's about doing a job. The template of a county footballer now is something that I think any average player could get on a county team now if they got themselves into really good shape and did what they were told to do.
Years ago you were on a county team because you had talent, you were the best player in your club. I'm not saying county players are bad footballers but you can become a county player without having that much real talent and ability.
You can listen to Sean Quigley's full episode on The GAA Social here.
These comments from Quigley show how a player who has operated at county level for 12 years has seen a huge change in the GAA over the past decade.
The sport is bound to modify and change over time and the additions of the likes of analysts to backroom teams across Ireland will likely only help to increase the level of the game, but as Quigley mentioned, players' true performances and impacts on matches aren't always to be judged on these stats.
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