NewsThe Allianz National Football League reaches the halfway point this weekend and the team still setting the pace in Division One A is Donegal, something of a surprise given they have only just returned from Division Two.
They're the only team with three wins from three games (only Westmeath match that in Division One B) and a fourth win against Tyrone on Saturday evening would leave them ideally positioned to make the play-offs.
Not that players or management are getting overly excited. Nothing is won yet, although defender Barry Dunnion did have cause for small celebration yesterday when picking up the Vodafone player of the month award for February.
Ideally he'd like to win that award again in September, and if Donegal keep playing the way they are that's not an impossibility.
"We've had a good start, sure," he said "Three wins out of three, and sitting top of Division One.
"We're happy with that, but now we've another very big game on Saturday, against Tyrone, and that should tell us a wee bit more about ourselves.
"We met three weeks ago in the McKenna Cup final, and they gave us a good drubbing. And Tyrone are still one of the best teams in Ireland. But that's the team you want to playing, because you'll always learn a bit more about yourselves. I wouldn't say we're out for revenge, but it's one we're looking forward to."
At 24, and in only his second year on the starting 15, Dunnion encapsulates everything about the new generation of Donegal footballer: fitness and discipline are every bit as important as talent, and the overall attitude now is that nothing will be won without hard work. Donegal were one of the first teams to be back training for the new season, coming together just a week after losing the All-Ireland quarter-final to Cork.
Coach Brian McIvor handed out their weight-training programme for immediate consumption and they've been training collectively since October: "Yeah, we have a lot of work done, and everyone has been putting in a good effort. We've had that bit of luck as well. Cork could have beaten us if they'd got another goal in the first half, and the Mayo game could have gone either way as well.
"But Brian has taken on a whole different approach. It's his second year now, and there had been some stuff going on in previous years, but all of that has been stamped out now. It's a totally professional approach, and I think we're reaping some of the rewards of that now.
"We also have Kevin Cassidy and Brendan Devenney back on board. They were a big loss last year. Kevin's a former All Star, and they've been two of our best players so far this year.
"But no one is getting carried away. We'd like to win an Ulster title this year, that's the one thing we want. But we have Armagh in the first round this year so there's no way we can look beyond that match. So all we're doing now is concentrating on the league, and securing our status for next year. The championship is still the place where you want to be playing your best football, the hard ground and all that."
Donegal's rise this season has been in contrast to most of their Ulster counterparts - with Down, Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh all struggling to make an impact on Division One. Dunnion, however, wouldn't write them off just yet.
"I don't think it's a decline in Ulster football. I do think counties all over the country have raised the bar again. Maybe some of the Ulster counties raised it first, but I think everyone else has raised it now. So I wouldn't say the standard of football in Ulster has dropped, no. I just think the commitment and effort is the same now amongst all the counties.
"One thing Brian has drilled into us is that if you keep your work-rate up you're always in with a chance. In fairness, Cork did play very well against Tyrone the last day, and matched Tyrone for their work-rate. And that's the reason they came out on top. If you can match Tyrone's work-rate you're always in with a chance.
"And I think we showed that against Dublin the last day. But if we had lost to Dublin we'd have been written off ourselves, especially after losing the Dr McKenna Cup, so to beat Dublin we did put some of that right. But of course Tyrone will be mad looking for points now and that will make it a very tough game." Waterford's Eoin Kelly took the hurling player award for February, having hit 0-10 (five from play) in their opening win against Wexford.
