'Too busy' - Dessie Dolan dubious of Gaelic football calendar

Westmeath manager Dessie Dolan questioned the GAA's fixtures scheduling after his side won the Allianz Football League Division 3 title, just eight days before they have to play a Leinster SFC quarter-final.

"It is hectic," Dolan told RTÉ Sport. "This is our third week in a row and we're playing Wicklow in the championship next week. It’s hard to believe the championship is only a week away after a national final.

"The winners play the following weekend as well, so there's the possibility of five weeks in a row. It is extremely busy.

"It’s difficult to get the lads regrouped and focused for match after match after match but that’s what we have to do.

"As a supporter of the GAA, I find the whole thing too busy all the time. There are matches all over the place, great matches being chucked into a weekend that's very busy."

The 2004 All-Star feels teams are being punished rather than rewarded for doing well in the league.

"It’s great we’re in a league final but when you heard Division 1 teams saying they don’t want to get to the final it doesn’t sound great for the competition.

"We’d like a little bit of time. The lads are delighted that it’s going well but at the same time I feel a bit sorry for the effort they have put in.

"The biggest game of our year is next week against Wicklow. They will prepare. It is unfortunate they probably won’t get an opportunity to celebrate the win tonight."

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Westmeath claimed their second Division 3 crown with a 2-10 to 0-13 victory over Down