The GAA is defined by tradition. Whenever a plan to revamp either championship is unveiled, the prospect of abolishing the provincial championships is treated as almost a desecration of the values that the association was built on.
The Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht championships have always been there and a whole lot of people are comforted by that tradition. The provincial championships aren't the only area where tradition rules though.
Try wearing 'flashy' boots (anything other than black) without being ridiculed by fans after one bad performance. Hairstyles are usually fairly standard too. Nothing too long, a bit of gel here and there.
Of course, there are a few trailblazers that don't walk with the crowd. The men who expressed themselves on field eloquently and did so with an unconventional, dare I say racy, hairstyle.
These guys are mavericks. Renegades. Trendsetters. Outsiders. Non-Conformists.
But above all else, they had spectacular hair.
Let's pay tribute to some of the best ever GAA barnets.
Ciaran McDonald
These rows of corn perfectly encapsulated McDonald's bohemian tendencies on the pitch. The Mayo drifted around the field picking off passes and slicing balls over the bar with the outside of his boot. He was a special talent that never seemed to fit the archetype of a GAA star. You need to be very secure in yourself to stroll out onto the pitch at Croke Park with THAT on your head.
Jim McGuinness
Given how dictatorial McGuinness was during his time in charge of Donegal, it is surprising that he sported such free-flowing locks. Usually coaches are either bald or ask their barber for the most conservative haircut possible. Looking like that, it is no surprise that Donegal fans likened McGuinness to the Messiah after he led the county to All-Ireland glory back in 2012.
Mark Vaughan
As a redhead, I find Mark Vaughan's decision to mask his ginger roots with an unconscionable amount of hair dye to be personally insulting to me and Henry Shefflin. You wouldn't even use that much bleach to clean up after a murder.
Conor Mortimer
Two words: frosted locks.
Brian Corcoran
Does bald count as a hairstyle? It does when you rock a chrome dome with such rugged masculine gusto. It takes a special player to overcome the loss of your hair follicles and thrive in inter-county hurling. Brian Corcoran was that player.
Jason Sherlock
Boom boom boom, let me hear you say short back and sides.
Tom Parsons
Is this an afro? A perm? Simply a curly mop? Nobody knows but it's provocative.
Anthony Finnerty
Is this a full blown mullet? Hard to say, but it is certainly mullety.
Gerry McInerney
*Clears throat* That's not a mullet. THIS is a mullet. *To be said in a Crocodile Dundee voice.
