Roscommon have quietly put together a solid championship campaign thus far, and are on the verge of progressing to the next stage of the All-Ireland series.
The Rossies impressively ousted Mayo from the Connacht championship, though they were set back by a heavy defeat to Galway in the provincial final. What has been just as impressive has been their recovery to take a win and a draw from their first two All-Ireland group phase games - with that draw coming against Dublin in Croke Park.
Manager Davy Burke deserves praise for his efforts with the Roscommon team, and showed his ability to coach a possession game with an extraordinary six-minute period of uninterrupted passing by his side in that draw against Dublin, which culminated in a well-worked score.
Burke, however, has his gripes with some elements of modern football, and said this week that he wants to see major changes made to the rules surrounding marks in attacking positions.
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Roscommon: Davy Burke calls for changes to advanced mark rules
28 May 2023; Roscommon manager Davy Burke, left, and Dublin manager Dessie Farrell shake hands after the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Dublin and Roscommon at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
2023 marks the fifth season of the advanced mark being a part of the Gaelic football rulebook, after it was first introduced on a trial basis in 2019.
It has led to some clever scores, but has often frustrated fans and pundits due to the manner in which it slows down the games and provides forwards with easy scoring opportunies.
Speaking to the Independent.ie this week, Roscommon manager Davy Burke said that he believed that the advanced mark was stopping forwards from going for goal, and said that he would like to see the rule abolished immediately:
I would absolutely get rid of the attacking mark in the morning, I think it's an absolute joke of a rule.
It’s taking goal chances all over the place. Go back to Dublin v Louth - Con O’Callaghan gets the ball over the top against the Louth full-back, calls a mark. But, sure, that’s Con O’Callaghan one-on-one six yards out!
Why are we taking away the goal chances? Goal chances and excitement, that’s what we’re here to do. So I think the attacking mark has to go.
The mark at midfield is fine, but the attacking mark is killing momentum. And, like, Rory Grugan probably should have settled the Ulster final with a mark, left-footed...why are we rewarding that, when a senior inter-county footballer can kick the ball accurately 20 yards? Oh great, well done, there’s a shot to win an Ulster final!
We have to look at it. Either tweak the rule or remove the rule.
Roscommon play Kildare in Tullamore on Saturday afternoon in the last round of the All-Ireland round robin, knowing that a win will secure progression to the quarter-final playoffs, at the very least.
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