All change (and plenty of spice) in Kerry as football leagues kick off

The Kingdom's dominance of the All-Ireland club titles offers an indicator of the relative strength of the bread and butter stuff in Kerry  - there will always be a disproportionate interest and focus on the leagues in the county, even without the marquee names

KERRY GOLD: (From left) Ballymacelligott face another All-Ireland champion in Gaeltacht (middle) in the opening round of Kerry's SFL on Sunday while former All-Ireland Club SFC champions Dr Crokes will play new kingpins Dingle (right) in the most enticing Division 1 tie of the round

THE mindset of a Kerry club footballer shifts a gear in February when the start date and fixtures are confirmed for the county's super-competitive League programme.

It kicks off this weekend with a host of fresh football talking points - Jack Barry is flying with Na Gaeil, is Kerry back on the radar? What way are Dr Crokes? How will All-Irelands champions Gaeltacht (Intermediate) and Ballymacelligott (Junior) fare in Division 2 this season? Intriguingly, they meet on Sunday in a first round game in Ballymac. Quiz question: when last, if ever, did two All-Ireland club champions face each other in Division 2 of their County League?