DOWN MANAGER CONOR Laverty says that it is a “disgrace” that players at the U20 grade are denied the opportunity to also play in the senior inter-county championship within a seven-day window.

Laverty, who is both the U20 and senior manager for Down, was speaking to TG4 after managing the U20s to Ulster glory last night when he made the comments. He urged the GAA to exercise “common sense” on the existing rule.

There are four players in the Down U20 squad who are now ineligible for the county’s senior Ulster championship semi-final against Armagh on Sunday. Odhran Murdock, Ryan Magill, Paddy McCarthy and Oisín Savage all decided to line out for the U20 side when faced with the difficult choice.

“I think it’s a disgrace that the young fellas aren’t able to play,” Laverty began after his side’s incredible comeback against Derry, scoring 2-5 in the final stages to seal the title.

“Lads can play in competitions earlier in the year night after night, come to training and whenever it comes to the biggest days of the year that they’ve worked hard for all their lives [and] the young lads are deprived. We’re depriving our most talented players of that chance.

“We should have some lads playing last weekend and playing tonight and playing at the weekend. It’s very unfortunate for them. I feel that the GAA have put in a rule there that they haven’t put much thought into and it’s really disappointing. It was a very hard decision and we asked the players themselves and took their thoughts into consideration. Only one of the lads would have been in the mix to start.

“We felt we had to be true to them and maybe let them play out their last time at underage.”

When asked if the issue is linked with the split season and the result of the inter-county season being more condensed, Laverty replied:

“I just feel that any young lad at 19 or 20 will be able to play two games in one week. It happens through universities and the early stages of different competitions. So, why, whenever it comes to the dry sod and the sunny evenings that they can’t go out and play two matches. They’re trainning three or four times per week, but they can’t play two matches.

“I’m sure all the managers are the same in the other teams have the same conflict and would do their utmost to protect those players, and wrap them up in cotton wool, look after them recovery-wise, hydration-wise and get the best treatment possible for them to be available. They boys will be back in the gym and back on the field at the weekend, but yet they can’t go to play a game. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Remarking on what he would like to see in the way of changes for the 2024 campaign, Laverty concluded:

Bainisteoir buacach an Dúin, Conor Laverty 🔴⚫

"The lads showed good experience in the last to see it out", Down manager Conor Laverty, after an excellent comeback win for @OfficialDownGAA @UlsterGAA @EirGrid #GAA pic.twitter.com/n8TNuDwRy9

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) April 26, 2023

“I understand the split season and I think it’s a brilliant idea, but there is a window where we could go with an U20 championship that bit earlier and take the sting out of whenever the main championships are on. Or else, just have common sense. Managers have a lot of sport science behind them these days and have the best people around them. I think we would all use our own common sense when lads can play and when they can’t play.

“At the end of the day, a manager’s job is to put his player’s best interests at heart. I totally expect that those lads on my panel would be able to play two games in seven days.”

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