Joe Brolly gives blunt assessment of GAA’s disciplinary procedures after clearing Antrim star

Matthew Fitzpatrick is free to play against Donegal on Sunday.

The Antrim footballer was earlier this week stung by a 48-week ban for giving “deliberately false evidence and deliberately [misleading] the hearing” earlier this month. The draconian punishment related to a hearing following an altercation in Antrim's final National League game against Armagh. Having twice successfully contested a one-match ban for the Division 3 incident, Fitzpatrick was then slapped with a 48-week ban after the Central Hearing Committee ruled that he breached Rule 7.3 (aa) (4) of the GAA’s Official Guide. The star forward is now free to line-out in Ballybofey after a late night hearing of the Central Appeals Committee (CAC) on Wednesday, where the services of a certain well-known GAA pundit were called upon. A barrister by trade, Brolly gave a typically blunt assessment of the original ruling after confirming that the St Mary's student's ban had been overturned. https://twitter.com/JoeBrolly1993/status/864987256423153665 https://twitter.com/JoeBrolly1993/status/865080112907247616 Antrim county board then confirmed the news on their own Twitter account. https://twitter.com/AontroimGAA/status/864989249019555840