Ex-Roscommon captain Donie Smith was relieved that Jim McGuinness didn’t receive a 12-week ban as he calls for the GAA to review their suspensions.

McGuinness has been the subject to much discussion in recent days as the Donegal boss escaped suspension after he walked on the pitch and pushed Kerry’s Diarmuid O’Connor during Saturday’s win over Kerry in Killarney.

Many believed McGuinness was fortunate, especially after Ger Brennan’s 12-week ban from an altercation with a Galway coach during Dublin’s League Game in Salthill earlier in the season.

However, speaking at the launch of the Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Championshiops, former Roscommon captain Donie Smith believes that 12 weeks would’ve been too much for McGuinness, as it was for Brennan.

‘Ger Brennan got a 12-week ban, 12 weeks is far too long,’ the two-time Connacht winner said.

‘Maybe a one-game ban might have sufficed or maybe a two-game ban. That’s where all the talk has come from because if Ger had got a one-game ban then there’s probably a likelihood Jim might have got a one-game ban as well.’

The GAA CCCC decided to side with the referee Sean Hurson’s report on the game when deciding whether to suspend McGuinness, and while Smith was glad he avoided ban, he did think the GAA needed to look at how they hand out suspensions.

‘The 12-week thing has to be looked at,’ he explained. ‘I think it’s far too much for what Ger did or what Jim did. Twelve weeks is crazy. So from that point of view I’m obviously delighted Jim didn’t get a 12-week ban.

‘But on the same side, you have to feel bad for Ger because he had to sit in the stands while the Leinster Championship was going on.’

Brennan is still serving his ban and missed the entire Leinster Championship, and won’t return to the sidelines for another couple of weeks.

Smith was also happy to see that David Clifford avoided a ban. The Kerry star was under the spotlight after his altercation with Donegal’s Caolan McGonagle.

‘David Clifford is the game’s best ever player. I’ve no problem admitting that,’ Smith said.

‘I want to see him play every game and I’m glad he’s not banned. Obviously his arms and elbows were high in the incident before half-time, but I also think Caolán McGonagle made the most of it. I think two things there can be true.

‘The 12-week ban, regardless of what happened in Salthill or what happened in Killarney, is far too much.’