The fluency of movement which some observers believe gives women's football an edge over the male brand is guaranteed when Monaghan and Mayo each battle for a third All-Ireland senior title at Croke Park tomorrow.
It will be the 16th final in a competition that has been attracting increased interest. It will also be the most difficult final to forecast even though Mayo beat the Ulster champions for the first time in a league encounter in March.
Although Finbar Egan, the Mayo manager, would settle for much of the same on Sunday he insists that the league result will be totally irrelevant at this stage.
"We had our best team out against a shadow Monaghan side who lost by 6-8 to 0-5. We were able to play so well because they were so badly understrength and very much an unsettled team at that time of year," said Egan.
Last year his team went down to a strong Laois side in a dramatic final. The fact that they will be operating at headquarters for a fourth successive occasion gives Mayo an edge in local knowledge. But an even bigger headquarters pitch this year is considered to be in Monaghan's favour.
They have superb ball-carriers from midfelders Ciara Mulligan and Catriona Brady through to a very mobile and potentially match-winning half forward line in Edel Byrne, an All-Ireland winner as a 14-year-old, Niamh Kindlon, the team captain, and Aisling Tierney.
Egan, who was involved in Mayo's two previous wins - in 1999 and 2000 - admits that he has shaped his team with the threat of the Monaghan half-forward line in mind. The placing of Edel Reilly as Clare Egan's partner is significant, a move that can prove effective against the flair of Mulligan and Brady.
The Neale club duo of Jackie Moran and Emma Mullin along with Hollymount's Christina Heffernan operating on the half-forward line for Mayo look particularly intimidating. Marcella Heffernan continues to enjoy her first full season in attack and poses another great threat for the Monaghan cover.
The Monaghan team tomorrow will be a vastly more settled one than that beaten in March. Orla Callan in attack and Una McNally and Lavinia Connolly in defence have had a notable influence since their introduction.
Whatever heights the Monaghan defence rises to usually depends on the form of their alert centre back Jenny Greenan. All Star Greenan's display tomorrow will be crucial if the necessary degree of inspiration is to emerge from the crucial centre back position.
"Our greatest strength is team spirit. They never give up the chase. The matches against Tyrone in the Ulster final and at the All-Ireland semi-final stage against Waterford saw the team perform really well," said Monaghan manager Micky Morgan.
Early arrivals at Croke Park could be in for a treat with great Division Two rivals Galway and Donegal battling for the All-Ireland junior crown (1.15).
SENIOR LINE-OUTS
MONAGHAN: M Gray; C O'Reilly, M Croarkin, U McNally; L Connolly, J Greenan, M Lavelle; C Mulligan, C Brady; E Byrne, N Kindlon, A Tierney; O Callan, B McAnespie, D Dempsey.
MAYO: D Horan; N O'Shea, H Lohan, M Garvey; C O'Hara, Y Byrne, E Biggins; C Egan, E O'Reilly; J Moran, E Mullin, C Heffernan; C McDermott, M Heffernan, C Staunton.
JUNIOR LINE-OUTS
GALWAY: J Connolly; C Kyne, L Leahy, F Wynne; E O'Malley, R Stephens, M O'Connell; A Clarke, E Curley; E Flaherty, R McPhilbin, G Conneely; AM Geraghty, G Joyce, L Joyce.
DONEGAL: D McElhinney; M Gallagher, G Meade, A Hegarty; S Kearney, D Toner, N O'Sullivan; N Lacey, N Stapleton; M McKenna, DL Fox, C McHugh; M O'Donnell, F Hoy, A Doherty.
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