ALL-IRELAND champions Dublin introduce two newcomers and omit Jason Sherlock for Sunday's opening defence of their Leinster title against Westmeath in Navan. The team also sees recalls for the three players re-introduced to the panel by manager Mickey Whelan when he took up the reins last autumn: Eamonn Heery, Niall Guiden and Joe McNally.
Although McNally has been out of favour for the last four championships, his inclusion is no surprise, as he has been featuring in nearly all the Dublin selections since his re-instatement for last January's O'Byrne Cup clash with Carlow.
Similarly, Heery and Guiden have been first-choice selections for the team over the same period. The debutants are David Martin at full-back and Damien O'Brien at left corner forward. Martin has figured regularly at full-back over the year but O'Brien is a surprise.
First a member of the panel in 1991, the Lucan Sarsfields player never nailed down a first-team place but apparently had a storming practice match last night, during which he scored three goals.
There are five changes from the team that defeated Tyrone in last year's All-Ireland final. Out go Ciaran Walsh, Keith Galvin and Jason Sherlock, plus Paul Clarke and Mick Galvin, both of whom are injured. They are replaced by Martin, Heery, McNally, Guiden and O'Brien respectively.
Mick Deegan drops back to left-corner-back to accommodate Heery. Deegan won an All Star in the other corner in 1991 but for the last four years has played at wing back, his original position. A substitutes panel will be named tomorrow.
Sherlock's omission isn't that surprising as his soccer scholarship at UCD has kept him out of circulation for the duration of the League. Although he went on to become an influential member of the team, Sherlock was also named on the bench for the first match of last year's campaign.
Westmeath have caused a surprise of their own by omitting their best-known forward and perennial top scorer Ger Heavin. Heavin has been out of form, recently and starts on the bench. So does Larry Giles, who injured himself playing hurling recently but hopes remain that he might respond to treatment
The Westmeath team contains two debutants, David McKinley at left corner-back and Niall Dolan at left corner-forward.
Tyrone have deferred naming their team to face Fermanagh next Sunday in Omagh, the first defence of their Ulster title. It is, however, expected that the side will include two newcomers, 20-year-old Brian Dooher and 22-year-old Damien Gormley, brother of midfielder Jody. They would replace groin-strain victims Ciaran Corr and Stephen Lawn.
Galway's Tomas Mannion returns from injury to face Sligo in the Connacht Senior football, championship replay at Tuam on Sunday. He replaces Paul Clancy from the drawn match in a side that also shows a number of positional switches.
Meanwhile, Sligo Rovers soccer player Johnny Kenny is named at right corner-forward on the Sligo team.
The Shamrock Gaels man replaced Eamonn Molloy, who is now among the substitutes, at half-time in the drawn game at Markievicz Park. Kenny will be starting a football championship game for the first time since Sligo played Mayo in Castlebar in 1992. The full-forward position has been left vacant.
In defence Colin White moves from left corner-back to full-back in place of John Lyons, with Eastern Hearts clubman, Morgan MeCormack coming in at left corner-back.
