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The 2023 All Ireland Senior Football Championship (Sam Maguire Cup)

[Deleted User]

The league is over and the championship starts in less than a week.

Major changes to the structure that I'm not going to explain but right now these are the teams, in not particular order making up the 16 for the group stages.

Kerry
Dublin
Mayo
Galway
Roscommon
Tyrone
Armagh
Donegal
Derry
Monaghan
Cork
Louth
Kildare
Sligo\Leitrim\London\NY
Westmeath (2022 TC winners)
Meath*

*Meath are out if someone below them in league standings, other than Westmeath\Sligo\Leitrim\London\NY, make a provincial final.

The provincial winners are seeded first in the groups, provincial winners 2nd and then it goes by league placings.

The group winners advance to the QFs and the 2nd and 3rd place teams play off to determine the other 4 QF teams.

Right now it's as open a championship as it has been in years.

Kerry were good last year with new management and a determination to get their first title in 9 years, but even at that they were run close by Dublin and Galway were in good shape for a decent periods of the final.

Galway themselves were seconds for being knocked out in the QF by Armagh.

Dublin had Kerry on the rack in the 2nd half of their SF but an monster free nailed it for Kerry.

This year Kerry have had a lacklustre league, but a lot of that is down to a lack of urgency after a very busy 2022 with club and county. But at the same time they are not playing well, and seem to lack depth in places.

Dublin won Div 2 but equally didn't exactly shoot the lights out in doing so, but still they are Dublin.

Mayo have been revitalized by new management and new players, they won the league and are in a much stronger position to challenge than they were in 2022.

Galway are so so, they benefited from the easy side of the draw in 2022 and seem to rely very much on a few key players. They had a great chance to beat mayo yesterday and could not take it

Armagh could spring a surprise, they should have beaten Galway in the QF last year and that would have put them in the final if you ask me. They will cause trouble in whatever group they are in and I doubt many would like to meet them in a QF.

Tyrone are hard to figure, they won an All Ireland with a team that was hardly "generational" and now it looks like they are very much middle of the pack

Derry just don't have enough to be serious contenders and I will also write off Donegal.

After all that I think it's really between Kerry, Mayo, Dublin and Armagh.

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Seadin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120868567#Comment_120868567

I be of the thought that if the ball is coming into the square it's risky and needs to be collected cleanly by the goalkeeper if nobody is calling it. Anyone can get a hand or fist to a ball coming in like that. Some players are better readers of the game and would have seen this scenario coming a mile and this distinguishes the greater and smarter players in my view.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120869189#Comment_120869189

It bounced outside the square and went over the bar so high it did not even try to jump for it. He would have needed to come 10-12 meters out to collect.

munster87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120869351#Comment_120869351

Don’t argue with a better reader of the game 😅

I see sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120867988#Comment_120867988

If I ever see Galway win an All-Ireland again then I definitely wouldn't give a hoot if the losing team has the MOTM.

You're right that being on the winning teams it probably sways things, I don't think it should though.

I can just about remember Padraig Kelly getting it in '93 (as a corner back 😲).

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120864235#Comment_120864235

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120864209#Comment_120864209

What Cluxton is great at doing is pushing up and acting as the extra man, but not pushing up Kamikaze like the likes of Rafferty with no real plan. Back in 2019 (drawn game) when Dublin were a man down Cluxton was used very intelligently and showed his in game intelligence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHR1RftyFr4

Cluxton picked up Tommy Walsh - and Rock picked up the Kerry keeper - leaving a Kerry man free on the left. So Dublin overloaded the right side of the pitch. Intelligent coaching intelligent play - well drilled players.

I don't think Dublin of 2023 are nowhere near the level of Dublin 2019 either on the sideline or on the field. Yet somehow Dublin are in an All Ireland.

Something I have not factored in for other counties is many play the Dublin jersey rather than playing their game plan. So there is a fear in the back of their mind. Mayo did this against Dublin in the AI Quarter Final in my view - as Mayo had a lot of young powerful players but the Mayo heads went because of lack of game management. A 10 minute spell in the second their heads went.

Derry did something similar v Kerry the last day. Game management of Derry went out the window taking wild shots. Derry were two points up (deep in the second half) and they only needed two more scores on top of that and the game was over as a contest.

