There were a few quips in the aftermath of Cavan's fine win over Monaghan last week regarding Raymond Galligan’s backroom team.
Releasing the full list may seems an obvious thing to do when announcing a new management team but actually it's very rarely done nowadays and will nearly always raise eyebrows.
In Cavan’s case they were probably thinking that giving their ex-keeper the job may have looked like they were taking an inexperienced and cheap option. Lining out a 20-strong management and backroom team is a declaration this is anything but the case.
It was a similar eye-opening moment when Dublin’s backroom team were photographed back in 2016. That amounted to 23 in total, matched by the Tipperary’s hurlers photographed the same year. They are not common photos to see as they do leave us on the outside, scratching our heads at the sheer number now involved. The 'hangers-on’ as my dad used to call them.
If we go through the essentials, it isn’t long before the number involved reaches surprising proportions. Manager and coach plus one additional in the assistant manager/coach/selector type place, S&C, team doctor, team physio, video analysis/stats, kitman, logistics/county board liaison.
It gets to 10 before you are outside what you would need for a decent club setup and before the workload involved in some of those roles is considered. For example, from an area I know something about, one physio between a team of 35 just won’t cut it come training or game days. Realistically you are looking at 15 of a backroom team at inter-county level as a starting point.
A team’s needs and priorities might be expected to change over time. A team in a rebuild with lots coming through from Under-20 might need additional S&C support; a team with issues in defence, a defensive coach; a team with a serial ability of choking, a sports psychologist.
That would be a better test for the manager than just saying yes to all. A sports psychologist, a performance coach or a life coach? Deciding to have all three shouldn’t be an option. Are multiple stats people on top of a number of video analysts really necessary?
Now of course most team managers already have internally applied constraints in place and a lot of those involved are on volunteer basis but it’s the limitless nature and problem with keeping up with the Joneses with much deeper pockets that’s creating a sense of endless expansion.
The obvious issue becomes the cost and the consequent optics for an amateur game. It all doesn’t appear to add up and there is a dawning reality that the amount of money in the game is reaching unsustainable levels. Seven-figure sums for the running of county teams used to shock people. Not anymore.
New GAA President Jarlath Burns, a man on a mission, has stated an aim of trying to put the brakes on the runaway train of team expenses.
The importance goes beyond the county boards balance sheets though. It is the natural spread into the club game that is the most concerning. The transition from something being a new idea at county level to be seen as part of a good club setup is exceptionally quick now.
Take S&C, goalkeeping/forward coaches, video analysis, GPS, performance coaches and psychologists, all now not uncommon within club setups whereas 20 years ago they were barely heard of at county level. In so many ways it's brilliant, what our players are getting exposed to. On the other hand, in terms of expense, it feels all wrong. I agree fully with Burns that at some stage we must try put a lid on things.
There will be those that argue, why limit the potential for progress or the pursuit of excellence? Yet when we see the Premier League, AFL, NBA, F1 and others all putting some form of financial constraints in place it says it all for the need for control. It’s easy to argue that, with our talent for a bit of rule bending and loophole using, it’s a pointless task but do we really think people involved in the multi-million pound competitive sports above are any less so?
For the GAA putting a semblance of limit on things at county level has a multitude of benefits. It will slow the incessant spread into the club game, stop the exponential increase in costs and, most importantly of all, force a proper analysis of what brings actual bang for your buck. What is most important to the team?
I’m not naive enough to say that there won’t be others sneaked into the background but the fact that there couldn’t be a public listing of the additional entourage without the docking of league points, for example, would be a start.
The fact that those people trying to get in on the limited slots would have to be able to prove why they should be on the bus ahead of others would limit some of the snake oil salesmen and bluffers that can quickly surround setups and end up making a mini-career out of it.
The one thing I am completely sure of is that constraint in this area will not in any way harm the quality of our game. Less can definitely be more.
