Aidan O'Rourke

Former Armagh footballer, All Star and 2002 All-Ireland winner and current GAA Performance Manager with Queen's University

'Roscommon produced a phenomenal display of finishing in the circumstances but the stark reality is that, as a team, Mayo allowed 26 shots to be generated from 30 attacks'

Roscommon gave Mayo enough rope to conjure their demise

Aidan O'Rourke says Mayo's lack of commitment to defensive duties is an urgent problem for manager James Horan.

Football • 27 May 19

Future of Football: Blueprint for a 3-tier championship

Next week GAA president John Horan will appoint the 10 members of the Fixtures Review group to examine the football championship structures. Here Aidan O'Rourke kicks off the conversation with his own model for a three-tier championship.

Football • 25 May 19

"Monaghan have been lauded so often for their indomitable spirit in recent years, they must also accept the weight of failure to show up for the dual when challenged"

Monaghan's Achilles heel nothing to do with age

Aidan O'Rourke says there is one glaring issue Monaghan must address if they are to regroup and feature at the business end of the season.

GAA • 20 May 19

'With Dublin – and everyone else's – apparent vulnerability to long early ball through lack of exposure to it, Mickey Harte may have an additional and important card to play at the business end of the championship'

Tyrone's attacking prowess a tactical evolution

Aidan O'Rourke outlines how Tyrone have sharpened up their attack and why it makes them a serious prospect with championship looming on the horizon.

GAA • 25 Mar 19

'Every generation's approach to the game frustrated the generation before because it's always different and never appreciates the values of the game as it 'should' be'

Game as we now know it rewards the brave & adaptable

Gaelic football has always been in a state of evolution. And it's always been those who embrace its changes that reap the biggest rewards, writes Aidan O'Rourke.

GAA • 04 Mar 19

The Monaghan players will have awoken Sunday morning fully aware that they were found wanting in the face of a scrap

Lack of clarity harming credibility of the mark

As we pass the half-way point of the Allianz League, Aidan O'Rourke reflects on the action to date.

GAA • 25 Feb 19

Kerry's success against Dubs will be short-lived

Kerry's performance on Saturday night against the All-Ireland champions was an interesting experiment and a definite statement of intent for the season ahead.

GAA • 11 Feb 19

"With teams so evenly matched, the smallest edges are deciding factors across 70-plus minutes of high energy football."

Send out the Bat Signal: Glory hinges on secret weapon

In the opening two rounds of the Allianz Football Leagues, there have been six draws and 14 games won by three points or less. So what makes the difference in such tight encounters? It's all about game management, writes Aidan O'Rourke.

GAA • 04 Feb 19

Embracing the offensive mark could lead to an evolution

If coaches and players can seize the opportunity that the offensive mark presents then we may see an acceleration of the evolution of our game towards a spectacle we will all be happier with, writes Aidan O'Rourke.

Football • 21 Jan 19

'Catch and kick football is gone and barring the invention of a new sport, it is not coming back'

Future of football is at risk with experimental rules

Our expert football analyst takes aim at the Standing Committee on Playing Rules and their forthcoming experiment.

GAA • 30 Nov 18