1. Watershed for Dublin
During the week Ger Brennan described Dublin’s loss to Cork in the 2011 league final as a watershed moment in the development of their team. Their second-half collapse that day marked a turning point as they have shown since then the ability to keep their cool in tense finales.
Dublin’s team has changed in the interim with Jim Gavin infiltrating their squad with a plethora of young talents this spring. Tomorrow Dublin return to a league final and it’s an opportunity for another watershed moment as they seek to succeed on this occasion and claim the county’s first league title in two decades.
2. Back from Down Under
Derry and Westmeath fans have witnessed this season the benefits of having bright prospects back in harness after stints in the AFL. Derry defender Chrissy McKaigue joined the Sydney Swans in 2009 while Westmeath midfielder John Heslin was recruited by the Richmond Tigers in the 2012 pre-season draft.
McKaigue stayed involved in the AFL until he was released at the end of 2011 while Heslin returned after a few months due to homesickness. Both players were back in county colours last summer and they have blossomed into players of stature as their sides secured promotion this spring.
Westmeath’s John Heslin.
Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
3. Atoning for Paddy’s weekend defeat
The only blot on Dublin’s league copybook to date came against Tyrone on St Patrick’s weekend when they lost out by 0-18 to 1-14. It’s going to be interesting to see how the teams match up when they renew acquaintances tomorrow, particularly with how the Tyrone rearguard deal with the Dublin attack.
PJ Quinn, Conor Clarke and Dermot Carlin are additions to the Tyrone defence while Dublin were missing Bernard Brogan that night and Paul Mannion only came on as a substitute. The altered line-ups will influence the outcome.
4. The effects of Derry’s league form
Brian McIver spoke during the week of how achieving a consistency of performance was one of his primary aims when becoming Derry boss. He’s got off to a positive start in clinching promotion to Division 1 but ahead of tomorrow’s final, he will be wary of the importance of transferring that form to the summer.
McIver steered Donegal to their first league crown in 2007 yet it did not pave the way for championship glory. And he’s currently in charge of a county who reached league deciders in 2008 and 2009 but their seasons subsequently ended in July on both occasions. The Ulster battle with Down on June 2nd is Derry’s key target.
Derry’s Chrissy McKaigue and manager Brian McIver
Pic: INPHO/Presseye/Lorcan Doherty
5. Tyrone benefit from being amongst the league elite
Mickey Harte has long promoted the virtues of playing Division 1 league football and his Tyrone players have certainly experienced the benefits of that this spring. Tyrone’s run of championship success in the early part of Harte’s tenure was founded on strong league displays.
They are now seeking to return to that position of strength and rounding off a productive spring with a league title – 10 years after they claimed that trophy in Harte’s debut season – would be a great fillip before their Ulster showdown with Donegal next month.
6. Westmeath’s league revival
Whatever the outcome for Westmeath tomorrow, this spring has already seen a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes. Twelve months ago, they just managed to stave off the threat of relegation in a campaign where they lost to Tyrone by nine points, Meath by 12 points and suffered a 17-point hammering against Kildare.
7. Cavanagh and O’Neill leading the way
Jim Gavin pointed out this week the significance of Sean Cavanagh’s return to the fray for Tyrone and his belief that Stephen O’Neill is ‘back to his best’. Tyrone may be a team in transition but despite the emergence of new faces, it is the impact of those two celebrated players that been key to their progress.
Cavanagh’s powerful midfield play and O’Neill’s attacking wizardry are two elements that Tyrone will base their plans for success on tomorrow.
