The stand-off between Sport Ireland and the GPA over the idea of random drugs tests at the home of the players has drawn criticism from a number of people from both sides of the argument, as well as the fans and media.
Gaelic Players Association refused to accept the idea that anti-doping agencies could conduct random tests at the home of inter-county players, and the decision was met by the withholding of grants to said players by Sport Ireland.
Joining Joe Molloy on OTB's Sunday Paper Review, Dan McDonnell claimed that the decision reflects poorly on the GAA, even though the organisation and its athletes have an amateur status.
"It's not a good look, because when you're talking about something like an anti-doping programme, if you're seen to be resistant in any way...and there's some valid points about the working lives of these people, but you want people to be fully bought into the integrity of what they're watching because as much as players may be amateur, it still makes a lot of money for people".
McDonnell made the point that despite the amateur status, the organisation's monetary turnover and the benefits the players receive when making it to the upper echelon of the game makes the testing a fair trade-off.
"It's a lucrative association in terms of the amount of cash it generates and it can lead to some very good stuff for the players.
"I don't see what's the problem. I appreciate the players being a little miffed if their lives are being upset by people coming to do stuff, but that's part of the trade off for what you get".
Also on the panel was Gavan Reilly, who agreed with McDonnell, though noted that while the idea of home-testing the players doesn't seem ludicrous, the other expectations placed on sport stars who fall under the jurisdiction of anti-doping agencies could potentially be the reason behind the GPA's decision, even if that hasn't been publicised yet.
"I don't know whether it's an omission or not, but it's often the case that professional sportspeople have to give WADA(World Anti-Doping or the national anti-doping agency, they effectively have to give them a diary of where they're going to be at all times, and maybe they feel that for a GAA athlete that's a step too far".
"Surely if they know where they're training they can know where to find them".
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