Considering how poor the Mayo champions have fared over the past 20 years, is it time to consider a championship revamp.
Since the change to 4 groups of 4, a Mayo team hasn't won a senior Connacht title.

Considering the most successful counties in club football are Cork and Kerry, surely there is merit in allowing divisional teams enter the senior championship to lift standards.

We won't ever be able to build the kind of superclubs which now dominate Leinster football (Kilmacud, Cuala etc), but surely allowing our best intermediate and junior players play in the senior championship would lift the standard overall
That way Mayos best senior clubs will at least be playing as high a level as possible before progressing to Connacht and All Ireland level.
I would note that the Kerry system also results in the most consistent county team over the past 100 years, so their divisional system has proven pedigree.

North Mayo
Clubs (8):
Belmullet, Kiltane, Kilcommon, Ballycastle, Moygownagh, Crossmolina, Northern Gaels, Killala

Moy Estuary
Clubs (5):
Ballina Stephenites, Ardnaree Sarsfields, Knockmore, Bonniconlon, Ardagh

Mayo North East
Clubs (5):
Charlestown Sarsfields, Swinford, Bohola Moy Davitts, Kiltimagh,-Park Keelogues-Crimlin,

Mayo East
Clubs (5):
Ballyhaunis, Aghamore, Kilmovee Shamrocks, Ballaghaderreen, Eastern Gaels

South-East
Clubs (5):
Claremorris, Davitts, Garrymore, Mayo Gaels, Hollymount-Carramore,

South
Clubs (6):
Ballinrobe, Kilmaine, The Neale, Shrule-Glencorrib, Tourmakeady, Ballintubber

Central
Clubs (5):
Balla, Breaffy, Castlebar Mitchels, Islandeady, Lahardane MacHales

West
Clubs (6):
Ballycroy, Achill, Burrishoole, Louisburgh, Kilmeena, Westport

the top 8 clubs then play the above 8 (less the clubs in the top 8) in a county championship

Alternatively, the above 8 play a competition during the intercounty season, giving fringe Mayo players a higher standard of competition to play in as well as having a high standard competition to evaluate those not on the panel.

Half the reason the fringe county players don't play league matches is because the standard is as far from senior intercounty as junior B is from senior championship

Or we can just plow on as we are, with no provincal.club success and no Sam Maguire wins either

100% agree with divisional teams. Mayo GAA structures as they stand, prevent so many players from smaller clubs and rural areas to play at the highest level in club football. It’s to Mayo’s detriment…

We wonder why Kerry are so strong….hmmm…

This topic alone is worthy of a full podcast. In my opinion it’s essential that Mayo GAA reintroduce divisional teams to the senior championship. ASAP

Totally agree

We need to talk about Maheady 1 09 for Crossmolina today can take a score can we afford to not have him on the Mayo team?

Divisional teams did not work before in Mayo and even Kerry are on about getting rid of this system.

It works in Kerry but I think they have a lot less senior clubs than us.
Had to listen to the hurling,Dan Mullane would do you good.

John Mullane. Must be mixing him up with Dan Shanahan 😀

[Deleted].

Division teams - it could massively benefit the inter county team because players playing for junior & intermediate teams may get exposure & make the leap.

By having divisional teams in senior, it should improve the standard of the championship.
And like in Kerry, the teams winning intermediate & junior championships should be very strong when they progress - but but but....you must remember that the 17th best team in Mayo is our intermediate champion. In Kerry because of divisional teams, their intermediate champion is their 9th best team (i think i have that right).....its no wonder they do well when they progress. Same goes for Junior.

Dan Mullane..... I loves my County :D

Crossmolina really tearing into it now , what price are they for the moclair cup I wonder ?

Jesus Lads , would ye give it a rest, he is only 17 . People talking about his future as if ye had a vested interest in him .

Corick Bridget - that's a crass comment, which I've deleted. You're on this earth long enough to have more cop-on than to post something like that.

I'm getting increasingly concerned that many seem to be of the view that this is the place to take cheap shots at players and others involved in Mayo GAA. If this continues I'm going to have to make an example of a few of you and, believe me, I won't hesitate in doing so if required.

On Kobe, can everyone please bear in mind that this is a kid who is still at school? As a result, it's not appropriate at all for adults to engage in any kind of idle chat here about him or what choices he might make. I've deleted all the comments posted about him this evening and I'd ask everyone to refrain from posting anything else in that vein.

PS Thanks, Deel Rover, for echoing that very point!

Deel Rover even Willie Joe lol , an easy mistake to make

Just noticed my mistake, Deel Rover, I've corrected it now!

Don't worry, I have been called worse

Apologies @williejoe and @The deel rover. I started that conversation i suppose without looking at the bigger picture. . Hands up it's on me. The others were replying to my question.

Apologies Willie Joe. Should have known better.

Lads there's a lot of bad things going on in the world and dark days , but if you love gaa and seeing football played at fast pace, care free unrestrained football go see Crossmolina play.
The evolution of the Intermediate All Ireland winning team is lovely to see and the 5 former Mayo Minors from last year are a big part in it .

