Junior A Football 2023

Yea I agree JA will be weak but with teams coming down now (thank god) it will get tougher and I can see it getting as competitive as it was around earlier on in the decade.
 
Yea I agree JA will be weak but with teams coming down now (thank god) it will get tougher and I can see it getting as competitive as it was around earlier on in the decade.

The problem with JA will be the divisional setup....its hard to see who the standard bearer across the divisions. Some divisions will be stronger than others, and it can give an impression some teams are stronger than they actually are.

With only one team begin relegated from PJ back to JA, it is only one division that benefits from that experience.

I think in a few years we will see a bit of a gap open up between PJ and JA....we might see some yoyo teams.
JA setup may need a rethink in a few years
 
The premier junior is taking shape.
In the new competition structure that has developed over the last 5 years or so, there are about 15 + clubs playing premier junior or intermediate that would have been down playing junior division in the old system.
While the restructuring has been a resounding success, It has weakened the junior divisional championships a lot.
The next step is to look at some sort of regrading of junior at divisional level or maybe amalgamate some divisions to make more competitive Junior A & B competitions regionally.

Carbery, Avondhu & Muskerry will still have decent championships but lacking the big quality alright.
 
When you have an exceptionally good side they can go through the junior handy enough. What I’m thinking of are the really good young sides who won their junior division and go through the county easily enough. Canovee are one of those teams. I was away for a few weeks with work so missed the later stages of this years championship. I was surprised that Killavullen and the west cork winners Barryroe limped out so poorly at the QF stage, but injuries played a part in that people are saying. Either of those may have put it up to Canovee a bit better, who weren’t tested.
In the past especially when there was just 3 grades, lots of the very good junior teams waltzed through the intermediate and many made the later stages of the senior county championship, all within a short period. I can think of a few that even made the senior final.
Little possibility of that happening in the new structure, which has more accurate gradings and obviously lots more grades to get up through than before. The old intermediate was a terribly weak grade with no mandatory relegation and 20 teams sitting in limbo every year, winning little and neither going up or down.. that’s why so many of the best junior sides went up through it quickly enough.
Carbery, Avondhu & Muskerry will still have decent championships but lacking the big quality alright.
I think the winners of most regions including Muskerry & Avondhu won their division games very easily. Carbery is the one division that is very competitive for sure.
 
Regarding the Muskerry division, last few years you've seen Uibh Laoire, Kilmurry & now Canovee winning counties after coming out of the mid cork.
I would say that them three teams are probably between Premier Intermediete - Intermediate standard, would be tipping either Kilmurry/Canovee to come up out of Prem Junior next year.
There will be renewed hope across all teams remaining in the Muskerry division and I think it will remain a very competitive championship. It's been tough for the majority of teams remaining that have started last few years knowing in the back of their heads that the above teams were a step above the rest. Let there be no doubt there are plenty good quality standard Junior A teams left in Muskerry and I believe it will be a very open championship and the winners will mount a good challenge in the county championship.
There are plenty strong first teams but also exceptional second teams such as Ballincollig/Eire Og & Beal Atha.
 
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