Perceptions can change quickly. Only 11 months ago Galway entered an All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin as significant underdogs. On Saturday, they are among the Sam Maguire favourites while Dublin travel to Salthill all battered and bruised and supposedly gone beyond their sell-by date.
The manner in which Galway have handled their second All-Ireland final defeat in three years is a testament to their character. It doesn’t seem to have knocked their confidence at all. Indeed, if anything, they’ve played like a team on a mission this season.
There’s no doubt those Galway players were disappointed with how they performed against Armagh in Croke Park last July. There will be regrets, it was a missed opportunity. But there doesn’t appear to be any baggage, any hangover. Rather than feeling sorry for themselves they have instead displayed great energy and purpose – right from the off.
They posted a six-point home win over Armagh in their opening league game before going to Castlebar and handing Mayo a 10-point hammering in round two. In those two opening matches Galway had set out their stall for the year: they weren’t about to disappear, they fully intended to be in the mix for 2025. Anybody questioning their desire could think again.
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The way in which they dug out victory over Mayo in the Connacht final two weeks ago will really have pleased Pádraic Joyce, too. And doing so without Shane Walsh and Damien Comer won’t have gone unnoticed within the group.
It was interesting to see the messaging come out of the Galway dressingroom afterwards, with Joyce responding to a question about Comer and Walsh by saying he’d rather focus on the players who got the job done against Mayo.
“If they are fit the next day they’ll be part of it, but if not we’ll keep going with what we have, because what we have there seems to be doing okay,” he said.
There might have been a lot of truth in what Joyce was saying, but, looking at the bigger picture, Galway will need both Comer and Walsh fully fit and on the field if they are to lift Sam Maguire in July.
Their injury setbacks have been frustrating for the management team and for Galway fans, so you can only imagine how difficult it has been for the players. And when injured players see how well their team is going, the danger of rushing back too soon in a bid to stake a claim for a place is always present.
Walsh had been playing some brilliant football during the early stages of the league. It was one of the first campaigns he had got a sustained run of form with Galway, because his involvement with Kilmacud Crokes in the club championship had affected his availability in recent years.
Galway are a very good side, but add a fully fit Comer and a fully fit Walsh and their All-Ireland credentials soar.
You can’t underestimate the value that picking up silverware adds to a group, so claiming a fourth Connacht title on the bounce has once again demonstrated Galway’s ability to perform and deliver under pressure.
Which brings us to Saturday’s game, the standout fixture of the weekend. Who is the pressure on? Mostly, I’d have to say, this is a more important game for Dublin.
One of the key areas will be around the middle third where Galway have some hugely influential footballers. After all these years Paul Conroy is still the player driving that Galway team on from midfield.
His Footballer of the Year award last season showed what can be achieved with persistence and strong character. He has always been a nice fella off the pitch, but on it Conroy remains a ferocious leader for Galway. John Maher has become a great foil for him and allows Conroy display his kicking ability – he is one of the prevalent two-point kickers in the game.
Indeed, I’d be surprised if Dublin haven’t been working on nullifying that particular threat. Conroy kicked seven points against Mayo, including three two-pointers. I expect to see Dublin set out to deny him such scoring opportunities.
In the absence of Brian Fenton and James McCarthy, Dublin haven’t looked as comfortable at midfield this season. And because that is such a strong area for Galway, the Dubs will need to compete strongly in that sector on Saturday.
We can forget about the officially named teams because I expect to see changes on both sides closer to throw-in. But I think we’ll see some variation in how Dublin approach midfield, perhaps with Seán Bugler or Ciarán Kilkenny operating from there.
The wind that blows in from the Atlantic and down across Pearse Stadium is often talked about as having a major bearing on games at Salthill. However, the forecast for Saturday is bright sunshine and Salthill will hold no fears for Dublin. It never has.
I played league games there and traditionally Dublin have always enjoyed playing Galway. The players will be relishing this game because the dominant narrative out there is that Dublin are not live All-Ireland contenders this summer.
From the moment they arrive at Pearse Stadium, I expect you’ll see strong body language from the Dublin players getting off the bus and walking to the dressingroom.
They are coming in very much wounded, but the addition of several players to the squad since the Meath match changes the dynamic.
If Galway get sucked in by all the noise then this will be a dangerous game for the Connacht champions, because I don’t believe they are a team that should be thinking they are at a level yet where they can dismiss Dublin comfortably.
In that sense, it’s perfectly set up: Galway are strong favourites and all the talk is of Dublin’s demise.
If Dublin do lose, a lot of the criticism and overarching opinion in relation to their demise will look justified, but if they win then Dublin are going to be a serious problem for others to contend with for the rest of the championship.
As a group, Dublin realise the difference between victory and defeat is massive. I expect huge intensity from the off and wouldn’t be surprised if the game boils over at times, because this match could determine the season for Dublin.
Victory would send a message to the rest of the country, but more importantly it would also reassure the Dublin players that they remain a force capable of competing for Sam Maguire.
If Galway lose, I don’t think it would derail their championship push, because they progressed to the All-Ireland final last year without finishing top of their round-robin group. They are an experienced side and while a defeat would be a setback it wouldn’t be terminal blow for their ambitions to win a first All-Ireland since 2001.
A defeat for Dublin could be more damaging, though, because both the actual road back to the capital that night and the metaphorical one back to Croke Park on All-Ireland final day would appear long indeed should they ship back-to-back championship losses. A victory puts them back in the race.
Perceptions, one result can change everything.
