There are conflicting rumours about the fitness of Salthill-Knocknacarra's Michael Donnellan ahead of Friday's All-Ireland club football final against St Gall's of Antrim.
Yesterday reports emerged that the 1998 Texaco Footballer of the Year had aggravated a groin injury during a practice match in very wet weather at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.
The purpose of the practice was to give a run to Barry Dooney, who was suspended for the All-Ireland semi-final win over Kilmacud Crokes. Dooney came through well.
Not everyone present noticed Donnellan sustaining the injury and according to some sources he played for the whole match without apparent discomfort.
Donnellan is along with Alan Kerins and Maurice Sheridan one of three players to have played in All-Ireland finals at Croke Park, something that is expected to give the Galway champions an advantage as they seek to win a first club title 15 years after their only previous appearance.
Meanwhile, the Gaelic Players Association are expected to indicate this morning their next move in relation to the issue of player grants. Last week the players' union announced that they were "ruling nothing in and nothing out" in response to the GAA's decision to delay a decision on whether to support the concept of player grants.
Originally there had been Government support for the idea but last week the Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue said it would be impossible for the funding to proceed without the support of the GAA, who had decided at the last Central Council meeting to defer any decision on the proposal until president-elect Nickey Brennan takes office.
According to GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell, the most immediate option on the table is to call an egm. "That is one of the matters we will be discussing this evening," he said yesterday before going into what was expected to be a lengthy meeting of the organisation's executive.
Yesterday saw Vodafone Player of the Month awards going to Tipperary's hurling goalkeeper Brendan Cummins and Fermanagh football full back Barry Owens, both of whom are former All Stars. They were presented with their specially commissioned trophies at a ceremony in Dublin's Westbury Hotel. Cummins's series of remarkable saves in the match against Kilkenny were the foundation of his award.
From the Ballybacon-Grange club, he has won every honour in the game including an All-Ireland title, three National League titles and an All-Ireland under-21 title. A member of the Tipperary squad since 1993, Cummins has also played senior football for Tipperary and won the All Ireland Poc Fada title in 2004.
Owens (24) is a member of the Teemore club and a member of the county's senior panel since 2000 when he made his debut against Tipperary. A minor with Fermanagh for two years, he won a McRory Cup medal with St Michael's of Enniskillen.
This morning sees the launch of Club Aontroma, a new fundraising body and organisation that will contribute to the promotion and development of Gaelic Games at all levels in county Antrim. The launch will be attended by county chair John McSparran, Club Aontroma chair Eamon Prenter and former hurling All Star Terence "Sambo" McNaughton, St Gall's representatives and players and management from the Antrim senior hurling and football teams.
There have been a couple of changes to starting times for the coming weekend's matches. Limerick's National Football League fixture against London at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday will start at the earlier time of 11.0 while Derry's visit to Laois will throw in at 2.30 rather than 3.30.
