Enthusiastic Gavin ready to get down to business

What is certain at this stage is Gavin’s keenness to begin collective training, especially considering his reservations about the entire concept of a training ban.

“I don’t think it should be in place,” he said. “I think each manager should view his squad and tailor each programme, manage each player, as an individual rather than as a collective.

Managing fatigue

“I still would have given players time off. I’m acutely aware of the benefits of managing their fatigue and letting them have some off-time, letting them get some work-sport-life balance.

“That’s the way it needs to be approached. I understand where the GAA have come from, though, but if I had my way, we wouldn’t have a ban on collective training, no. Some players need to work in that off-season as well.

“But the energy has been superb. We’ve been very impressed with the atmosphere and signals we’ve got from the players. They’re a very committed, very ambitious group of men. We look forward to working with them from Saturday.”

Another man Gavin has also been speaking to is former 1995 All-Ireland winning team-mate Dessie Farrell, who took over the role as Dublin Under-21 manager, and whose task is to defend the All-Ireland Under-21 title won by Gavin’s crew earlier this year.

“The priority has to be the under-21 championship. I’ve experienced this in the past. For me, the Dublin Under-21s being successful will certainly support the senior team’s aims.”

Capital change: Dublin launch new jersey

It may be a case of trying to spot the difference from the old one, but a new Dublin jersey will be in all good sports shops from tomorrow – and despite the county footballers failing to defend their All-Ireland title, it’s expected to maintain its position as one of the top-selling jerseys on the market.

The last time Dublin redesigned its jersey was almost three years ago, in January 2010, to coincide with a new agreement with sponsors Vodafone: the 2013 edition, which features more navy colouring, stripes on the sleeve, the traditional collar, plus a “honeycomb” pattern on the sky-blue front, will retail for €60. Dublin typically sell around 40,000 units of the jersey every year, although stronger sales inevitably come with a re-launch, which means some 120,000 units of the old jersey have been sold.