ARMAGH
Blaine Hughes 8
Took a year out in 2023 but has held off Ethan Rafferty despite the latter returning from injury. Seven clean sheets in nine
championship games.
Paddy Burns 7
An aggressive marker who plays his club football in Down, with St Mary’s. Comfortable left one on one in space. The likeliest match for Rob Finnerty.
Aaron McKay 8
Lost Seán O’Shea for Paul Murphy’s goal in the semi-final. Damien Comer was injured the last time these teams met, but McKay is the obvious match-up.
Connaire Mackin 7
Somewhat surprise replacement for Peter McGrane, who had started all eight of Armagh’s previous championship games. Missed the last Galway game through suspension. An unused sub against Kerry..
Barry McCambridge 8
Two goals in Armagh’s last two games but has twice been handed the task of marking David Clifford and took Shane Walsh when the sides last met.
Tiernan Kelly 7
Fully rehabilitated in the Armagh team. Has developed into the side, sweeping and adding a body to Armagh’s attack.
Aidan Forker 8
The prototype Armagh player. Once a forward, then full-back, now among the herd of Armagh’s highly mobile middle eight.
Niall Grimley 8
Top-class fielder and a great athlete. Member of the last International Rules panel in 2017. Won two huge long kick-outs in extra time against Kerry.
Ben Crealey 7
Forms a well-balanced pairing with Grimley. Once missed a county semi-final for Maghery because he was competing in a rally in Wales.
Oisín Conaty 7
A former Northern Ireland underage international, who made 69 appearances for Portadown before making his Armagh debut last year. Pacey.
Rian O’Neill 9
In attack or defence, O’Neill is Armagh’s X-factor. As pure a striker of the size 5 playing the game just now.
Joe McElroy 7
Armagh’s busiest worker bee. Hugely versatile. Started seven of Armagh’s League games this year to lock down a place in the team.
Rory Grugan 8
Captain of the last Armagh team to win an All-Ireland – the 2009 minor side – Grugan (33) has started all eight championship matches.
Andrew Murnin 7
Armagh’s player of the year in 2023 for consistency of scoring output. Another member of that ‘09 All-Ireland minor winning team.
Conor Turbitt 9
Has 3-22 (8f, 1m) scored to date. Kicked four points from six shots against Galway and created 1-1 in Markievicz Park last month.
Bench impact 8
Stefan Campbell will likely be in earliest, Ross McQuillan was exceptional against Kerry, and Jarly Óg Burns is sure to have moved up the pecking order after his most recent cameo.
Kieran McGeeney (manager) 8
After a decade of breaking rocks, finally, McGeeney has sculpted something in his own image and from some fairly raw material.
TOTAL: 131
Galway
Connor Gleeson 7
Hugely improved trajectory on kick-outs this year. Likely to be tested with high balls, given what happened a couple of years ago.
Johnny McGrath 7
Will have hands full with Turbitt, whose ability to kick in traffic is outstanding. Kept Cormac Costello to 0-1 in the quarter-final.
Séan Fitzgerald 7
Andrew Murnin scored 0-2 off him when the teams met in the group stage. Looks comfortable in any defensive position.
Jack Glynn 8
U-20 captain in 2020. Paddy McBrearty pinched 0-2 in the semi-final but Glynn did damage motoring in the other direction.
Dylan McHugh 9
Frontrunner for Footballer of the Year. An amazing engine. Irrepressible. Kicked 0-2 against Donegal.
Liam Silke 8
Matched his clubmate’s tally and mileage from the same line in that game. Went on Rian O’Neill last time against Armagh.
Seán Mulkerrin 7
His conversion from full-back has brought an even tougher edge to Galway’s half-back line. Missed the 2022 final with a shattered kneecap.
Paul Conroy 8
Now 35, Conroy’s fielding and kicking remain exemplary. Tomorrow will be his 66th championship appearance.
Seán Kelly
Will he actually start? What will Galway get out of him? Galway’s captain lasted only 22 minutes against Dublin and wasn’t even fit for the bench against Donegal. Generates enormous energy when fit.
Matthew Tierney 8
A Sigerson-winning captain and a star of the 2020 All-Ireland U-20 winning team that has fortified this senior Galway side.
John Maher 7
An effective ghosting of Brian Fenton in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Return to panel has been a massive boon to Galway’s depth.
Cillian McDaid 8
Lit up the 2022 All-Ireland final, with 0-4 from play. Brilliant against Dublin earlier this year, with 0-3. A big moments player.
Robert Finnerty 8
Galway’s top scorer with 1-33 (16f, 1 mark) but has become a key creator too, with his fingerprints all over many of their scores.
Damien Comer 8
The most explosive forward in Ireland when fully fit but hasn’t been at his very best since the Connacht final.
Shane Walsh 8
On his day as close to a 10/10 forward as you can get in terms of movement and high-end finishing but hampered by injury.
Bench impact 8
Came to an All-Ireland final two years ago with distinctly callow back-up, but Kieran Molloy, John Daly, Johnny Heaney and Tomo Culhane give them real depth now.
Pádraic Joyce 8
Has managed injury situation superbly. Bringing Darcy and John Maher back into the squad has been inspired. Experience of two years ago has to count for something.
