Division 1 preview: The survivors and the pretenders

Any faint notion that the baggy new championship format might signal the end of the glory days of the Allianz Football League has proven completely unfounded.

The inter-county hiatus is so long now that when January rolls around, the appetite is insatiable. Last year's league generated record gate receipts, two-thirds coming from the football league. Demand isn't likely to diminsh this year and the GAA will secure a greater windfall after the recent ticket price hike.

The perception that Mayo paid for their chutzpah in winning the whole thing so soon before their championship opener did suggest league success might be more trouble than it's worth.

But then the league - especially in Division 1 - has never really been about winning. By the time the final arrives, most fans have already psychologically moved onto championship.

For Division 1 teams, the league is, in the first instance, about staying where you are. Though they haven't actually won it since 1985, Monaghan are, in a spiritual sense, the true kings of the National League, having survived in the top tier longer than anyone else aside from Kerry - usually in sixth place.

By week seven, the drama is found at the bottom of the table rather than at the top. We know now how much survival means to players. Lee Keegan disclosed this week that an injured Cillian O'Connor sought solace in scripture in the jacks of a Westport alehouse when it appeared Mayo were on the brink of relegation in 2018. The man above came through for Mayo for a change that day, Kevin McLoughlin being allowed take 11 steps before curling over a late equaliser.

This year, we're in the rare position of being able to announce that the All-Ireland champions are back in Division 1... 2023 was the first