A major change in determining the make-up of the Kerry senior football management looks set to help Páidí Ó Sé get another term in charge, should he decide to put his name forward.

So far Ó Sé hasn't made public his intentions for the year ahead, although speculation is mounting that he will remain in the position for a ninth consecutive season.

At the Kerry County Board meeting on Monday night it was decided that the senior football manager would now have the freedom to pick his own back-up team, with permission to appoint two of his own selectors. Traditionally Kerry has had five selectors elected by the clubs by way of secret ballot.

The new method of determining the management team was passed by 53 votes to 25, and followed a wide-ranging discussion on the make-up of the current Kerry management. Yet it also seems to have made it easier for the executive of the board to get their desired man, and so far there have been no obvious candidates to replace Ó Sé.

It is likely, however, that current team trainer John O'Keeffe won't be working with Ó Sé again, so a shake-up of some sort is expected when the management team is finalised on October 28th.

Delegates had been asked to go back to their clubs and decide how they wanted the selectors to be chosen, although the position of manager is chosen by the executive of the board and approved by the delegates.

Kerry county board chairman Sean Walsh said that the decision of the delegates came as no surprise. "I would have expected that decision because the strong mood around the county for the last four weeks has been that the manager should pick his own selectors. We'd had the longest meeting for some time," he added, "and a very healthy discussion on the matter. Most delegates made a contribution to the debate and also voted when it came to decide the manner in which selectors would be chosen. So I was very happy with the level of debate and obviously with the decision that the manager will pick his own selectors, which I think must be welcomed as well."

Walsh, however, was not speculating any further on the chances of Ó Sé holding the position he was first handed in September 1995, and held largely unchallenged ever since. " I will be considering putting in place a manager to manage the Kerry team, whoever that may be. It could be anyone and could of course include Páidí Ó Sé but it could be someboy else but I am not saying because I have not looked at it or I have not even discussed it."

Walsh also commented further on the penalties handed down to Ballyduff following the assault on referee Gearoid O'Regan at the end of the senior hurling championship semi-final against Kilmoyley earlier this month. The club have had all of their adult hurling and football teams banned from competitions at county, divisional board and Munster levels for the remainder of the year.

Additionally, a fine of €2,000 was imposed on the club, lengthy suspensions were imposed on four players, another player-supporter was expelled from membership, while two supporters received life bans from participating in GAA activities.

Ballyduff will also be required to put up a bond of €5,000 for the next three years, with notice given that this will be forfeited in the event of any major breach of the rules or misbehaviour by any of their players, officials or supporters at all levels within the county over the period.

"The sanctions were severe," said Walsh, "and it was meant to be severe because we believe that the punishment fits the crime in this case. Anybody who was in the Austin Stack Park on the Sunday evening of September 7th were shocked and horrified at what took place.

"We have to send out the message loud and clear that this is not going to be tolerated in our games within the county. As regards the player who has been expelled from the Association it will be up to him if he wants to re-apply to the GAA for re-admission at some time in the future but at the moment that player is expelled from the GAA."

Ballyduff trainer John Buynan added: "The punishments fitted the crimes all right because what happened should never have happened. But these incidents should never have happened. There is no place in sport for that sort of behaviour."

Elsewhere, the Tipperary County Board have announced that an eight-man committee has been set up to find a replacement for hurling manager Michael Doyle and his selectors Liam Sheedy and Kevin Fox, who announced their resignations earlier this week.