Two of the five GAA presidential candidates have proposed the All-Ireland club finals be played in January as a means of a calendar year season compromise, writes John Fogarty.

With several counties particularly dual ones opposed to Croke Park’s plans to incorporate all fixtures in a 12-month period, Galway’s Frank Burke and Martin Skelly of Longford have put forward the idea of the deciders being played in the first month of the year.

In a set interview in Saturday’s Irish Examiner, all five men hoping to succeed Aogán Ó Fearghail agree with GAA director general Páraic Duffy’s recommendation to bring forward the All-Ireland finals to help condense the inter-county season.

Skelly further proffers: “I believe we could play the All-Ireland semi-finals in December and start off our GAA season in the middle of January with the All-Ireland club finals.” Burke says: “I support the implementation of the calendar year for fixtures even if All-Ireland club finals then go to January.”

Kerry’s Seán Walsh questions the feasibility of a calendar year but welcomes in Duffy’s championship blueprint “the recognition that more quality matches is what the public want”.

While Dublin’s John Horan stresses changes must be brought about with the club player in mind – “if we are serious about club players we need to bring certainty to their fixture programme”.

Clareman Robert Frost is of the mind the hurling decider could be the final inter-county game of the year – “We need to be open to ideas such as playing the All-Ireland finals earlier and even playing the football final before the hurling final.”