A couple of small tweaks...

Dublin not mathematically safe quite yet. Still the possibility of a team to going down on 7 points, so Dublin's 6 not enough if multiple games all manage to go against them in both the final rounds (works out at ~1% probability in modelling, though no hand-breaks being pulled there so a higher chance in reality - https://x.com/StatsAndSolos/status/1896293997884432405)

A victory over Derry & 7 points wouldn't assure us of safety on its own. We'd need that result together with any of a Kerry loss, a Dublin loss or a Tyrone draw or loss in R6 to be sure of safety ahead of R7. Again, relatively unlikely scenario for all those results to go the 'wrong' way... but the league is nothing if not consistent for throwing out various unlikely scenarios.

Each of ourselves, Armagh & Kerry with that possibility of still finishing 1st or 8th. Hard not to love the league.

Ah, the cut and thrust of the league. It reads exactly as it should..let loose the hounds of hell now!

A kerry, galway, mayo and Tyrone would bring Dublin into squeaky bum time so alot to play for yet. I really think Donegal don't want any more points so I'd expect Tyrone and mayo will benefit from that. Galway will go all out to beat the dubs. Looking at the picture at the top it looks like o!Hora left his top in the dressing room..

That was meant to read kerry,galway, mayo and Tyrone win.

Westport, Balla and Mayo Gaels in the same group for the last 3 years.Something very wrong with that, Could they not have been kept apart

Kerry v Armagh : Armagh win

Dublin v Galway : Galway win

Derry v Mayo : mayo win

Donegal v Tyrone : Tyrone win

I’m just typing out loud here . Let’s just go with that for the hell of it . How does that leave the table go ing into the final round .

Galway 10

Donegal 8

Armagh 7

Mayo 7

Dublin 6

Tyrone 5

Kerry 4

Derry 1

Is that correct ? If that were to unfold I’d be thinking we would be definitely in with a decent shout of making the final . Only Armagh could catch us in said situation for second spot as we’d beat Donegal and no other team could reach 9 with Galway already claiming top spot .

I’m lying on couch sleepy so this post could look daft if I’ve miscalculated but hey daft posts not that unusual for mise .

Sam Og they could if they progressed a bit further in competition so be in same seeded pot. It's unfortunate, but literally luck of the draw.

Group 2 looks hardest in senior and prob group 3 in intermediate .a lot of good games in there.club leagues starting in a month and still no fixtures out?

I see Sean Hurson (Tyrone) is down to ref the St Colmans game. A strange choice i would have taught . I know Maghera are Derry, but still.

It's hard to progress in a championship when every single year u keep getting the top 2 or 3 teams, mayo gaels and balla for the past 3 years in a row have got ridiculously hard groups, the top 4 teams who make the semi finals should be seeded then the rest an open draw.

Stick to the plan. Our aim has to be getting a fully fit squad for the Sligo game. If that means playing lads recovering from injuries and them being rusty, then so be it. If it means, which I hope it does, that we stick with introducing 3 or 4 new faces then so be it. If we end up losing and dropping points then so be it. In my opinion, priority no.1 is having 22 or 23 real strong options for McStay come the Sligo game. Then we have Sligo & Leitrim to get Durcan, Conroy and DOC up to speed.
Then. It's a Connaught final. That's what our entire season must be aimed for.

Just a quick one friends
Here in Wicklow on the 21st of February, 1 of the most talented players to ever play for our club died by suicide. At 18 years of age. Represented club and county from underage levels and was a real talent. Came from a great family, massively respected in the community and beyond. What brought him to this has us floored.
Not blaming GAA but it has me wondering. Are we putting too much pressure on our young players? S and C is coming in at younger and younger ages. Structure, stats and "process" are even at underage level. Are players enjoying their "hobby " enough?
The game at the upper levels of club football has gone very serious. Bringing in outside managers/coaches will help maybe but by default does it mean bar the physical well being of players so that they can play, is players welfare being looked after well enough?
Honestly think that young lads/ladies are under serious pressure. The Internet has brought us many great things, this blog a prime example. But in many ways it's a dangerous nasty horrible place.
We've been told for generations that" ye don't know how easy ye have it". " We didn't have half what ye have etc". I honestly think that the current u30s have it tougher than the generation before them.
I never ever want to stand in a graveyard again and see a estimated 1000 youngsters crying, looking stunned at what's happening.
Please please check in with your youngsters be they siblings, players or friends . A simple "how are you " enjoying your sport etc. " it might just might be a big difference in some youngsters life. Thanks for reading.