In my view if Mayo/Tyrone/Kildare had the attitude of Monaghan they would have numerous AI's in their pockets/or at least far more competitive. Monaghan play to their maximum are really hard to beat. Monaghan do not show panic or fear. The only thing Monaghan lack is a subs bench.

Galway would have been really in the mix this year as well only for how Walsh was way off form for a few games in succession/looked tired. Added to that Comer going off injured in Galway's last championship game made it even worse for Galway.

I honestly don't think Kerry/Dublin at the moment can be classed as 'great' teams. Many of the chasing pack I mentioned above will feel they left this one behind them when they had their chance. It is a 'what if' year for many teams.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120869904#Comment_120869904

Can you imagine if they made a fella from the opposing team turn up at the winners post match AIF dinner in the hotel, and gave him the MOTM? It would certainly make for interesting television.

It amuses me that the Soccer lads do the opposite Ireland could lose 20-0 and still an Ireland fella would get MOTM - but that is more a marketing thing.

Top of my head in the lower profile games (league/championship) it is more likely that a fella from a losing team in a GAA match gets named MOTM. I don't think they could ever do it for a big final. But the fella getting the award normally looks disgusted and looks fit to throw the award away.

dxhound2005

The hurling winners, Kilkenny or Limerick will not be staying in Dublin for a banquet night. So maybe Man of the Match will be on the pitch and not on the Sunday Game? I don't know what Kerry have in mind for the football, or whether RTE have any say in the matter.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2023/0718/1395171-no-capital-stay-for-kilkenny-limerick-on-night-of-final/

mattser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120870139#Comment_120870139

Mayo/Tyrone/Kildare have All Irelands.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120872955#Comment_120872955

😉 they have enough I suppose…between them since 1928. But in recent times they should have had more IMO.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120873086#Comment_120873086

Mayo and Kildare yes. Tyrone no they have won 4 AI in twenty years which isan excellent return for any county. Kildare should have won back in 98 was it.

We will not bother speaking about Mayo. At present after they are knocked out they always want Dublin to win. It a crutch at present gives them an excuse for losing to the greatest team.

Mayo's problem with winning is psychological. It easier for them to lose than win

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120873397#Comment_120873397

Fair point on Tyrone over the 20 years. But in the last 10 years I feel that Tyrone should have been challenging more and offering more given the players they had. It was partly due to Micky Harte stifling the players - AI SF 2017 v Dublin prime example of this Tyrone played into Dublin's game plan. Harte had no plan B.

Sean Cavanagh criticised Harte during his last few years for not giving the forwards more of a chance to express themselves. It got him in a lot of hot water with some of his fellow countymen. Tyrone did not look like winning Sam at all with Harte in charge etc.

Harte leaves Tyrone in November 2020. Tyrone win Sam in 2021. It against a Mayo team I would argue was a better overall panel on panel than Tyrone.

But now the Tyrone players seemed/seem happy to retire and/or dine on on that one Sam. Sort of reminds me of Dublin 1995.

Poor_old_gill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120862241#Comment_120862241

@RoyalCelt I'm still waiting for your answer as to why the GAA would take the hit on ticket sales just to favour Kerry

FullBack Jam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120879575#Comment_120879575

This is a forum. If he/she decides to ignore your taunting, they are entitled to do so.

Your posts are very confrontational. You never seem to provide any useful insight into anything - just jumping in with challenging comments and asking for evidence. You seem to be putting boards.ie into the same box as a Court of Law; that if someone makes a comment, they have an obligation to provide you with back-up to justify that opinion. Calm down a bit, and maybe see this forum as a means of actually getting some useful information (and maybe providing useful analysis), as opposed to viewing it in a manner that you are looking to get one over on whoever says anything negative towards Kerry.

CantonasCat2

I see a number of Nally tickets went on sale on Ticketmaster today for the Hurling Final. A similar possibly for the football, does anyone think? I appreciate the Dubs are playing , but wasn’t there a football final in last 3-4 years where some tik went on general sale? I’m probably clutching at a lot of straws tbf!!

I see sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120880059#Comment_120880059

No chance I'd say with Dublin playing.

