Tyrone's Cavanagh wants GAA to get tough

Tyrone's Seán Cavanagh has called on the GAA to get tougher with players and supporters who engage in violent behaviour.

The GAA handed down a total of 452 weeks of suspensions along with fines following the violent scenes during last weekend's ACL Division 1 final between Dromore and Carrickmore.

However, Cavanagh does not believe that those suspensions are strong enough and has called on the organisation to issue life bans.

"I think in the past that the sentences handed out by the GAA haven't been strong enough to cut this out of the game," he told the Irish Examiner.

"There seems to be a general acceptance that if we (the GAA) throw out a few so-called life bans (it will do). The policing of life bans needs to be looked at because local stewards are always going to let locals in to the game.

"I think the GAA has to come down hard at some point, and maybe look at punishing the teams that are involved rather than the individuals. All it takes is making an example of one or two teams or a particular county.

"The things that happened in the (Tyrone) league final have highlighted the problems that have been bubbling in the last two or three years."

Cavanagh also believes that a more professional attitude towards stewarding and management of club games needs to be taken.

"Stewardship in club games needs to be looked at, along with the protection of referees and the whole issue of respect both on and off the pitch. The referees have to be given more power and backing to make decisions."