Paddyjoejohntom it is a fairly strange choice but not unprecedented.hurson did ref Armagh in the all Ireland last year and he is also one of the top refs if not the top in Ireland

Allianz Football League Roinn 1

Kerry v Armagh - Kerry at home and starting to up the anti
Dublin v Galway - Dublin looking for a final and Galway already in it
Mayo v Derry - Derry need the points more
Donegal v Tyrone - Tyrone - Donegal trying to avoid a league final and Tyrone wanting to stay up

Galway v Kerry - Kerry - Galway in final - Kerry looking to avoid relegation
Mayo v Donegal - Mayo - Donegal saving themselves for 1st round of championship, Mayo looking to stay up
Armagh v Derry - Armagh - Armagh trying to avoid relegation - Derry getting ready for championship
Tyrone v Dublin - Draw - Dublin looking to get to league final - Tyrone needing to avoid relegation

Final Table
Dublin - 9 points
Galway - 8 points
Donegal - 8 points
Kerry - 8 points
Mayo - 7 points
Armagh - 7 points
Tyrone - 6 points
Derry - 3 points

When you look at the championship draw, you can see who needs to be ready earlier.

Donegal and Derry is 6th April
Galway, Roscommon, Monaghan, Cork have to be ready for 19th April
Armagh and Tyrone is the 26th April
Mayo don't need to be at full pace until 4th May
Kerry don't need to be at full pace until 17th May
Dublin only have to get excited on 24th May

There is a reason why Kerry, Dublin, Mayo, Galway end up in league finals - the Ulster teams try to avoid it like the plague.
Any time an Ulster team wins the league (or plays a final) it's normally followed by an early Ulster championship exit.

Kerry and Dublin normally need a league final just to keep sharp as they don't get another hard game until after the provincials are finished

Can't see Dublin making the final, not that it'd be a surprise with the way the league has panned out but Joyce might well want to make a croker statement- so Galway win for me.
Kerry will eke out two wins, I'd wager.
Donegal, job done, but is it in their DNA to let Tyrone get one up on them? I think they'll field weakened squads for sure.
Malachy O'Rourke will want to win Ulster, I believe, and the league is never on the radar with them, but their last game in Omagh I feel they'll beat Dubs. Mayo could well make this final. It's like picking non Willie Mullins winners at Cheltenham.... tough.

@Ever the optimist yeah agree think Galway will do it they seem to be going all out to win the league. Donegal 100% are not bothered with a league final or Armagh.

Thanks for that comment, Richie Duck. Anyone who is a parent of those in that age group (as I am) will, I’m sure, wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments, as I do. There are so many pressures on young people nowadays but, in this world of information overload on a 24/7 basis, it can be easy to miss the signs so it’s vital to keep checking in on an ongoing basis. Thanks again for highlighting this.

So sorry to hear that Richie Duck, I'd be in same line of thinking. Especially with age change to U17 I feel there should be next to no coverage of school or minor intercounty games in media.
Young lads being bigged up is bound to make many feel pressure. At 16 and 17 lads are only growing into themselves, growth spurts etc. they develop at different rates. Let people go watch games if they want, but let the lads enjoy the game for the games sake.
And in time you'd hope the best lads will come to the fore.

Remember going Celtic Park in 2007 for championship, last matched P. Hanley. God he would have been key in following years. Always thought he was missing link.

@Richie Duck really sorry to hear that. There is so much pressure on young people today. You never know what anyone is thinking so always check in and be kind to each other.

suicide, has been silent killer in this country. When I was 17 friend of mine committed suicide. The most happy go lucky guy I knew, or so I thought. Ask how your friend and family "How they getting on?". Not always clear to see.

I was chatting to a mammy about the local underage lgfa club.
Her daughter is 12 this year and quit to play for another club.
She is particularly talented for an 11 year old last year and the coach of the U12's would ring the mam to make sure here daughter would be at the go games as the coach wanted their best player to play.

There was another lad in our club at U8's - his father stands on the sideline barking instructions at him. He gets frustrated when things go against him and starts a fight every second week. Ending up punching a kid who took the ball off him in a training game. He has been kicked out of two other clubs already.

Its rarely the kid putting pressure on herself/himself at underage.