Poor_old_gill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120879906#Comment_120879906

Complete nonsense- if someone continually comes on and states that there is a GAA conspiracy based, that results in blatant cheating, designed to have Kerry in as many finals as possible then I can ask for their rationale.

It's not taunting and your attempts to shut down anyone who questions the random claims of another poster are ridiculous.

Looking to get one over? I have asked someone to explain their conspiracy theory based, anti Kerry posts - It's a reasonable approach

Never provide any insight? I'm not sure what insight I can provide in response to the above and its funny that you pick out someone who is responding to such posts as the one taunting and being confrontational - as opposed to the poster claiming cheating, conspiracy theories and favouritism.

dobman88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120880059#Comment_120880059

Keep an eye on it later next week. Last year and this year it was Friday before hurling tickets went on sale. I think football went on sale around the same time for the last 2 years

Clubs will have their allocation settled by then and it'll be then that they'll go up.

CantonasCat2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120880420#Comment_120880420

That’s 100% - thanks for the advice / strategic tip!!

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120879575#Comment_120879575

Are you not mixing up separate points I made? What did I originally say? Honestly can't remember. GAA championship very forgetful these days move onto more interesting things pretty fast.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Not really sure what the argument is about but I don't really get the whole "taking a hit on ticket sales for kerry" thing anyway. All ireland football final would sell out no matter who's playing, especially if Dublin are the other team.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120885986#Comment_120885986

The Indo is some rag though, facilitating this type of BS.

Seadin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120886105#Comment_120886105

Brolly is what the The Sunday Game needed. Controversial like Spillane but that's what made it good and watchable. Since they got rid of Brolly they just have robotic analysists some who are as boring and one dimensional as hell and are as entertaining as a piece of cardboard.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120881725#Comment_120881725

This is what you said in a post which I called a conspiracy theory.

It's inevitable that Dublin and Kerry when you factor in they always get the majority of close calls in close games. At this point the GAA look worse then FIFA. At least they pretend they want minnow's to make finals. If the gaa could have a Dublin v Kerry final every year for eternity they'd be delighted.

shockframe

4 of the last 5 hurling finals won by nearly 10 points or more.

Football getting much more out of its finals in that time.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888024#Comment_120888024

Ok but what has that got to do with the GAA taking a hit to favour Kerry? Are you referring to my post about putting tailteann final on the wrong day? Because that decision most certainly cost them revenue.

munster87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888243#Comment_120888243

The GAA want a Kerry Dublin final every year? Why so?

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888243#Comment_120888243

The Kerry thing was explained to you before, did you forget that as well?

If you think the Tailteann final was on the wrong day, you should have challenged it back in December 2022, when it was set in the Master Fixtures Plan. The GAA are as bad as FIFA for sticking to schedules.

Final 15.07.2023 (Sat) (One Game) The winners of the All-Ireland Semi-Finals shall meet in the All-Ireland Final.

Poor_old_gill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888243#Comment_120888243

Kerry bring much less supporters than a lot of counties to every match bar the final - if the GAA wanted to maximise revenue then they would look to have kerry eliminated as early as possible.

If Tyrone had beaten Kerry in the quater final then the semi final v Derry would have sold out.

The final will sell out so thats a fixed element to the discussion - it's the earlier rounds that the GAA need to favour teams in and they wouldnt favour Kerry if money was the priority.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888408#Comment_120888408

I never claimed what you think. I agree with you. It never makes sense to me why the GAA are so obsessed with kk, Kerry and Dublin getting to finals. I get why they wanted Dublin but they helped Dublin so much their support levels actually dropped which is insane why so much of Ireland lives there.

They publicly stated which refs definitely heard that they needed and wanted Dublin to win in the past. I don't understand why they don't publicly tell the current referees that we need Armagh, Tyrone, Galway, Derry, mayo, Roscommon etc to win.

It's like the GAA are trying to prove they're not the grab all association. Puting the tailteann final with the Dublin final clearly proved they hate money.

As a GAA club man I hate these trends as less money for the GAA means less for the clubs.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888328#Comment_120888328

Considering Dublin walk their way to almost every semi angled they generally sell out it's insane they don't at least wait until they know which semi Dublin are in before setting it. INSANE.