GAELIC GAMES/Championship 2007 news round-up:No formal applications for hearings in respect of the proposed Cork-Clare suspensions have yet been received by the GAA. Cork have, however, indicated they will be availing of their entitlement whereas Clare will be coming to a final conclusion on the matter later today.

Cork, through PRO Bob Ryan, confirmed the county would be contesting the decision of Croke Park's Competitions' Control Committee (CCC) that earlier in the week recommended that four-week suspensions be imposed on four players from each team and fines be levied on the county boards.

It is understood that whereas Clare are likely to follow suit today, there may be a reluctance to contest every one of the CCC's findings. The county executive had a scheduled meeting on Tuesday night but came to no conclusion, as it was felt there was a lack of information on how the CCC had reached its conclusion.

Discussions on the matter have taken place over the past two days and a final decision is expected today just ahead of the three-day deadline for the lodging of requests for a hearing.

Clare county chair Michael McDonagh has expressed his unhappiness at the new disciplinary system in operation and reiterated that his county had not been responsible for the presence of both teams in the tunnel at Semple Stadium before the brawl that broke out at Sunday's Munster hurling fixture.

"Croke Park officialdom should have invited both county boards to be represented at their original meeting. There are a lot of questions to be answered and it's not just Clare and Cork that have to answer these questions.

"As far as we're concerned, we came out at our appointed time and were going to our allotted side of the field (Town End).

"I am disappointed at the way the whole scene has been handled and if you're going to adjudicate on high-profile games or incidents then surely to God all parties should be present to have their say at any hearing. We're now looking for a hearing on all matters that appear to have been prejudged."

Suggestions that referee Pat O'Connor might be able to facilitate a resolution of the issue are wide of the mark. No further action is being taken in respect of similar incidents at the Laois-Offaly Leinster hurling championship match in Tullamore because referee Michael Haverty was present and issued yellow cards to two players and was deemed by the CCC to have dealt with the situation.

There has been some speculation that were O'Connor - who hadn't arrived on the field when the brawl broke out - to state in his report he had spoken to the two captains and warned them as to the future behaviour of their teams, the incidents in Thurles could be similarly said to have been dealt with. But it has been confirmed the CCC considered the referee's report as part of their deliberations last Tuesday.

Any meeting of the GAA's Hearings Committee is likely to be held early next week.

Elsewhere, the inaugural agm of the newly-amalgamated committee of colleges and vocational Schools, Comhairle Iar Bhunscoileanna, took place in Portlaoise last night and was attended by delegates from the four provincial councils.

The move to scrap the administrative distinction between secondary schools has been piloted through by former Munster chair Seán Fogarty of Tipperary.

The meeting was also addressed by GAA president Nickey Brennan.

Also at the meeting former Meath footballer and eminent surgeon Gerry McEntee gave a presentation on the subject of player burnout.