The 2024 All Ireland Senior Football Championship (Sam Maguire Cup)

What you are saying in all but name is div1 plus div 2 and a few wildcards. In all honesty the league has been my favourite competition for years now. A proper competition. As for the AI ok the odd group game might get my interest as a neutral. Louth v Meath for example. But really I am waiting for the business end of the championship where it is some teams last chance to qualify for knockout. Or it is the knockout stages.
What I would like to see is a comparison in the amount of revenue brought in those knocked out of provincial only had one second chance. Versus the current format.

If the revenue is similar and the players like it leave it be. If not make the league the no1 competition with home/away fixtures like the way most sports do it worldwide. A GAA compromise would be a seeded quarter finals mix of all the divisions top two.

If the championship had proper jeopardy, format discussions can be stopped. The majority are happy with the league.

It'll be interesting to see if Westmeath can pull off a shock. Roscommon will be favourites but Cavan should be ready. Hard to see Meath getting a positive result.

Some good games ahead hopefully. Colm Boyle said he'd like to see a game on a Friday evening as well. I agree as it's a pity to have so many on at the one time when putting one on Friday would be extra promotion for the game. Maybe they all need to be the same day for final round but could have been done in earlier rounds.

This weekend might be the final run out for the group stages. Reports that the double elimination format is likely to be voted in later in the year. Essentially the second round will consist of a winners and losers round. Those who lose twice will be out.

Westmeath, Derry, Roscommon and Monaghan go in search of a championship win at the fourth attempt. Derry, Roscommon and Monaghan should make the most of the opportunity. Neither of three would be entirely dismissed from getting through to the quarter-finals either.

That's the one. Seems a sensible approach. The wrinkles to iron out will be will provincial winners be drawn against Seed 4? They might have to have a separate draw for home advantage. It could be a bit severe to force Seed 4s to travel to provincial champions, unless bad luck of the draw determines otherwise.

No problem with this proposal, but the provincial winners must lose their seedlings.

Munster and Leinster are dead ducks, and it's unfair giving the winners an advantage by a seed in the draw. If they want to keep the provinces, fair enough, but you can't reward the winners in the AI championship.

You will know the intrancies of it better than me, buy there should be no benefit from winning a province once it's done apart from holding a shiny cup.

If the draw is open, they could meet each other in R1.

All the permutations in Round 3. Counties finishing third in their group can take hope from last year. Three of the four third placers won their Preliminary QF's. Which should remind the second placers of the jeopardy involved in not winning their groups.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0613/1454591-football-permutations-final-round-of-group-phase/

I didn't study the new proposal. But if winner takes all ties like Monaghan v Meath can't attract a crowd at present, then they would not attract a crowd under any format.

I agree with the second paragragh it can be summed up in one GAA word "tradition". It will go eventually. Hopefully I will be alive to see it, would it happen in 30 years?

But even Marty Morrissey when commenting on the live provincial draw, cannot muster any sincerity where he calls most provincial games an "intriguing tie".

Seed 1: Galway, Kerry, Dublin, Derry

Seed 2: Sligo, Clare, Louth, Armagh.

Seed 3: Mayo, Roscommon, Tyrone, Monaghan

Seed 4: Donegal, Cork, Kildare, Westmeath.

ROUND 1

SEEDS 1 v 4

Kerry v Cork, Kerry win

Galway v Westmeath, Galway win

Dublin v Kildare, Dublin win

Derry v Donegal, Derry win

SEEDS 2 v 3

Louth v Mayo, Mayo win

Sligo v Roscommon, Roscommon win

Clare v Monaghan, Monaghan win

Armagh v Tyrone, Armagh win

ROUND 2A WINNERS v WINNERS

SEEDS 1 OR 4 V SEEDS 2 OR 3

Kerry v Mayo, Mayo won

Galway v Armagh, Armagh won

Dublin v Roscommon, Dublin win after extra time!

Derry v Monaghan, Derry win after extra time!

ROUND 2B LOSERS v LOSERS

SEEDS 1 OR 4 V SEEDS 2 OR 3

Louth v Cork, Cork won

Sligo v Kildare, Kildare win after extra time!

Clare v Donegal, Donegal win

Westmeath v Tyrone, Tyrone win

ROUND 3 2A LOSERS v 2B WINNERS

Kerry v Tyrone, Kerry win

Galway v Cork, Cork surprisingly win!

Roscommon v Kildare, Kildare win

Monaghan v Tyrone, Monaghan win

QUARTER-FINALS ROUND 2A WINNERS V ROUND 3 WINNERS

Mayo v Kildare

Armagh v Monaghan

Dublin v Kerry!!

Derry v Cork

Brian Hurley a big doubt which would be a major loss for Cork.

The GAA are not alone in regional representation. UEFA have regional representation. FIFA have regional representation. Rugby has regional representation.

All provinces are guaranteed two places. 4 of the 7 league qualifiers this year are from Ulster. The league qualification is doing what it is designed for.

Provincial championships could be improved by using a fair seeding for balanced draws. With provincial championships realistically remaining connected to the All-Ireland, there has to be some reward for winning. Provincial winners versus Seed 4s and provincial runners-up versus the Seed 3s seems the most logical under the existing structure.

Saying half of the provincial's are competitive is a bit of a stretch.

At worst it is 25%, with Connacht is ambivalent. Do Galway and Mayo really care about the final result? It is not even a means to an end to the bigger prize anymore - Sam.

It is only Roscommon/Sligo that get REALLY excited about winning Connacht, this normally happens where Mayo/Galway are drawn against each other early on. Would most Galway/Mayo fans be able to tell you how many Connacht titles each as won?

It is is a long way from the times Galway people worried that -

"Do you think Galway bate Mayo?"

"Do you think Galway bate Mayo?"

"Do you think Galway bate Mayo?

"Not if they have Willie Joe"

"They haven't a hope of bating Mayo"

It meant something back then, knockout no second chances.

Leinster and Munster dead ducks with Munster being even worse than Leinster when Cork dip in anyway, as it is basically a hurling province. Cork are a potential sleeping giant but sleep mostly. Leinster has a lot of sides, much more than any other province most of them poor. And a few larger teams who are not just sleeping, but who are in a coma waiting for someone to switch off the life support.

Ulster the crown jewel of provinces is competitive yes, but all the teams play in similar styles with little or no variation which can be turgid and put off neutrals. I think that nature of the way Ulster teams play has forced them to go the same route, when playing each other.

It always amuses me for such a nationalist organisation that the GAA is still so wedded to counties and county boundaries that were created by the British.

If the GAA really wanted to they could create their own "provinces" geographically or even their own counties. But I know there would not be an appetite for that among weaker counties so we are left with the current situation.

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As for Sunday's match between Dublin and Mayo will mean something to both sets of supporters. In the sense that both are top tier teams and it will give a strong indicator where both teams are "at". As their respective provinces do not indicate much to either side.

Dublin will want to send out a message and not let Mayo get "notions". Mayo will want to put on a decent show to prove they are worthy of their lofty aspirations.

The neutrals might see it as a glorified glamour challenge match. But I bet there will be plenty keeping half an eye on it.

I am looking forward to the Armagh v Galway game as well as there should be a bit of needle in it. Both teams well met.

Cork the lucky third placed team. Having knocked Mayo to third last year, it was their turn this year. They'll probably want to draw second from group 4.