Kobe is as everyone knows a super talent , he played midfield yesterday and was outstanding, breezing past challenges and leaving the county CB/fullback sitting . Again nobody should out pressure on the lads or indeed any of the other 4 whom are playing superbly, the fear is some ordinary mucker of a player is going to "get stuck in" but as regards talent, you have to see it to appreciate it.

Yes Glorydays Maheady is flying , it's been a process for him too and been putting seasons and progress consistently since he scored 3 points in minor final v Galway to great season last year but this year has stepped it up another level.
Complete package as a forward,.two footed , pace, free taking, determination but again young but no new county manager could ignore his scoring.

It be a big step up Sean Burke re your post of cross winning . They have tough group and will get a almighty greeting from the seasoned Garrymore before playing Ballina, so that's a tough start to championship and you can be sure physically, it will be a test they have never got before , however the talent is there but alot.of teams will be looking to spoil them

Some things are more important than football lads when comes to player selection.

Apologies Willie Joe, I thought once playing adult football would be ok.

Who was youngest player ever to play senior league/championship for mayo. I know in ladies football it was Cora.

No worries, Gizmobobs, it's just that he is still so young and so any comments about him need to be framed in that context. I'm a parent myself (as many who contribute here are too no doubt) and I certainly wouldn't have been happy to see adults chatting away publicly online about possible life choices of any of my kids when they were underage.

Well I know of a couple of bucks played junior adult at 14 from my own parish of Kilmovee , that’s going back over thirty years ago

These minor lads need a couple of years at county u20 level before bringing them anywhere near senior panel. Otherwise they will end up been prone to injuries for the rest of their football careers

I've always loved watching Crossmolina play (not my club) followed them through Connacht and to Croker back in the day, I always enjoyed the bit of flair they brought and they still have it.
Just,if they could change the jersey colour a bit I'd enjoy watching them more.
They remind me of.... somebody else!

Anyone listening to the kerry manager after the minor game yesterday? The point he made about the new rules allowing players to express themselves and how much the players themselves are enjoying the freedom I thought, was very valid.
It pinpoints where we went wrong, imo, and how we tried to manage our style of play from the sideline.
It may explain the way below par performances of players like Carney and Flynn, who should be driving us on and taking two pointers for fun(like the Tyrone and Kerry minors yesterday)
There are a lot of manager vacancies popping up as the summer progresses, Donaghey seems to be keen on the Mayo job..

Great minor final yesterday and highlights Mayo were right up there....at that level, and great progress being made at this age group in the county over the last few years. Also agree great to see Crossmolina back competing at senior level with some exciting young players...would caution that the league is the league as they say and most teams are missing players and in some cases are hard hit with lads in the US... the new rules and more open play sets it up for an exciting club championship

I see Horan has ruled himself out in the Examiner podcast.
He would be an ideal man to have on the selection team for our new manager.

Agreed, Jr. He should be running it.

Fair play to Horan for ruling himself out.

Crossmolina must have one of the best set of forwards in Mayo club football. The 2 Coggins, Fionan Duffy, Dylan Flynn, Maheady, Kobe, Deane and Leddy have all played county football at some level. Then throw in Loftus and Flynn. The physicality and conditioning of the established senior teams might be where they are lacking slightly but a very exciting team to watch.

I wonder would James Horan be interested in being a selector/ advisor to the likes of Andy or Austin. A great man to spot talent and bring them through. A job like that could really suit him and leave match day decisions to others.

CDR, shouldn't be an issue when coming from intercounty environment from underage on.
Age also. Looking at average age of the teams that have won senior last 5 years there's much in a muchness between Crossmolina and them. Ballina and Knockmore both had young lads out of or in minor at time.

Now that he has ruled himself out ,could the CB offer him a new role as Director of Football over academy teams, Minor ,Under 20 and Senior teams.

They could if they so wished. But the scope of the role would have to be well speced out.
Especially if wanted it to have oversight of senior teams, incoming candidates for that role would be wary of an overseer with an undocumented power remit.

Lets hope the CB delegates ask hard questions of the board tonight about the upcoming managerial appointment.

The bigger issue could be the increased debt from the proposed COE development if they plough on with that, adding and extra €15m or so to the €7 or 8 million or whatever it is we already owe!

That and the proposal to bury money into an undersized all weather pitch on a fairy fort or whatever it is behind McHale park!!

Everyone is giving out about the proposed COE because of debt , how do we know it will be a debt or at least how do we know it will be a debt to the tune of 15-20 million , fundraising or grants is not debt of course .

Because we don't have a bean, Croke Park won't extend loans willy nilly anymore I thought, look at Louth.
Grants could be attained surely, but you usually have to have money to match or greatly match what's offered.
Then you've the fact its located:
1hr 19min from Bellmullet,
1hr 15min from Kilcommon
1hr 11min from Achill
58min Louisburgh
52min Ballycastle
51min the Neale

We so large 4 regional centres would be far more cost effective a d practical, and quicker.