Messages

I reckon the lights will be on again today at least for the 2nd half anyway! Should be a very tight 1, i dont think it will be as high scoring as the 2005 games due to the conditions but hopefully the game will be as exciting! When we play tyrone both teams seem to up their game be it league or champo and i just love the intensity of the games between the teams! Wouldnt be surprised to see a fair few handbag scuffles in the first few mins but hopefully that wont stop us from seeing a good open game of football. Dubs by 3  

If there's not going to be anymore changes i reckon the back six will line out like this:
Henry Nolan  Griffin
Moran Cullen Cahill

I heard earlier in the season that Nolan was being groomed as back up for the fb position but has sinec been outstanding in the A v B games in the half back line, thats why he has stepped ahead of Casey in the pecking order. I wouldnt be too confident of him back there, as i stated above he's an outstanding footballer & will go on to play for dublin for years but in the half back line, im a little more worried now than i was when the team was first named

If shocko is out i reckon Ross might get a reprieve at FB with Griff moving to the corner. And it wouldnt surprise me either, if collie came in for Bonner at 10.
I hope to God Pillar doesnt move Nolan to corner back in place of shocko if he does we could have a repeat of Peadar Andrews v Ollie Murphy. Nolan is a fantastic half back but is nowhere near as good in the FB line, he has too much football for back there & seems to look lost even when he plays there for Crokes!

From Reservoir Dubs, this will be the Dublin team if collie doesnt get off:
Cluxton
Henry Griffin Shocko

Nolan Cullen Catzer

Whelo Ryan

Keaney Jayo Bonner

Alan Connolly Quinn

Any word on the Wexford team, same as the last day???

Id say its the lads that run the site just taking the piss

Id like to see the O'Byrne,McKenna cups etc. scrapped and start the league at the start of the year. Play out the provincial champonships between april-june and then champions league stlye of 8 groups of 4 for the AI with winners going through to the quarter finals.
This leave an opportunity for every county to win one of the three competitions!

Pretty good guess there Indiana
Its the first time since he came into the team in 2002 that Casey has been dropped for a champo game, ive been saying it for the last few yrs that our strongest hb line was colie-cullen-cahill.
Im delighted that fennell has held onto his place ahead of whelo, if its not going right for him its not a bad sub to be able to bring on
Good strong bench too with Griffin, Casey, Nolan, Whelan, Connolly, Vaughan, and Andrews all pushing to be first sub in!!!

I had a good view of it too and it was definitely wide but McConnell was nowhere near him for it in anyway.
Fair play to armagh, better team won on the day if they can maintain that level of performance and especially the form of clarke and mcdonell they'll be in the mix-up!!

Thats a strong enough team, i think shane pulled up wit an injury the last day so thats why he isnt being risked, glad to see Fennell get another shot hopefully he stakes another claim!
It will be interesting to see if they line out as named, i doubt it! As heffo said theres a very stong bench to come in! Glad to see Pillar is finally giving the whole panel some game time during the league, it only took him 3 years

Is there any chance any of the new lads Murphy, Dyas or Hanley will get soem game time this season???

I reckon flanagan will go man to man on A.Brogan. Will McCabe be fit enough for midfield at this time of year??

Has the Cavan team been named yet? if not any of the Cavan lads want to hazzard a guess of what it might be??

Irish recruit keeps it level
2:23 PM Thu 31 January, 2008 | Back

By Ben Broad, in South Africa

Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network

News
COLLINGWOOD officials need not worry about Irish rookie Kevin Dyas getting out of line.

While there is potential for the international recruit to get swept up by the glitzy world of AFL football, especially with the recent sharp focus on young footballers from the Emerald Isle, a quick chat to the 20-year-old old reveals that this is one footballer who won't be getting ahead of himself.

The Magpie rookie will be earning decent money and following the footsteps of countryman Martin Clarke who swept all before him last year, but he knows to be thankful for his lot in life.

Dyas, who hails from County Armagh, just near Clarke's County Down, was one of the few Magpies with previous African experience before the club's South African adventure.

Last week, Collingwood players visited a small township just outside Potchefstroom and while the sights and poverty they encountered shocked many players, Dyas was better prepared than most after a trip to Africa a few years earlier.

"I was in Zambia about two or three years ago doing a bit of charity work with my school on an emerging project," Dyas said.

"We were just over for two or three weeks teaching in the schools, going out with the volunteer workers to visit people with AIDS and giving out tablets and just sort of talking to them, doing all sorts of stuff like that to just make them feel better.

"They had nothing really and they were really happy to see us. It just shows you that you don't really have to have everything to be happy like they were."

Dyas was so affected by what he saw in Zambia that he left behind clothes and "anything else that wasn't going to be of any use to us".

It was those humanitarian qualities as well as his outstanding physical traits that attracted the Magpies.

Dyas was selected by Collingwood with the club's second round pick (No. 30 overall) in the 2007 AFL Rookie Draft. The strong bodied midfielder will wear No 41 in 2008

Very sad day for the GAA a truly great sportsman! Some of the scores he put over in 2005 left and right from some outrageous angles were a joy to watch! I wish him all the best

Id expect it to be between Dublin, Monaghan and Meath for the top spot. I could see Westmeath and Roscommon gettin relegated!