Joe Brolly makes bold ‘spectacle' comparison between gaelic football and hurling ‘you wouldn't have imagined saying'
And he reckons the new landscape has set the stage for
football
final.
2
Joe Brolly believes gaelic football has become a better spectacle than hurling
Credit: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
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He revealed how the new rules will affect Donegal's plan for David Clifford
Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
The 2025 football season has seen the debut of a set of new rules devised by
Review
Committee.
The changes - including a new 40m scoring arc outside of which two-points can be recorded - has seen a more entertaining product on the pitch.
And former
Speaking on the Free State podcast, he argued: "It's a thing you wouldn't have imagined saying nine months ago.
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"It's (football) now a better spectacle than hurling.
'Gaelic football now, the whole emphasis is on speed, skill. All the traditional skills are coming back.
"The high catch, which had disappeared under the (Jim) McGuinness formula, and so you can go along and revel in the game."
The culmination of the new-look season will come on Sunday when
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The Kingdom will be out to lift Sam Maguire for the first time since 2022, while the Tir Chonaill will be trying to win it for the first time since 2012.
Central to Kerry's chances will be the mercurial David Clifford, and Brolly reckons the new rules will grant the Fossa man freedom.
Daniel O'Donnell and Daithi O Se have hilarious argument
He added: "The endless possibilities that the new rules present, I think it's going to be a brilliant, brilliant occasion.
"Before, Jimmy (McGuinness) changed all of the rules and really came up with the antidote to
'This is how we can offset the traditional game.
"This is how we can nullify it. You can't do that now because the new game is all about scoring rate.
"Total application to attack and very clean defending.'
'This is the first All-Ireland final where David Clifford will be free to play where he is not going to be in the middle of a spider's web of defence - where there are 14 men back.
"Where he's being double or triple marked.
'That's one of the fascinations. How will Donegal cope with him?
"I suspect they will put a flying machine like Ciaran Moore on him who is tall and simply limit him, because that's all you can do with David.'
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