Former Cork hurler Donal Og Cusack has suggested that Gaelic football should revert to a 12-a-side game.

In his column with the Irish Examiner, the pundit believes changes will have to be made to keep up with rule changes such as the black card and to level the playing field for counties with fewer resources who have implemented double sweepers and blanket defences to make themselves more competitive.

"In football, I believe we should be looking at making the game 12-a-side on a permanent basis. We have reached the tactical cul de sac mentioned above," he said of the current status quo.

He went on to write: "Knocking three players off each team would open up the spaces and open up the tactical thinking. Out one man each for the throw-in and then line out as you will 4-2-3-2? Go ahead. 3-3-3-2? Make it work. 10-1? So long as Michael Murphy is okay with it that’s your call Jim.

"You look at a game of Gaelic football now and it is Aussie Rules trapped inside the body of pre-1960s style gaelic football. Players have outgrown the format. The game is bursting to find a new expression. You won’t bring back high fielding by implementing the mark because space in the middle third is so confined that it is always easier to deny the other team the clean possession that the mark gives than it is to go for the mark yourself. You limit the brilliant creativity of em, (show?) ponies like the Gooch by limiting space."

You can read the full column here.

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