Steven McDonnell has approved the decision to overturn one-match bans of four Armagh players ahead of Sunday’s Ulster football championship showdown against Donegal.
The 2002 All-Ireland winner also believes Armagh were in some way being made an example of for their part in the melee which marred the end of their final Allianz Football League game against Donegal in Letterkenny last month.
Armagh appealed on behalf of all four players, forward and captain Rian O'Neill getting his proposed one-match ban overturned at the Central Hearings Committee (CHC) stage last week.
Earlier this week, Ciarán Mackin, Stefan Campbell and Aidan Nugent were also cleared to play after getting their one-match bans overturned at Central Appeals Committee (CAC) stage; Mackin is, however, ruled out through injury.
Donegal’s Odhrán McFadden-Ferry and Neil McGee were similarly handed one-match bans for their part in the incident, only they didn’t proceed to any appeal stage, and aren’t available for the swift rematch at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey. Donegal won the last day by a point.
The availability of O’Neill, Campbell and Nugent provides a timely boost for Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney, particular given the challenge that awaits. Armagh are seeking their first championship win over Donegal since 2010, Donegal have won three times since.
“Listen, we all realise there are flaws in the disciplinary process, that probably needs to be looked at, but from an Armagh point of view, I am happy the lads got their decisions overturned,” says McDonnell.
“We believe that there was a focus on trying to get Armagh players suspended for this particular game, for whatever reason, I’m not sure, but we do believe that was the case.
“Definitely, going into any championship game you want to watch the best players in the country, and Rian O’Neill is up there with the best of them at the minute. If he was to miss this game, the whole country would be missing out.”
McDonnell’s former Armagh team-mate Oisín McConville suggested earlier in the week that O’Neill had possibly been singled out, given he was the only player not referenced in the referee report. Either way, McDonnell believes there is a lack of consistency when applying the rule of when a player is considered to be contributing to a melee.
“There seemed to be a target on Rian O’Neill’s head on this particular occasion, and in Armagh we didn’t like to see that.”
Ulster teams, he says, usually get special treatment: “There should be a level of consistency across the board. If it happens in one game, it shouldn’t be treated any different than if it happens in another game. When it happens between Dublin and Kerry, it’s very easily brushed under the carpet, it’s ‘handbags stuff’, as per Sunday Game pundits.
“But when it happens between northern counties particularly, Ulster counties, more of an issue is made of it, and it’s probably trial by media, to an extent. At the end of the day all we want is a bit of transparency and consistency across the board. We don’t like to see any of this happening, in any of our games, but if it happens with one team, treat them the exact same as you would any other.
“Without knowing the finer details, and what it was eventually got the Armagh players the decisions overturned, there is a process there, and Armagh chose to go down that route. All I can say is fair play to them, if Donegal wanted to appeal their decisions, get them overturned, fair play to them as well.”
Donegal haven’t lost their first game in the Ulster championship since 2010, when beaten by Down in extra-time in the quarter-final. McDonnell expects Sunday to be “hot and heavy”, recent events no doubt adding to the incentive of both teams.
“You’d want it to be hot and heavy, it’s an Ulster championship match. There’s a lot of stake, and what’s going on the last few weeks only adds to the motivation.
“But there’s definitely no disciplinary issue in Armagh, and if you look at the last two incidents, there were both started by Armagh’s opponents. I would like to see maybe Armagh stand back from those type of moments, rather than stand up.
“I don’t know what Armagh have done in the past to make them such a high-profile juggernaut, in terms of trying to make an example of. The reality is I’ve probably seen more incidents further down the country. At the end of the day these melees are pulling and dragging, mostly pulling and dragging. If it’s dealt with efficiently and fast it should be over with, and players have a responsibility too, act in a mannerly way, not the macho way.
“Maybe it’s about time we looked at VAR, even if that doesn’t always work at times, and maybe it’s about time we reviewed that one man in the middle of the field finds it quite difficult to officiate 30 players performing, so even two referees, we’ve seen it in Australian Rules, International Rules, and it works very efficiently.”
Steven McDonnell was speaking at the Electric Ireland announcement of a five-year extension to its sponsorship of the GAA Minor Championships.
