Dublin welcome Mayo to Croke Park for Saturday evening's Allianz Football League opener, and manager Dessie Farrell has been busy assembling a new squad.
Farrell has spent the offseason putting a host of potential recruits through their paces as he already has one eye on the championship ahead of the start of the Division 1 campaign.
Experienced duo Brian Fenton and James McCarthy have bowed out of inter-county football this year, leaving a big hole to fill for the upcoming campaigns, and Farrell has opted for quantity, hoping that the quality will reveal itself over the coming weeks and months.
Sixteen players have been drafted into the Dublin set-up following the creation of a development squad after an extensive trial period, and Farrell is hoping that the injection of youth will bring a new dynamic to the squad, while former player Davy Byrne and hurler Eoghan O’Donnell have also been included.
"Things have been going well and there is a lot going on trying to get a new panel formulated," said Farrell. "It’s been an enjoyable couple of weeks and we’re looking forward to the season ahead.
"We have gone through a fairly extensive trialling process for club players over the last couple of months and we have a development squad to allow players additional time for further assessment, and then we made some decisions about who we would bring into this year’s panel.
"We have 16 [new] players in total, so it’s an interesting time for them, a great opportunity, but it’s great to see new faces and plenty of new energy as well.
"Some exciting prospects and we hope to use the league campaign to give them plenty of exposure and experience and build towards the championship."
Another of the new recruits is former AFL player, James Madden, who played with the Dublin minors before heading Down Under to spend four years at the Brisbane Lions.
And the manager said that he is excited to work with the returning Ballyboden St Enda’s man, while giving him time to adjust to his new surroundings, and of course, the round ball.
"It’s a very different sport for him and it has taken a while for him to get used to it," said Farrell. "But he is enjoying his time and we are enjoying working with him."
Farrell also took time to pay tribute to the departing Fenton and McCarthy whose presence will be sorely missed on the pitch and in the Dublin dressing room.
"Absolute stalwarts and have been brilliant servants to Dublin football. They are a huge, huge loss, a big, big void in terms of not just their talent but their leadership as well.
"Significant boots to fill, but that’s the task at hand for a new generation to step up and carry on the mantle – the two boys have been amazing in terms of the leadership they provided and the mentoring and the duty of care they had for the whole group.
"But they are no longer available to us and that is part of football and the evolution of any good team but a great opportunity for other lads to step into the breach now."
Looking ahead to Saturday’s clash with the Green and Red, Farrell is expecting it to be both challenging and interesting as both sides come to terms with the adaptation of the new rules into their tactics.
"I think it’s a very bold and brave move to try to introduce so many new rules at one time," said Farrell. "I’m all for it and I think our players are very much enjoying it.
"It’s still a learning process, and I think in a couple of weeks’ time we’ll have a much better handle on what is involved and what to expect, but so far so good from our experience.
"Mayo always come with everything, they are hugely committed and there are a lot of great footballers there. They’ll be very fit and physically strong so it will be no different to the huge battles over recent years.
"The new rules will add a different dimension, of course, the use of the goalkeeper as an extra forward will be very interesting. The kick-out going out beyond the 40-metre mark, that’s very significant as well in terms of securing primary possession, solo and go is a big one as well.
"So there are so many different aspects to it, and it will be fascinating to see how each team adapts, what they run with and what they try to deploy and take advantage of."
Watch Galway v Armagh in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 4.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
Watch Allianz League Sunday from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
