Gaelic Games News round-up: Dublin have left last year's captain Coman Goggins out of the side, which opens its defence of the Leinster title against Louth next Sunday in Croke Park.
Manager Tommy Lyons and his selectors make four changes to the line-out that narrowly lost last year's All-Ireland semi-final to eventual champions Armagh.
Those missing are Goggins, Paul Casey, and the injured pair of Peadar Andrews (who will miss the season with a cruciate ligament injury) and Dessie Farrell.
Making debuts will be Paul Griffin and Bryan Cullen, both of whom were on last year's under-21 side that reached the All-Ireland final and who were also regulars during the National League season this spring.
David Henry, who featured as a substitute last year, makes his full debut on Sunday at wing back.
Whereas there will be general surprise at Goggins's omission, he has struggled in the past year to recapture the form that won him an All Star in the 2001 season.
Meanwhile, the Central Council made a significant decision at their meeting on Saturday when the right of the Games Administration Committee (GAC) to supersede a referee's report was confirmed in certain cases. GAC chair Tony O'Keeffe had been looking for that power to be spelled out.
The confirmation was part of the Drafting Committee's proposals to implement the raft of disciplinary measures passed by last month's congress.
Central Council approved it.
Also approved were the recommendations of the Amateur Status Committee in relation to player entitlements.
Principal among these were: a rise in mileage rate from 38 cent to 45 and next year 50; €250,000 funds for both the assistance of All-Ireland quarter-finalists and semi-finalists and the subsidy of counties which might otherwise have difficulty in paying the higher mileage costs; All-Ireland finalists to receive €80,000 for training or holiday fund; €120,000 for a plate competition for weaker counties; standardised procedures for the payment of out-of-pocket expenses.
Rules to regulate the amount of training for intercounty panels is also under consideration.
The GAA president Seán Kelly also confirmed that a new committee would be established to represent players' interests. He stated that within the next few weeks a players' committee, reflecting the democratic nature of the GAA, would be elected, with county players electing representatives from the respective provinces who in turn would elect a national players committee.
Commenting on the proposals, Kelly said he believed they would improve relations between intercounty players and Croke Park.
"I hope so, particularly if they are implemented in a spirit of generosity. Attitude is often as important as anything else and this demonstrates our priorities. Players I think will appreciate that."
He added that there had been no decision from the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) as to whether they would co-operate with the representative elections, but he was optimistic that the policy of non-co-operation adopted at the GPA a.g.m. in January would be modified.
DUBLIN (SF v Louth): S Cluxton; B Cahill, P Christie, P Griffin; D Henry, J Magee, C Moran; C Whelan, D Magee; B Cullen, S Ryan, S Connell; A Brogan, R Cosgrove, J McNally.
