CORK MANAGER BRIAN Cuthbert has drafted in nine players who were not involved in last year’s championship to his 30-man panel for this season’s league campaign.

Cork are at home to Westmeath in their opening Division 1 game next Sunday afternoon and have finalised their squad ahead of that match.

There are nine newcomers but three of them – Noel Galvin, Kevin O’Driscoll and John Hayes – have previous league experience with Cork yet did not feature in last summer’s championship panel.

Three players who were in action for colleges in the McGrath Cup – Donal Óg Hodnett (CIT), Alan Cronin (UCC) and Ruairi Deane (IT Tralee) – receive call ups to the squad. Hodnett and Cronin are members of the county’s recent Munster U21 winning sides while Deane captained the Cork junior footballers to claim last year’s All-Ireland title.

The other additions are goalkeeper David Hanrahan, midfielder Michéal Ó Laoire and attacker Colm O’Driscoll. Eight U21 footballers have been identified to be part of the extended panel.

Six players who featured for Cork in last August’s exit to Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final are no longer involved with Alan Quirke, Graham Canty, Alan O’Connor, Pearse O’Neill and Paudie Kissane having retired. Ciaran Sheehan has moved to join AFL outfit Carlton while Noel O’Leary has also retired.

Cork Panel
Michael Shields (Capt.) – St. Finbarr’s
Ken O’Halloran – Bishopstown
David Hanrahan – Douglas
Eoin Cadogan – Douglas
Tomás Clancy – Fermoy
John McLoughlin – Kanturk
Damien Cahalane – Castlehaven
Noel Galvin – Ballincollig
Jamie O’Sullivan – Bishopstown
James Loughrey – Mallow
Alan Cronin – Nemo Rangers
Tom Clancy – Clonakilty
Kevin O’Driscoll – Tadhg MacCárthaigh
Micheal O Laoire – Naomh Abán
Andrew O’Sullivan – Castletownbere
Aidan Walsh- Kanturk
Ruairi Deane – Bantry Blues
Fintan Goold – Macroom
Barry O’Driscoll – Nemo Rangers
John O’Rourke – Carbery Rangers
Colm O’Driscoll – Tadhg MacCárthaigh