Neil Ewing: Traditional positions are little more than a myth in modern Gaelic football

Alumni of St. Pat’s, Drumcondra have been and continue to be some of the greatest ambassadors of our games. A swarm spreads across the country from Dublin 9 every year to dust our primary schools with a love of football and hurling.

Mr McTighe is a Galway man. Sent to Drumcliffe to enlighten the sporting Philistines of Sligo. As a teacher and principal from 1969 to 2005, he inspired a love of play in our area that has brought great joy to many generations.

One of Mr. McTighe’s greatest challenges was distributing swarms of U-10s to 15 different positions for their first forays onto the soccer fields. The approach was rudimentary. Excellent rudimentary.

The herd was gathered on the dressing room benches. As the team was named, each player was politely pushed to a seat on the dressing room floor. This location would correspond relatively to where they should line up once released onto the field. Movement outside of this general geography on the pitch was not initially encouraged.

The simplicity was beautiful. Within a few games (a few years!) most basically got the 3-3-2-3-3 GAA formation. Goalkeeper, two corner backs, wing back, wing back, center back, midfielder, winger, center forward, corner forward, winger. Ten different (and often cliche) roles.

One hundred and thirty-eight years after Cusack founded the GAA, it’s remarkable how many hold onto these positions as the standard and expected formation for all teams to adopt. Our match programs only reinforce the mundane attachment to this misnomer.

The game has evolved. Naturally. As it should be and should continue to do.

As the best football weekend of 2022 approaches, it’s a good time to look at the reality of the roles or positions currently being played in our game.

For me there are five, goalie, marker, transition, fielder & scorer.

Let’s look at some of the responsibilities that come with these roles.

GOALKEEPER

Requirements used to be as basic as being able to kick the ball as far as possible, being “strong” under a high ball, and making the odd save in rare one-on-one situations.

The modern goalie is a prime example of forward thinking. How the role is currently being played by some may turn out to be less than optimal in retrospect. However, it is fascinating to see how willing to experiment the innovation coaches are.

From laser-guided kickouts (short and long) that initiate scores, to sharp bursts in high field and kick scores, the evolution here is evident. A stark example of this development is the sight of Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty stepping through the Galway defense towards the end of the most recent quarter-final. Raymond Galligan was previously worthy of his spot on Cavan’s forward line, with Kerry’s Shane Ryan a key outfield player for Rathmore.

MARKER

Each team has one or two markers. These are the right men to eliminate key opposition players. Guys willing to sacrifice their own game for the good of the team.

Markers have different approaches to positioning and contact levels. They will have spent all hours analyzing clips of their future opponents in preparation for every run, dummy and shot they might encounter over the weekend. Kevin Maguire, Pádraig Faulkner, Chrissy McKaigue, Mick Fitzsimons, Jason Foley and Jack Glynn will all be focused on leaving Croke Park this weekend after severely curtailing a key opposing player’s creativity or scoring.

RECONCILIATION

Each team has eight/nine of these players on the pitch. They have replaced full-backs, centre-backs, midfielders and wingers.

Players in this role are comfortable on offense and defense. Your responsibilities are dictated by ownership.

In possession they create or assist play, attempting to get ahead of the ball to extend defense and open up spaces while also sometimes aiming to arrive on late assist runs to score points.

Outside of possession, their duties may vary depending on team tactics or game scenarios. They’re either pushing aggressively to get the ball back instantly, or running towards their own half to protect the firing zone.

These transition players have a brilliant combination of many skills and an engine to match.

Due to the workload, they are often the first to be replaced by strategic substitutions early in the second half.

Which some sweepers take on in this role. This particular sub-variation of the role is often played by one of the transition players, depending on where they are as the game progresses in either direction.

The effectiveness of Conor Meyler, Kieran McGeary and Peter Harte in those roles earned Tyrone an All-Ireland last year. Watch for the influence of Sam McCartan, Martin Reilly, Gareth McKinless, Ciarán Kilkenny, Gavin White and Cillian McDaid both ways this weekend.

SCORER

In a GAA transfer market, these would be the big-money signings any county would crave.

Goalscorers rarely leave an arc within 35 yards of the goal. They often get a pass on certain defensive tasks that would put them too far from the opponent’s goal.

When the ball is in their hands, they only focus on the question: “How can I score a goal or a point?”. They know it, the opposition knows it and the crowd knows it.

A unique skill yes, but for me it’s a unique mindset. I can only compare it to a striker in football. The traditional goal-hanging variation of the striker is in no way minor.

The mindset and ruthless streak mean most teams can only make room for one in 15. You need to be the center of attention; They need others who give them the space to show their stuff. In the most natural way, their ego demands this elevated status, but what matters is that they have the skills to enforce it for their team. They match that required ego with scoreboard counts.

Paddy Lynch, John Heslin, Shane McGuigan, Rob Finnerty, David Clifford and Con O’Callaghan will be demanding balls from their teammates. How often a referee quickly grabs a flag will be decisive in each of the three games.

FIELDS

Not the presence they once were. Back in the day, any team that thought of silverware went nowhere without two physically imposing, lanky midfielders plucking the ball out of the air. The development of goalkeeping was probably the key factor in reducing the need for these specimens.

Now, much of the kickouts below head height can be collected by the missiles that goalies can fire at those running into space.

However, the species are not yet extinct.

The ability to smack a ball high over a competing pack can be the differentiator between stalling a pressured team or relieving the deluge.

Opposing tactics often involve aggressive pressing on kickouts that eliminate any opportunity to go short or space. At this point it is often about back to basics. A strong presence in the air is key in these moments.

If a fielder doesn’t make a clean haul, they deftly break the ball to the advantage of their teammates.

Alternatively, the fielder is a menacing presence on opposing kickouts. Getting kickouts within his reach, further narrowing options for a pressured goaltender, or smashing anyone who comes in is his airspace back toward their origin.

Eighty percent of their role could actually be transitional players, so the need for mobility to coexist with their height has become a key factor.

When not playing between the two 45s, Sam Duncan, Thomas Galligan, Brian Fenton, David Moran, Paul Conroy and Conor Glass will be looking to rule Croker heaven in game-defining moments.

*****

Rough lines will be used in defining some of the above roles and, as always, there will be exceptions.

Some managers will have roles that fall between these positions or are mixed.

Some teams may want to keep a player in the old center forward/number 11 role to act as a liaison between defense and the inside line when they win ball back.

Shane Walsh and Paudie Clifford are good examples. Creative and incisive ballers, happiest on the Offensive 45, but willing or committed to interfering with transition role responsibilities.

Damien Comer is a throwback to a more traditional full forward, but also note some of the big turnovers he’s won for Galway this year within his own 45.

Given these contemporary roles, I encourage everyone to enjoy the nuances of what we see for our entertainment over the next two days from around 120 of the most talented players. Talents and skills don’t always have to make headlines to be valuable.

Think beyond the 3-3-2-3-3 program layout.

Perhaps our All-Star picks in the near future will also reflect a version of current reality.

You wake up tomorrow with no knowledge of GAA and its traditional positions. You are told that you have 15 players and to win the game you must score more points than the opposing team. Where would you position your players?

I mentioned Michael McTighe is a GAA hero. What I failed to mention earlier is that not all GAA heroes can hurl for Sligo in an All Ireland Juniors final!