Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan has given the new All-Ireland round robin format the thumbs up as a new era for Gaelic football begins today.
The inaugural game in the new Championship sees Clare face Donegal at Cusack Park this afternoon (2pm).
Kerry entertain Mayo at Killarney an hour later, with Tyrone facing Galway in Salthill (5.15pm). The first weekend of the new format is completed by Kildare’s trip to Sligo tomorrow (2.30pm).
Read more: Galway vs Tyrone: Team news as Red Hands make one change for Tribesmen test
Former All Star number one Morgan said: “Personally I love it because it prepares you for what's ahead and you are guaranteed games.
“In 2016 we won Ulster and then were chinned by Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final and that was us out without a second chance.
“At least when you have that safety-net, you get another crack at it.
“If you look at the Leinster and Munster Championships, they are a bit of a non-event sadly - any longer.
“Sure look at the difference in terms of the emotion in the Derry victory and that of Dublin last weekend.
“It's chalk and cheese so with all teams now having guaranteed three games in this group stage of the All-Ireland it levels things up a bit.”
Morgan (31) reckons the draw could have been kinder to Tyrone, who are at home to Armagh in Round Two and face Westmeath at a neutral venue in the final round.
“With the greatest respect to the other provincial runners-up but getting the Ulster representative (Armagh) probably makes for the hardest group,” he said.
“It's all different and something new but we are looking forward to it.
“With the second and third place team getting through to another competitive game adds that bit more incentive too.
”I know some people are saying that it dilutes the whole thing.
“But players want to be playing matches, not just training all the time and sitting watching games on TV at the weekend.”
Morgan has a theory on why so many penalties were saved in Derry’s 3-1 spot kick victory over Armagh last Sunday.
Rian O’Neill, Aidan Nugent and Ethan Rafferty (all Armagh) and Paul Cassidy saw their spot kicks saved, while Shane McGuigan, Conor Glass and Ciaran McFaul (all Derry) and Callum Cumiskey converted.
That meant four out of eight penalties were saved, with no-one going low to the corner with their kick.
It was a big ask for Rafferty to focus on saving Derry’s penalties and then attempt to convert one of his own.
“If I was asked to take one I probably would,” said Morgan.
“Maybe it just depends where it is at. At Croke Park I always feel the net is massive whereas in Omagh it feels so small.
“Clones has a big square crossbar which makes the goal look smaller.
“I haven't been involved in any (penalty shootouts) for Edendork or Tyrone.
“I suppose the job of the goalkeeper first and foremost is to keep the ball out of the net.”
Galway goalies Conor Gleeson and Bernard Power tend to stay at home, the same with Dublin’s Stephen Cluxton and Kerry’s Shane Ryan.
Morgan (31) picks and chooses his moments and is probably out the field less than Rafferty or Derry’s Odhran Lynch.
“Whenever this (roving goalkeepers) started a couple of years ago it felt like it would be a short term tactic or faze,” says Morgan.
“But now boys are picked to do nets because they are good footballers rather than the last pick on a team which might have been the pattern for years.
“That's how quickly things are changing.”
Speaking about the Galway challenge this evening, Morgan said: “The same three names have rung off the tongue for the last number of years (Kerry, Dublin, Mayo).
“Probably because of what they have achieved in the past.
“Galway were in the All-Ireland Final on merit last year and weren't a million miles off Kerry.
“They probably became everybody's second favourite team because of that run they had and the fact they were a bit unlucky to miss out.
“They will have that extra motivation just missing out last year and will definitely be a force to be reckoned with. I don't think anybody will be taking them for granted this year.”
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