A major problem with the current gaa system is that we expect players to act professional in an amateur environment. All this s&c and paying for management tickets is ridiculous and is against the ethos of the gaa. Ffs it was created by a communist so if we were true to word we would have for the people by the people. The pressure put these players by supporters is a blight destroying our game quicker than any rule change could

I did a course recently through work.
Sport was mentioned
For both Boys and Girls, there is serious pressure through social media .
S@C
Winning
Being the best
Making the cut/ team
Pressure from parents
Body image etc, all bring with an anxiety / fear .
This can lead to extreme pressure, self doubt etc...
Sport is great, especially team sports but it has to be enjoyable.
Throw in the Pressure of school , college and exams .
It's not easy being a child nowadays.
Very few clubs have not being affected by suicide and the trauma it brings to family and friends.
Apologies WJ , gone off topic here

No need to apologise at all, My Ball, it’s a topic worthy of plenty of debate.

Mayo have to be ready for Sligo not the Connaught final.
Sligo going bad in the league is no indication of what they will be like in the championship.

Important post Richy, thanks.
I know of soccer clubs paying for crazy young kids across Europe bursary money to play in tournaments.
Yet, for all that I've never seen the standard of soccer be worse. The Ballon Dors from the non coached era versus the Academy era the elite players were extraordinary 90s to 00s.
Give the kids a ball and walk away.
My son hates organized cones sport but he loves disorganized fun sport.

When and where are Mayo playing Donegal

Castlebar last game , tickets will be tight James

@sean burke. I don't think tickets will be tight for the donegal game, If neithet team want yo qualify for the final. I never see children playing with a football in their garden any more. The football is way too structured for children nowadays.

When Sean

Round 7

Sunday 23rd March at 3:45pm in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park

Mayo V Donegal

James - fixture details (where available) are listed under the Fixtures tab here on the blog.

Has the U20s panel been announced yet?

@JoeG: Last year, the panel announcement came with the release of the match-day 24 (came with an "Extended Panel" list) for the opening round game against Roscommon, just the evening before the game. With the captain(s) announced just a few hours earlier that day.

A lot of the same folks involved behind the scenes, so wouldn't be surprised to see something similar in terms of timelines this year (so ~18th of March for the opening game on the 19th).

@Jimbo totally agree. Also think that's the reason there are so many ACLs etc. Getting dropped to training/matches and if not going at full pelt at a organised training session it's full stop. Sitting staring at a screen. Not cycling to a mates house for a kick about or kicking a ball off the gable wall of the house. I'd safely say window replacement from balls is way down.
Grateful for the feedback from the earlier comment. Hopefully it'll spark a conversation with someone it'll help
No matter how awkward that conversation may be. Easier than the eulogy I listened to last week.

@ Richie duck,no bounce back off the gable now with the external insulation....and you wouldn't dare kick a ball up on the roof on account of solar panels. Different rules apply nowadays.

JoeG, no panel yet. Although most be seen less Colman lads in the game last weekend

Used to get in fierce bother for damaging pebble dash at my grandparents house. That's gone now too

I wonder are the Colman's lads doing much with the u20 panel. It's especially difficult this year as two different sets of rules. I doubt they have played challenge matches and with u20 championship starting a few days after the Hogan final there will not be any other challenge games.

Wyatt Colman's players are involved. Beirne and Rio both were on it last year. I'm guessing Tracey/Cassidy will be close to it. Anyone else? Noonan , hession are first year u20 so probably not this year

Hurling country here, foundations of the house shake every evening with the ball being flaked off the wall.
Sorry to hear the news Richie Duck, mental health is a very complex thing.
Certainly physically our secondary school generation that are sporty are in bother. They do too much.
My 13 yr old is on 1st yr colleges, a divisional county squad and club. His schedule is absolutely ridiculous.
I’m going to have to pull him from something. His older brother won a county intermediate medal while starting at 18, captained the u-21s to a divisional title and now doesn’t want to play anymore at 21.
This isn’t a “humble brag” post, just saying extremes in everything are bad. A lot of our kids have a full career done at 20 compared to us owl bucks who prob didn’t start organised GAA till u/12s. The rest was just having the craic with a ball and ur friends.
Parents of young teens, don’t be afraid to miss training when they need a rest, monitor their activity coz the coaches cant/wont. Keep the joy in it as it can quickly turn into a chore and just hardship.

Yknow what's a great practice either soccer or Gaelic?
Find a flat wall, focus on a solid kicking connection and try and get the ball travelling straight out and straight back.
So for the soccer shot it would track the shortest line between you and the wall and it comes back along that line.
Similar with a Gaelic kick.
It forces you into good technique and a nice connection.