Sean Cavanagh, Colm Cooper and Ciaran Whelan have slammed Armagh and Galway players and backroom team for their role in the mass brawl that marred today's epic All Ireland football quarter-final.
Armagh and Galway played out an epic contest at Croke Park, with Riain O'Neils Long-range free sealing an unlikely comeback for the Orchard county and sent the game to extra-time. The sides were still level after the 20 additional minutes, with Galway eventually winning 4-1 on penalties.
Unfortunately, today's game will now live in the memory for all the wrong reasons. Instead of the focus being on one of the best games of the last five years, the ugly scenes prior to extra-time took centre stage on RTE's The Sunday Game.
READ MORE: Armagh star could be in hot water for actions in brawl against Galway
"Sometimes a bit of a push and a shoving match is ok," said Sean Cavanagh.
"Sometimes this is ok when it's the playing members that are involved and it's a show of raw emotion in the white heat of battle."
"But then it gets ugly when you've guys there that shouldn't be there, that aren't involved in the game itself, have nothing to lose."
The ugliest scene by far involved Armagh forward Tiernan Kelly. Himself and Damien Comer became involved in a tussle and Comer went down after what appears to have been an eye gouge by the Armagh man on Comer.
"When it gets to that level were guys involved are interfering in this sort of a way, that should not be in any sporting arena in any field in the world, it's as simple as that," said Cavanagh.
"It's ok up to a certain point, but after that point it's a disgrace."
Ex Dublin star Ciaran Whelan also appeared on the show and was just as disgusted by the brawl as Cavanagh. Trying to explain how these types of melees occur, 'Wheelo' brought up an interesting point about substitutes frustration at not being involved in the game, and how that may cause frayed tempers.
"It tarnished what was a brilliant game," said Whelan.
"It's just not acceptable."
"There's probably more tension with the guys that are not playing, because they haven't contributed to the game."
"The lads on the field are probably more composed, and that was the sad thing, that too many people that weren't involved in the game, they were probably the ones that contributed more to the melee actually than the players themselves," continued Whelan.
"It was disgraceful and it was a pity to see."
In the aftermath of the brawl, Aidan Nugent of Armagh and Sean Kelly of Galway both saw red. Like many others, Colm Cooper was confused as to why those two men were sent off, given that their roles in the scuffle were relatively minor.
"There was so much going on, what does the referee do?" said Cooper.
"Two guys I have sympathy for are Sean Kelly and Aidan Nugent."
All three men agreed that if anything, Nugent and Kelly were trying to be peacemakers.
According to Cooper, the melee and the ugly scenes in general raise far more questions about the sanctions that the GAA impose after such incidents occur.
"The bigger issue with these melees that tend to happen now and again, are the GAA's penalties severe enough?"
"Are they dealing with these in an appropriate way? said Cooper.
"We see them in club games, we see them in intercounty games, there should be harsher penalties"
Much more fallout from the incident is expected over the coming days.
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