GAELIC GAMES NEWS:GAA PRESIDENT Nickey Brennan yesterday described the level of indiscipline during Sunday's Dublin-Meath football league match as "appalling" and "unacceptable", and promised a further investigation into the controversial events at Parnell Park.

Yesterday morning the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) met in Croke Park to decide the dates and venues for this weekend's finals across all four divisions in the National Football League. In the afternoon they met again to examine the implications of the game in Parnell Park, which resulted in five straight red cards, a further 11 yellow cards, and which included one particularly nasty punch by Dublin midfielder Ciarán Whelan.

"It is time that leadership stood up, and responsibility was taken, for the actions that we saw (on Sunday)," said Brennan.

"It was appalling, it was unacceptable, and I'm absolutely disgusted with it. I don't know what we have to do to get the message across to these people, that presenting our games is important, because we want to make sure we attract future generations to our games. And yesterday's events did nothing to help us in that regard.

"The CCCC have received all the match reports where players were sent off over the weekend, including the Dublin-Meath game, and will consider what course of action to take.

"I don't want to pre-judge, but responsibility has got to be taken by the players, the team mentors, and the county boards in relation to this matter, and I'm quite sure the CCCC will consider the roles of all of the three parties in relation to this, in coming to any conclusion."

CCCC chairman Jimmy Dunne explained that all avenues open to such an investigation of Sunday's indiscipline would be explored, including the report of match referee Paddy Russell of Tipperary, as well as video footage. It now appears increasingly likely the range and level of penalties may go beyond what was handed out on Sunday.

"We're going back in to look at the Dublin-Meath issue," said Dunne, speaking ahead of the CCCC meeting. "We'll see what we have in front of us, and make all the decisions we can based on that.

"But we will be looking at all aspects of Sunday's game."

Later yesterday, the GAA stated "there will be no announcement with regard to disciplinary issues at the Dublin-Meath game . . .until further notice", which is in line with the CCCC's procedures.

Central to their investigation will be the mass melee which broke out early in Sunday's game, and lasted for almost a minute and a half. After consulting his sideline officials, Russell issued straight red cards to Dublin's Paddy Andrews and Bernard Brogan, and Meath's Niall McKeigue and Shane McAnarney. It may be that several more players will be identified, given that 29 of the 30 players on the field were at one stage there or thereabouts.

Whelan was later shown a straight red card for punching Meath defender Séamus Kenny in the face. As a result of all that, the three Dublin players will definitely miss Saturday's Division Two final against Westmeath, based on the minimum four-week suspension.

However, Rule 143 of the Official Guide, which deals with such matters of indiscipline, makes it clear that the penalty for "contributing to a melee" is a minimum of four weeks, but not limited to that.

Likewise, "inflicting reckless injury", which Whelan may well be reported for, carries a minimum suspension of eight weeks.

Any four-week suspensions wouldn't impinge on availability for the championship as Meath's first outing is on May 18th, when they meet Carlow, while Dublin don't face Louth until June 8th, Yet it appears longer suspensions are now likely.

Brennan hinted at potentially more extreme penalties, including those outlined under 143 (d), which deals with "misconduct considered to have discredited the Association", and which also allows for a minimum suspension of eight weeks. He contrasted the fine sportsmanship evident at Sunday's NHL final between Galway and Tipperary at Limerick with the events at Parnell Park.

Dublin top the indiscipline record for the football league, with six players red-carded in the past month - the three on Sunday, Alan Brogan against Armagh and both Mark Vaughan and Bryan Cullen against Monaghan. That the game also resulted in a 16-week suspension for team statistician Ray Boyne for head-butting Monaghan's Tommy Freeman. Dublin also had three players red-carded in the course of the O'Byrne Cup.