Old timers flourishing as seasons nears end

The build-up to the weekend's semi-finals has been fairly muted and low key so far.

I sense the level of buzz and anticipation is pretty slack, although admittedly that's from my own perch in Westport. Interest levels are down around my way for obvious reasons.

Is some of it down to the general public regarding the two games as a forgone conclusion?

That narrative has been hard to ignore since the quarter-finals, when Dublin and Kerry overcame their early season sluggishness to smash old rivals by a combined 24 points.

I read Dessie Mone had branded the commentary around Monaghan as 'disrespectful' though based on the evidence of the quarter-finals, it's hard to construct an argument for anything other than a Dublin-Kerry decider.

That's not to say the Ulster duo aren't dangerous opponents, particularly Derry, who are, lest we forget, after going back-to-back up north.

In a certain sense, that's a lovely position for both Derry and Monaghan to be in. One can easily imagine them seething in the dressing room at the presumption out there the weekend is a mere formality for Kerry and the Dubs. It's very easy to foster a Tyrone-like siege mentality in that context.

You can imagine both camps will go hard on the 'no-one-in-giving-us-a-chance' narrative. Hunger isn't likely to be lacking.

The big poser here is - have Derry evolved over the course of the last 12 months?

In 2022, they bounded into the last-four on the back of a blockbuster quarter-final display against Clare. Then, after a bright start against Galway in the semis, they completely flopped in the second half.

The limitations of their attacking approach became apparent after they went behind and were only able to rustle up a dismal tally of 1-06, the goal coming in the dying