Buckley will not face Na Fianna

Sarsfields will definitely be without Niall Buckley for Sunday's refixed Leinster football club semi-final against Na Fianna.

Buckley won't be making the trip home from Chicago because of a persistent hamstring injury, and he has also ruled himself out of contention should Sarsfields make the final.

The Kildare champions were hoping that Buckley could play some role in the game in Newbridge, when the sides meet for a third time because of Na Fianna's miscalculation over the legal number of substitutes in their 3-11 to 1-8 victory in Navan last Sunday. Buckley, however, has decided against the trip.

Sarsfields manager John Courtney had been in communication with Buckley over the last couple of days in an effort to get him home.

"Fitness was not an issue," said Courtney, "and even if we had him on the sideline and got a small contribution out of him it would have been a boost for us".

According to Buckley, a couple of trials over the last couple of days made it clear to him that he wouldn't be able to contribute and, though disappointing, the decision not to travel had to be made.

Meanwhile, Dublin secretary John Costello is critical of the poor handling of Tom Carr's removal as senior football manager in his report prepared for next Monday's annual convention in Parnell Park.

Carr and his selection team of Richie Crean, John O'Leary and Dom Twomey had their four-year management term ended in early October when the Dublin management committee voted against giving them another year in charge.

The clubs then split the vote on the issue, 46 for and against, before county chairman John Bailey made the casting vote.

According to Costello, however, the whole process was handled in an "undignified" manner that reflected badly on the organisation.

"Irrespective of the validity of the arguments for their retention as a selection team," he says, "the manner of their departure was undignified and generated a huge amount of negative publicity for the organisation in Dublin".

Costello also makes reference to the Dublin Hurling Review Group's report, which was recently completed under the chairmanship of Michael O'Grady.

The report calls for, among other things, a full-time director of hurling in the county and the introduction of a dedicated hurling centre. "It's generating great and timely debate in the county. It is an intelligent and ambitious document which needs to be discussed by each club in detail."

The matter of hurling development and dual players coincide with comments recently made by Dublin hurling manager Kevin Fennelly, who has called for the county board's full support in his quest to create the county's strongest possible hurling panel.

"I do see it as a problem because we can't afford to be losing players to football," says Fennelly. "I think Dublin hurling does have a lot to achieve if we get the full commitment from everyone in Dublin that is capable of playing on the senior hurling team.

"But if we lose three or four of those to football then I would have to question what I'm doing up here, because I'd be wasting my time. Tommy Lyons seemed to say to the likes of Shane Ryan and the other Shane Ryans out there, and we have a few of them, that they either play football or hurling. Or he seemed to be telling them to play football."

Another area of concern for the county highlighted by Costello was the number of former Dublin players now working as guest analysts in newspapers who see it as their job to constantly slate the Dublin team and the previous management.

"What is even more galling are the pathetic efforts to dress up their vitriol as being for the greater good of Dublin football," he said. "How many of these former inter-county players are involved with the juvenile sections in their own club if the development of football in the county is what concerns them most?"

The election of officers on Monday will see current chairman John Bailey go uncontested as Ger Brady has pulled out of the running.

Meanwhile, new Meath hurling manager Michael Duignan has confirmed his backroom team for the season. The former Offaly player will be assisted by Pat Potterton and Paddy Kelly. Johnny Murray has also been appointed as team trainer.