WESTMEATH MANAGER PAUL Bealin says the Football Review Committee missed a chance to ease player burnout by rescheduling the third level competitions.

The draw for the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups was made earlier this week.

But by the time the preliminary rounds begin in late January, many players will also be involved with their counties at U21 and senior level.

It means a hectic few weeks for some of the game’s young stars.

One option to reduced the packed schedule would be to play the colleges competitions before Christmas.

Bealin said: “There’s just too much going on. The window’s too tight.

“There’s eight or nine of my players still U21 that are involved in the U21 squad, the senior squad and as was mentioned there, the Sigerson competition is on.

[Players] have so many masters and they’re trying to keep everybody happy.

“When you start pulling them, and you don’t use common sense, and they’re saying ‘I’m training for this, I’m playing for that’, it’s very difficult for any manager.

INPHO/James Crombie

“It’s too much on the player and it’s not right because if you’ve got a scholarship you have to play for the college.

“You’ve got U21, you want to play at the highest level as well, and then you’ve inter-club on top of that.

[The FRC] haven’t addressed it. They talk about player burnout and closing the season, then they put six to eight weeks when players in that particular age bracket, 18 to 22, are playing highly intensive football for that window.

“Then you’re coming into March, April, when you should be getting hungry and fit, and the ground gets harder, and you kick on into the season. But lads are tired then, so it’s a huge challenge.”

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