Can Galway's tight-marking Johnny McGrath prove a man for all sizes?

With Galway captain Seán Kelly injured and before that, deployed in the half forward line or midfield, Johnny McGrath is now Pádraic Joyce's number one man marker.

So far in this year's championship the Caherlistrane corner back has marked Derry's Shane McGuigan, Mayo's Ryan O'Donoghue, Sligo's Niall Murphy and moved onto London's standout performer Shay Rafter in the opening round of Connacht.

In those four games he has conceded just seven points from play or marks, up against two of the top five scorers in Division One of the league and the third top scorer in Division Three. All in just his second season as a starter.

The pacy young corner back is joined by Seán Fitzgerald and Jack Glynn in the Galway full-back this year – the last line of the 2020 All-Ireland winning Under-20 side re-united. Of the four provincial champions the Tribesmen have the lowest average concession of 0-13, and along with Donegal are the only team who have yet to concede a goal (penalty shootouts aside) remaining in the championship.

Yet with Westmeath up next and their main man up top being the physically imposing ball-winning machine John Heslin, the defensive match-ups in Cusack Park will provide an insight into who will mark who if Galway are to contest the latter stages of this year's All-Ireland.

So far this championship teams have kicked only five high balls in on top of the Galway backline. The only forward over 6ft who McGrath has faced is McGuigan, and from the two high balls directed towards him the Derry man caught both cleanly. With one leading to a free he converted himself, and the other a goal chance.

So will Galway put McGrath on Heslin, something they opted against last year, and likewise when Con O'Callaghan came to Salthill