AIB All-Ireland Club SFC Final

Former Kerry ace Tommy Walsh has been given an 11th-hour opportunity to play a role for high-flying Sydney Swans in the AFL’s finals’ series, earning a recall for tomorrow’s clash against Geelong.

A significant change to regulations relating to developmental players is likely to see an increase in interest in Irish players by AFL clubs.

1. Big statement from the eventual winner

How to overcome football’s swarm defence?

Some of the summer’s favourites may already be scampering for survival by the first week of June

Down’s two-time All-Ireland winner Conor Deegan has called for the new football review committee to restrict the hand pass to fist-only transfers.

Had things been different, Michael Quinn could well have found himself preparing for round nine of the AFL this week rather than a Leinster Championship clash with Laois.

David Cameron texted Rebekah Brooks telling her to “keep her head up” in the week that she resigned as chief executive of News International, it has been alleged.

Rebekah Brooks will appear before the Leveson Inquiry next week.

Reports that Seanie Johnston’s bid to achieve an inter-county transfer from Cavan to Kildare was over for this year have proved wide of the mark after the former Breffni captain resubmitted his application to the Central Competitions’ Control Committee yesterday.

A former high-ranking official of the Melbourne Demons club has revealed that the so-called Irish experiment that began with the club recruiting Jim Stynes, Sean Wight and Paul Earley, was financed largely by media mogul, Rupert Murdoch.

SETANTA Ó hAILPÍN is “hell bent” on capitalising on a second bite of the cherry that has seen him go full circle, bringing him back to the doorstep of where he was born.

AFL club Carlton moved Setanta Ó hAilpín on this week but they are continuing their commitment to the so-called “Irish experiment” by holding a trial at the University of Limerick on Saturday morning.

IF imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then the Cork footballers didn’t seem to win that many admirers.

WEXFORD defender Aindreas Doyle has accused the GAA of attempting to censor his team-mate Anthony Masterson.

IT’S difficult not to associate a losing manager describing the other team’s expertise in the dark arts as “probably unfortunate” with sour grapes.

AN emphatic scoreline in anyone’s language but Conor Counihan wasn’t going to get ahead of himself.

MEA CULPA.

JAMES McCARTAN initially refused to be drawn on the future of Martin Clarke, but gave a slight indication the Down forward could yet be returning to Australian Rules football.

Down manager James McCartan said that his side were on the end of 'a footballing lesson' at times during yesterday's All-Ireland qualifier loss to Cork.

The injury that Daniel Goulding suffered in Cork's 12-point All-Ireland SFC qualifier win over Down is not as serious as first feared.

Cork 2-20 Down 0-14

Down are set to field an unchanged team when they clash with Cork in tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC fourth round qualifier at Croke Park (throw-in 6pm).

Gerard McCartan and Caolan Mooney will start for Down in their All-Ireland SFC third round qualifier against Antrim at Casement Park (throw-in 7pm).

Having struggled to see off Clare in the previous round, Down manager James McCartan was pleased with his players' efforts in their eight-point dismissal of Leitrim.

Conor Garvey has been drafted into the Down team for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC second round qualifier against Leitrim in Newry (throw-in 3pm).

Danny Hughes will be an absentee for Down's All-Ireland SFC first round qualifier against Clare on Saturday.

Forwards Benny Coulter and Conor Maginn have been added to Down's injury list ahead of their All-Ireland SFC qualifier against Clare.

MICKEY HARTE says it will be the GAA’s fault for making Gaelic games “a warm market for the AFL” if Down star Martin Clarke resumes his Aussie Rules career.

COLLINGWOOD captain Nick Maxwell has suggested that there is no indication that the Magpies even want GAA star Martin Clarke back.

There is mounting speculation that Down All-Star Martin Clarke will rejoin Australian Rules club Collingwood later this year.

IT was Aaron Kernan, one of the Armagh stars in this surprise result, who put it best afterwards.

DOWN manager James McCartan looks set to lose Martin Clarke at the end of this season after he refused to rule out the player reviving his AFL career.

Armagh 1-15 Down 1-10

The Down team to face Armagh in tonight's Ulster SFC quarter-final shows just one change to the side that lost last year's All-Ireland final to Cork.

NEWRY’S divide is more pronounced this week but it’s all been good-natured.

CLARE footballer Graham Kelly has been hit by a whopping ten-week suspension following his late altercation with Cork’s John Miskella in last Sunday’s Munster SFC quarter-final.

It’ll be a season of tight margins on and off the pitch — but if these pairings materialise, the GAA will be singing all the way to the bank manager

Allianz FL Division 1 final: CORK v DUBLIN, Tomorrow: Croke Park, 4pm

BRYAN CULLEN insists Dublin have enough players with individual talent to make clear their All-Ireland ambitions in Sunday’s Allianz League Division 1 final against Cork.

THERE was something entirely appropriate in the manner in which Dublin qualified for their first Division One final since 1999 in Croke Park on Saturday evening.

Dublin 2-10 Down 0-13