Sinead Aherne says Dublin have to hit the ground running in the 2020 All-Ireland Championship
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Tuesday 8 September 2020 15:38, UK
Dublin footballer Sinéad Aherne says they must hit the ground running in the championship, with little room for error in the revised structure.
The reigning All-Ireland champions find themselves in a group with Waterford and Donegal, knowing that only one team can progress to the semi-finals.
"You really need to hit the ground running," said the seven-time All-Star.
"I think it's difficult in that whatever form lines are there from earlier on in the year, are irrelevant at this stage. You're kind of starting a new season, and then you're expected to hit top championship pace within six weeks, which I think is going to be pretty tricky. Particularly if there are restrictions - if we are able to train together, how we sort of meet, how we try and re-introduce social bonds and tactical work, if we're not able to get into an indoor setting and all that.
"So they're all things that have to be worked out in terms of logistics. There's a bit of thinking to be done I'd say."
And the 2018 Player of the Year feels that should Dublin progress from their group, there will still be obstacles down the line.
"There's probably quite a long gap between when a team gets out of the semi-final and into the final. Three weeks, it's probably difficult to generate a bit of momentum," she noted.
"It probably would have been possible to play the semi-finals and finals off in an earlier amount of time. I don't know if it was a case of trying to get a date in Croke Park, that couldn't be done any earlier. Five days until Christmas, so be it for whoever gets to that final."
And for the second year running, the All-Ireland ladies final will take place the day after the men's counterpart. But is that a good thing for the LGFA as a whole?
"There's pluses and minuses," reasoned Aherne. "I think it probably does take away from the coverage. Last year was a replay (in the men's All-Ireland) so you might not have quite as much coverage the second time around.
"This year, it's full steam ahead, but equally it's 20 December, I don't know how much coverage there's going to be for the two sports at that stage. I think it probably did add to it from the perspective of the atmosphere and the environment of being up in the city watching two matches.
"But I'm not sure if people will be able to travel to those games so I don't know if there'll be as much of an atmosphere."
And Mick Bohan's squad are relishing the opportunity to train collectively once more from next week onwards.
"It's a difficult one for management at the moment, in terms of what the schedule is going to look like. Obviously at the moment, we still don't have access to facilities and all the rest of it," said Aherne.
"People trying to figure out travelling to training and all the rest of it. So yeah, we're hoping to get back as soon as possible. The county final is going to finish up with clubs this weekend, there's going to be a few that might be involved in Leinster Club Championship after that. I don't know if we'll have everyone back straight away, but it would be nice to get back together."
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