KERRY star Paul Geaney believes that the art of defending will suffer following the introduction of the attacking mark.
The new rule allows forwards, and defenders, a free kick for a clean catch made from a kick of 20 metres or more delivered from outside the 45.
It’s likely to be an aid for the likes of Geaney, who is an impressive fielder and accurate finisher, but the Dingle marksman is looking at the bigger picture.
He said: “It's very difficult for defenders now, it's hard to know, you want them to be tight to stop the mark but then if they go all out (to mark tightly) and they're rolled it's a goal so it's very hard to defend it.
“I think defending is going to suffer as a result. I think it was almost a dying art for a while there. It's a lot more difficult now I think. The year will tell us a lot about the new rule changes.”
Geaney doesn’t believe that the rule, which was voted in at Special Congress last October after a trial period at the start of the year, was necessary given how the game had evolved and feels that Gaelic football has become too closely aligned with Australian Rules.
“Massed defences aren't really a thing anymore. They're not the way the club teams are playing, they're modelling themselves off the best of the inter-county, and most club teams are playing attacking corner backs the same as the county teams.
“So I don't think it was necessary.
“I don't know, usually the game will develop and fix itself in a lot of ways because it's humans that are in charge of it. It's not an algorithm that's unbreakable.
“It's mad, like. So you bring in rules to change it, you're forcing things and you're changing the game permanently then into a game that it wasn't before.
“It's closer to Aussie Rules now. I don't know is that a good thing or a bad thing. I think a bad thing. And I'm a forward, I should be benefiting from this rule but I just don't see the warrant in it.”
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