Kilmacud Crokes are set to appeal the Central Competitions Control Committee’s (CCCC) ruling that the 2023 All-Ireland club senior football final should be replayed.
And the predominant feeling within the South Dublin club appears to be that they are prepared to take their challenge against the CCCC’s decision all the way to the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA), if necessary.
Several meetings have taken place involving club officials and team management since Tuesday morning’s confirmation that a replay was the CCCC’s judgment, as Kilmacud Crokes consider their next move.
The club has until Friday morning to appeal the decision to the Central Appeals Committee (CAC), and the indications from the Stillorgan outfit are that they will be engaging with the GAA’s disciplinary process.
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Kilmacud’s strongest chance of overturning the CCCC’s ruling remains by having their case heard by the DRA, an external independent body, but they must first exhaust the GAA’s disciplinary system before they can get to that stage.
The CAC rules largely on procedural grounds and the GAA’s Official Guide states appeals shall only be upheld where: ‘(i) there has been a clear infringement or misapplication of Rule by the Decision-Maker or (ii) the Appellant’s right to a fair hearing has otherwise been compromised to such extent that a clear injustice has occurred.’
Kilmacud’s view is that what happened in relation to substitutions in the closing stages of their two-point All-Ireland final win over Glen was primarily the fault of the match day officials.
With Crokes now preparing to dig in with an appeal, it seems the saga will drag on for quite some time yet. The GAA set no date for the proposed replay, though the weekend of March 11th-12th has been mentioned as it is a gap week in the Allianz Football League.
However, there remains a strong sentiment there will not be a replay. Should Crokes be unsuccessful in their challenge, it is possible they will refuse to play the match again and instead hand over the trophy.
That in turn would place Glen in a very difficult position, and the Derry champions could yet make a move to end the controversy by signalling they do not want a replay and are content their objection was noted and successful.
