Mayo's Lee Keegan says players would welcome clarity on 2020 championships
Keegan: "There might not be a 2020 championship. And that's fine, at least then from our point of view we can start planning"
Wednesday 29 April 2020 11:31, UK
It remains unclear what form the 2020 championships will take, or if they'll occur at all due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Of course, for club and county teams around Ireland, this can be a source of frustration as they continue individual training with no end-goal in sight.
The demands of intercounty hurling and football are tolling, and Mayo star Lee Keegan has said the players would relish some clarity on the issue - whatever decision is made.
"Players would love to have some form of target or even if the GAA were to come out and say 'there is no championship' or 'we're looking at next year'," said the 2016 Footballer of the Year.
"I know John Horan said something about next year, but I suppose they have to take the most responsible approach which is 'are the players in a safe environment where they can actually play games and they can be conducted safely?'.
"I can't foresee much, maybe at the moment. It seems all doom and gloom at the moment because nobody really knows. I know there's talk of restrictions maybe being lifted, I don't know if that's going to be a big lift.
"There will have to be a big decision made in the next month or two to say 'right, is this feasible or not?' Players would probably respect that more I'd say because probably the reality is there mightn't be a 2020 championship. And that's fine, at least then from our point of view we can start planning for next year but we can also start planning our lives around not having this year.
There might not be a 2020 championship. And that's fine, at least then from our point of view we can start planning.
"For guys maybe in college that might have no work for the summer, how they can sort their bits and pieces out? Guys that are working like myself - which I'm lucky enough, guys who have been maybe let off... so I suppose just plan their life around aspects in their actual day-to-day life rather than just focusing on a championship that might not go ahead."
Keegan is continuing his own preparations for the return of football, but the lack of a target return-date is affecting his motivation.
"I'm lucky enough that I have GAA pitches within two kilometres from my home so I can nip in there and do my running session two or three times a week," he explained.
"I have a bit of a homemade gym at home with free weights and bits like that. Now, nothing glamorous, but it's enough to get through what we're doing. I suppose the most difficult aspect of it is that there's no target date.
"What's probably hard is trying to motivate yourself to do these sessions not knowing what's going to go on ahead of us. Usually, this is the time when we'd be really knuckling down and really looking forward to the championship months ahead and be in a really good buzz.
"Whereas now the big question we're all facing is whether there's going to be a championship this year at all. That puts a bit of a dampener around your training mentally and physically. But, again, in the grand scheme of things, life is more important in terms of what's going on at the moment."
Will some players opt-out?
If the action does return, Keegan feels many players could choose not to take part given the potential lingering health risks.
"Some guys might have newborns on the way, some of their family members might be sick that they are looking after. Of course, there are going to be really tough decisions around individuals," he warned.
"That's going to be one of the biggest questions the GAA are going to come out with, are players comfortable enough going back and, I don't want to say their life, but putting their health at risk to play this game.
"The other side as well is that if people are working they have to think of their day-to-day job as well, what's the risk they are going to bring back to their workplace or their home life as well. So there are so many different questions to be answered.
"For myself I don't know personally, to be honest, I obviously have to think of my own home life and stuff like that. I suppose until I get to meet my family and stuff like that I can't really even think about football at the moment. I'm obviously trying to think of everything from my job, obviously being newlywed and stuff like that - trying to build a house. I suppose I have a few projects that are keeping me ticking over, but I don't know, it's going to have to be a question that is going be put to players - are they comfortable?
"Majority might say no, majority might say yes, I don't know, I suppose it's very much an individual decision."
Lee Keegan was speaking at the launch of Sports Physio Ireland's new Online Athletic Development Programme for GAA players and teams. The programme is an educational platform to teach players how to improve their speed, strength and conditioning and injury management techniques.
