We laugh with the benefit of hindsight at old predictions of what the world today would look like. Back in the 1960′s, they thought we would have all sorts by now.
Underwater cities. Home robots. Flying cars. Teleportation.
With the rapid development of AI, they will probably look back to the predictions of 2024 with the benefit of hindsight and laugh.
With the rapid change in the Gaelic football world, they will probably look back on this very piece from 2024 and laugh too. What were they all thinking?
But we’ll give it a rattle anyway...
1) Short kickouts are not dead
With kick outs having to go beyond the new scoring zone, there will be an added incentive to go long. With six players inside either scoring arc, it essentially becomes a 8 v 8 scrap for possession, discounting goalkeepers.
An over the top kickout could cause havoc with one kickpass unlocking three men inside. Therefore, you would expect to see defending teams deploy a sweeper if not two in front of that new scoring zone (unless they need scores).
Immediately the defensive team have a numerical advantage. If two defenders opt to inhabit either corner, and an old school half-back line lines out along the 45m line, there are still five short options.
What’s more, there are likely to be pre-set short kickouts involving players switching from outside the scoring zone to inside it and vice versa to cause confusion as to who’s a valid option.
Three defenders must stay inside, but that three will change in personnel terms.
2) The two-point score is overpowered
From a traditionalist perspective, a four-point goal seemed wrong, but for the new scoring system it was a valid return.
The Railway Cup games in the autumn saw players complain about how quickly a match can run away from you, and the four-point goal was soon scrapped.
They had a point, particularly in relation to mismatches in provincial championships, but should two placed balls outside the arc be worth more than a major?
Will we even see players work the ball outwards as often as inwards to keep the scoreboard ticking over?
A study found that the likelihood of a score from a central position 40 metres out - under high pressure from defenders - is 33 per cent.
But that’s 33 per cent in old money, now it’s 66 since the score is double the value. Expect to see plenty of loops run and cuts in off the sidelines from 40-45m out.
With cynical fouls clamped down on and an extended black card rule passed, stopping those kind of runs at pace will be tricky.
Finding those runs are what players are used to. Executing kicks inside isn’t.
3) A clash of styles
With many outlining Michael Murphy’s return as symbolism for the return of a target man, who’s to say Donegal won’t still deploy him further out, or rotate him in and out?
Donegal look to have the best pick of long range shooters in the country. Tyrone and Malachy O’Rourke could be unplayable if they get Cathal McShane breaking ball down to the two Canavans.
Will anyone opt to go for the old Kerry ‘twin tower’ style à la Tommy Walsh and Kieran Donaghy?
Plenty of inside forwards and man-on-man defenders could get the curly finger in the first-half. With the clash of styles, there’s bound to be someone caught out badly for pace or size.
It’s time to find out who the true goalscorers are in the land, which defenders and keepers are truly solid under the high ball, and crucially who is the most flexible when all sorts of questions are fired their way?
Be it a forward, defender, or even management team.