Jim Gavin’s first proper gaffe comes after mesmeric win

Gavin stood up for Diarmuid Connolly but it was the player’s own actions which got him suspended, writes Mike Quirke.

It was always going to happen. The most surprising thing about it, is that it took until nearly July before we were exposed to our first outbreak of championship restructuring talk.

Twenty three National League places separated the Leinster semi-finalists Dublin and Westmeath on Sunday in Croke Park and it went the way everyone thought it would. The Division One finalists put up record numbers in a seismic 31-point victory against the Division Four champions from earlier this year. Populations sizes of around 1.3 million against 88,000, coupled with the Metropolitans chasing history, meant there was only ever going to be one winner. Nothing to see here.