If Kerry can get back to their best then that's a decent shout as it would take a really strange set of permutations for Mayo and Kerry to have to play each other again before the AI final.
Is the semi final draw made?
Entirely open draw this year while looking to avoid repeat match ups is my understanding, the predetermined provincial pairings of Ulster/Connacht and Munster/Leinster like last year are gone.
So let's say you had Roscommon, Mayo, Dublin and Kerry in the semi finals this year, only possible combo for the semi finals are Kerry-Ros and Mayo-Dublin as Mayo have already played Roscommon and Kerry and Dublin have played Roscommon already as well, there's no need for a draw.
Swap Galway out for Rossies in that scenario and it would be a draw with Kerry-Mayo the only fixture that couldn't happen.
Derry, Dublin, Mayo and Galway would be open draw with any pairing valid.
Again that's my understanding, have seen contradictory information as well but that was from a GAA clarification given to the Irish Examiner.
That's what in the rule book for the semi-final
My understanding for the Q/Finals is that all group winners in one hat, remaining four in other.
you cannot play a team from your own group in the Q/finals. i.e. Mayo if the win their group, cannot be drawn to play Kerry in Q/finals if they are one of the four non group winners.
Semi-final is an open draw, that is correct.
It's the same rule for the Q/Finals and the preliminary Q/Finals.
In both these rounds, teams who have met in the provincial finals [finals only - not all provincial matches]can't be drawn against each other and if possible, games between teams from the same group will be avoided.
The chances of there being a situation whereby a team might have to play a team it already played in the group stages are very remote but could technically happen if there are absolute freak results. However the reality is the odds of playing a team already played at the group stages are very small.
The preliminary quarter finals it will be four games where a team who finished 2nd playing at home against a team who finished 3rd subject to the rules above relating to rematches.
The quarter finals will be the four games between a group winner and the winner of a preliminary quarter-final subject to the rules above in relation to rematches.