NEWS ROUND-UP: Dublin and Galway will be without star forwards Ray Cosgrove and Padhraic Joyce for the opening games of next year's National Football League. Both players received straight red cards in club action at the weekend, and under the GAA closed-season rule their suspensions won't start until next February.
Cosgrove was red-carded early in the second half of Sunday's Dublin Division One league final while playing for Kilmacud Crokes in their victory over Ballyboden St Enda's. Match referee Gerry Grehan (St Judes) had no hesitation in showing the Dublin full forward a red card when the player raised an arm in an attempted strike at Ballyboden's Andrew McCann.
While McCann was booked, Cosgrove saw a straight red and is facing a minimum four-week suspension which, when starting on February 1st, will rule him out of Dublin's first three league games against All-Ireland champions Armagh (February 2nd), Donegal (February 9th) and Tyrone (February 16th).
McCann, ironically, is likely to line out with Armagh for that opening game which Dublin chairman John Bailey has said would "almost certainly" be played at Croke Park. Bailey is still awaiting confirmation that 20,000 children can be admitted for free in order to make it a viable venture.
Dublin manager Tommy Lyons accepted that Cosgrove would be an obvious loss to the team, but not necessarily to their chances of league success.
"Of course Ray is a vital player for Dublin," he said, "but he's not the only one. He's not the only reason we were successful this year, and we'll still be competing hard in the league with or without Ray.
"I think as well that suspensions have to be fair, and I certainly don't agree with suspensions being in the month of January if the players are not involved with any football at that time. It's as simple as that."
The exact length of Cosgrove's suspension will be known after examination of the referee's report, though it appears unlikely the offence will carry anything longer than the minimum of four weeks.
Galway manager John O'Mahony can also expect to be without Joyce for a similar period after he was red carded on Sunday while playing for Killererin in the Galway County League against Dunmore McHales.
The Galway full forward, who, like Cosgrove, has an excellent disciplinary record, was sent off for an incident with Vinny Martyn which is also likely to carry a four-week suspension, and rule Joyce out of Galway's opening league games against Donegal, Tyrone and Kerry.
Again the exact length of the suspension will only be known after the Galway football board examine the report of referee Michael Curley.
The last GAA title of the year, meanwhile, will be decided in Navan this Sunday when both Mattock Rangers of Louth and Dunshaughlin of Meath contest their first ever Leinster club football final. Throw-in at Páirc Tailteann is 2 p.m.
Mattock Rangers, who won their first county title this year, will also be bidding to become the first Louth team to win the Leinster club title. Dunshaughlin hope to emulate Walterstown, the last Meath team to win the Leinster honour, back in 1983.
Elsewhere, Tyrone boss Mickey Harte has confirmed that Fr Gerard McAleer is to be part of his management team. The pair are set to renew a successful partnership which saw them guide the county to six Ulster and three All-Ireland titles at under-age level over the past decade.
The back-up team is completed by Paddy Tally.
