What are your views on the players' association?

"I'd be in favour of it. We have to progress with the times and I'd like to see it run properly, with county and provincial representatives. It's a good step." 1994 was a time of transition in Cork football and before he knew it, Don Davis found himself at a remove from the sport. Life just took over.

"I just sort of drifted for a few years," he explains.

"It was a time when Billy Morgan's regime was coming to an end and Larry was taking over and I had other concerns, a young child at home and it (football) became less of a concern. I mean, I only ever really missed one year, I was always on the fringes but to be honest, my form wasn't hectic at that time."

This summer has marked a second coming for Don Davis, albeit in a quiet way.

In earlier days, he was seen as Tony's kid brother, a smiling, diminutive forward with a scorching burst of pace. Now it's different.

"I really only got back on the team because of an injury to Damien O'Neill," he shrugs.

"I had had a cartilage operation the previous match and really only got a full start against Kerry in the Munster final. To be honest, I am just delighted to be back here."

Although Davis did contribute a point in the mauling of Waterford last May - he said then that he had never seen a Cork camp as united and focused - his has been a season of steady progression. Against Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final, he stepped up to chip two points when his team were struggling against the flow. More than that, though, he took the game to Mayo.

"Playing on a team like this is great. These fellows don't really know anything about losing. I do, I know how bitter it feels. But we were six down against Kerry and five down against Mayo and there just seems to be a will to win, a fearlessness."

He believes that the emphasis that Tompkins placed on the league has been responsible for this.

"Well, some of these guys had never played inter-county football before and they needed a platform. And if you look at the semi-final pairings - ourselves, Meath, Dublin, Armagh - all were there abouts in the championship. It really worked out a treat for us."

If this has been a year of personal vindication for Davis, it has been one of virtual redemption for his manager, who had been under relentless pressure since assuming control of Cork. His first year coincided with Davis's absence from the panel.

"I heard the training was absolutely incredible all right. But then again, Larry was new then, he had a lot to learn himself. He was under pressure going into the job and he has come on in leaps and bounds since then. And in fairness, he went and sought advice from whoever could help the team, he was never afraid to ask."

Davis's return to prominence was not down to any sort of nostalgia on the part of the manager, though; he has rediscovered a zest for the game playing an unorthodox full forward role, roaming around the field in search of ball and generally forcing reluctant full backs to abandon their position to follow him. On Sunday, he enters a new realm; the territory occupied by Darren Fay.

"Ah, Darren, sure it's obvious he has been head and shoulders above other full backs this year, I'd say he is guaranteed an All-Star even if he didn't tog out on Sunday. We have never met before and I'm looking forward to it but yes, they don't come any better."

Not that he is fazed. For Davis, Sunday represents a wonderful twist as his career begins to wide down.

"The 1993 final kind of passed me by," he said.

"It was great year for me personally but the game itself was gone before I knew it. Things didn't just happen for us. But I'm determined to enjoy the experience this time."

And if they do it, he'll be part of the double set up.

"You know, we haven't even had time to sit down and talk about that yet. I'm sure it will be mentioned but it's not a big priority. I'm sure it will affect different lads in different ways. To me, it doesn't matter. All that counts is playing in an All-Ireland final."