Football team news: Gavin Crowley starts at centre-back for Kerry as Cliffords link up in attack

Gavin Crowley. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Gavin Crowley is the first Kerry player to be tried in the centre-back position vacated by his namesake Peter during the off-season.

Peter Crowley’s retirement means Kerry football manager Peter Keane is on the lookout for a new number six for the 2021 season, with Tempelnoe’s Gavin selected in the role for tomorrow’s Allianz League Division 1 opener at home to Galway.

Crowley is one of five players named in tomorrow's Kerry team who did not start last November’s extra-time Munster semi-final defeat to Cork. 

The other four are Jack Barry at midfield, Paul Geaney at left-half forward, and Killian Spillane and Paudie Clifford in the inside line. Completing the full-forward line is Paudie’s brother David.

Throw-in at Austin Stack Park Tralee is 3pm.

The starting Mayo team for the county’s first League fixture outside of Division 1 in 24 years contains Enda Hession, who is making his competitive senior inter-county debut, and league debutant Rory Brickenden.

Tipperary manager David Power has handed league debuts to goalkeeper Michael O’Reilly, and defenders Paudie Feehan and Jack Harney for their Division 3 clash with Limerick.

With a number of first-team regulars out injured, including Michael Quinlivan, Robbie Kiely, Bill Maher, and Kevin Fahey, the Tipperary team shows only seven players who started last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Mayo.

Kerry (Allianz FL Div 1 South v Galway): S Ryan; B Ó Beaglaoich, T Morley, J Foley; P Murphy, G Crowley, G White; D Moran, J Barry; D Moynihan, S O’Shea, P Geaney; D Clifford, K Spillane, P Clifford.

Subs:

K Fitzgibbon, G O’Sullivan, D O’Connor, P O’Shea, A Spillane, T Walsh, M Breen, R Buckley, J O’Connor, M Burns, K O’Sullivan.

Galway (Div 1 South v Kerry): B Power; J Glynn, S Ó Maoilchiaráin, L Silke; G O’Donnell, D McHugh, J Heaney; P Cooke, P Conroy; P Kelly, M Tierney, E Brannigan; D Conneely, D Comer, S Walsh.

Armagh (Div 1 North v Monaghan): B Hughes; R Kennedy, A Forker, J Morgan; C Mackin, A McKay, G McCabe; N Grimley, O O’Neill; J Óg Burns, C O’Hanlon, J Hall; R O’Neill, S Campbell, R Grugan.

Tyrone (Div 1 North v Donegal): N Morgan; R Brennan, R McNamee, P Hampsey; M Cassidy, P Harte, M O’Neill; F Burns, B Kennedy; P Donaghy, M Donnelly, C Meyler; K McGeary; C McKenna, R Donnelly.

Mayo (Div 2 North v Down): R Hennelly; E Hession, O Mullin, L Keegan; M Plunkett, P Durcan, R Brickenden; M Ruane, D O’Connor; F McDonagh, K McLoughlin, J Flynn; T Conroy, C O’Connor, R O’Donoghue.

Derry (Div 3 North v Longford): O Lynch; C McKaigue, B Rogers, P McGrogan; P Cassidy, G McKinless, C Doherty; C Glass, E Bradley; E Doherty, N Loughlin, C McFaul; B Heron, S McGuigan, P Cassidy.

Limerick (Div 3 South v Tipperary): D O’Sullivan; S O’Dea, B Fanning, P Maher; T McCarthy, R Childs, G Brown; D Treacy, T Childs; C Sheehan, C Fahy, T Griffin; P Scanlon, D Neville, H Bourke.

Tipperary (Div 3 South v Limerick): M O’Reilly; T Fitzgerald, J Feehan, C O’Shaughnessy; E Moloney, P Feehan, J Harney; S O’Brien, Conal Kennedy; J Lonergan, Colman Kennedy, B Fox; L Boland, C Sweeney, S O’Connor.