Player-by-player: Galway

1. Martin McNamara Age: 29. Height: 5' 10["]. Weight: 14st. Club: Corofin. A great year for Mac, his saves were instrumental in Corofin's success and the form has continued through the summer. After a disastrous opening against Mayo, he produced top-class saves - as he did in the Connacht final and against Derry. Strong kick-out.

2. Tomas Meehan. Age: 21. Height: 5' 11["]. Weight: 12st 7. Club: Caltra Speedy and assured, he has had a competent campaign on a full back line which has occasionally found itself in trouble. Not a dominant influence coming out of the defence, he has been a reliable marker and has given little away.

3. Gary Fahy Age: 26. Height: 6'. Weight: 13st 4. Club: Killanin. A few years ago he had claims on being the best full back in the country but John Casey's demolition job on him two years ago seemed to drain Fahy's confidence. There has been some evidence of a return to form and Dwyer's style will suit him by not playing on his nerves close to goal.

4. Tomas Mannion. Age: 28. Height: 5' 10["]. Weight: 12st 7. Club: Monivea-Abbey. A fine footballer, his biggest achievement this season was the tight-marking job on Joe Brolly which led to Derry's chief strike forward being replaced. Less comfortable against the more physical agenda in the Connacht final, he will find Lynch's physique a test.

5. Ray Silke (c) Age: 27. Height: 6'. Weight: 13st 7. Club: Corofin. Very good on breaking ball and looks comfortable in possession but a tendency to loose marking has caused alarm in the county. Is better suited to the wing than his club position of centre back but will have his work cut out when Earley starts drifting for Byrne's kick-outs.

6. John Divilly Age: 21. Height: 6' Weight: 13st 12. Club: Kilkerrin-Clonberne. Has done quite well this season despite misgivings in some quarters. Although Fergal O'Donnell gave him dreadful trouble in the Connacht final, he was carrying an injury. His quick dispatch of ball to the attack is characteristic of the team style.

7. Sean De Paor Age: 27. Height: 5' 9 1/2 ["]. Weight: 12st 9. Club: An Ceathru Rua De Paor's great quality remains his leadership. Although not the most defensively accomplished wing back in the world, his positional sense protects him. Inspirational going forward, he shows drive and, against Roscommon, better marksmanship than his attack.

8. Kevin Walsh Age: 28. Height: 6' 3 1/2 ["]. Weight: 15st. Club: Killanin. One of O'Mahony's great successes this year, Walsh has been injury-free and focused for a greater part of this season than any other. His performances have benefitted and in the semi-final against Derry, he showed signs of delivering on the great potential of his football and physique.

9. Sean O Domhnaill. Age: 23. Height: 6' 6["]. Weight: 16st. Club: An Ceathru Rua. O Domhnaill has played a developing role at centrefield. His huge physical presence gives him an edge, but his football has improved recently - as evidenced by his towering point against Derry - and despite the risk of hubris, he was being widely commended in Galway last week.

10. Michael Donnellan. Age: 21 Height: 6'. Weight: 12st. Club: Dunmore McHales. A potential match winner with pace, poise, bundles of football, he is also a good long-distance dead-ball kicker. In space his close control and acceleration are deadly. How he manages in the company of the summer's tightest defence will be crucial.

11. Jarlath Fallon Age: 25. Height: 6' 1["] . Weight: 13st. Club: Tuam Stars. One of the summer's most influential footballers and a classical centre forward. Adapting after the rugby season, Fallon has got better and better. Rugby has given him a grasp of running angles and he kicks off either side. Drifts but comes into it for devastating intervals.

12. Shay Walsh Age: 23. Height: 5' 10["]. Weight: 11st. Club: Glenamaddy A bit of a surprise in that he appeared to be one of those players more favoured as a substitute being introduced than as a starter. Robust and talented, his application hasn't always been consistent. Plenty of potential spurred on by the presence of more on the bench.

13. Derek Savage Age: 20. Height: 5' 9["] . Weight: 11st 7. Club: Cortoon Shamrocks. A classy corner forward who has been sometimes underestimated because of an unselfish willingness to use his pace and control to create for others. His goal against Mayo was evidence of an ability to finish if given the chance. Size makes him physically vulnerable.

14. Padraig Joyce. Age: 21. Height: 5' 11["] . Weight: 12st 7. Club: Killererin. Good debut season. Could be better suited to wing forward but had a cracker against as good a full back as Sean Lockhart in the semi-final but could be frustrated by tight marking. Pace and accuracy mean he doesn't need much space but he does need some.

15. Niall Finnegan. Age: 27. Height: 5' 11["] . Weight: 13st. Club: St Sylvester's (Dublin) If Lacey marks him for the afternoon, he is cute enough to stroke a point or two and put pressure on his high-flying marker. Finnegan can deliver from play as he showed in Tuam last year although the edge of the square gave him more scope than the corner.