Offaly have made three changes to the team which played Clare in last weekend's null All-Ireland semi-final replay against Clare for Saturday's re-fixed game.
Paudie Mulhare will partner Johnny Pilkington at midfield, an area where Offaly were forced to make a number of switches last week. Mulhare was sadly forced to withdraw from the panel following the death of his father last Friday and Ger Oakley struggled to adapt to his late inclusion to the first team, and was withdrawn after 21 minutes.
Mulhare was present at training on Tuesday night but did not take part; team selection took place after he took part in last night's session in Tullamore.
The selectors have made two changes to the forward unit which yielded just four points in the first half of the void game. Offaly's resurgence followed the arrival of Joe Errity and Billy Dooley to bolster the attack. Both men now claim starting roles, at the expense of the John Ryan and Darren Hannify.
Billy Dooley and Errity contributed a combined 2-1 during Offaly's second half onslaught, Errity driving home a vital penalty. He now lines out at full forward, a role occupied indifferently by Ryan last week.
Ryan, showing a gutsy refusal to quit, was stifled by Seanie McMahon last week and retired scoreless after 48 minutes. The only other switch is positional, with Michael Duignan - who marred an exceptional performance last week with a petulant pull across a Clare player - switching to the right corner, possibly to accommodate Joe Dooley, who prefers life on the left flank.
The changes mean that Offaly now bear something of a reactionary's touch. Eleven of those who start also lined out against Clare in the 1995 All-Ireland final, while Errity was a substitute that day. Colm Cassidy, Ryan, Killian Farrell and Barry Whelehan are amongst the substitutes who started in earlier championship encounters.
Predictably, Offaly manager Michael Bond has decided against tampering with the defence, restoring Brian Whelahan to his traditional wing-back berth despite the striking cameo role he enjoyed as an attacker during Offaly's comeback last Saturday.
Paidi O Se has made just one alteration to the Kerry team which defeated Tipperary in the Munster final last month, as the All-Ireland champions prepare for their hotly anticipated clash with Kildare in Croke Park on Sunday. Tralee's William Kirby replaces Waterville forward Denis O'Dwyer, lining out at wing forward alongside Dara O Cinneide and his Austin Stacks' team-mate Pa Laide.
Kirby played a highly-influential role for Kerry throughout last summer and during the National League, but his championship preparation was significantly hindered when he damaged his kneecap during a local league game in late June.
He resumed training in mid-July and has shown impressive form with Austin Stacks and with the Kerry panel over the past month. Although Kirby played midfield last summer, the Kerry selectors have decided to keep faith with the talented if somewhat precocious partnership of Dara O Se and Donal Daly. Both gifted individuals, they have sparked together at various times throughout Kerry's campaign, but have shown a tendency to drift out of games. They face a potentially trying afternoon on Sunday against the ever-reliable Kildare duo of Willie McCreery and Niall Buckley.
It is possible that Kerry may deploy Kirby as a third midfielder, should they find themselves in trouble there.
Kerry (SF V Kildare): D O'Keefe; E Fitzmaurice, B O'Shea, S Stack; S Moynihan, L O'Flaherty, E Breen; D O Se, D Daly; P Laide, D O Cinneide, W Kirby; MF Russell, J Crowley, M Fitzgerald. Subs: P O'Leary, D O'Dwyer, J Brennan, K Burns, T O Se, L Brosnan, N Kennelly, C Kennedy, J Ferriter.
Offaly (SH V Clare): S Byrne; S Whelahan, K Kinahan, M Hanamy; Brian Whelahan, H Rigney, K Martin; J Pilkington, P Mulhare; Johnny Dooley, J Troy, B Dooley; M Duignan, J Errity, Joe Dooley. Substitutes: E Kennedy, J Ryan, Barry Whelehan, G Hanniffy, K Farrell, N Claffey, C Cassidy, N Murphy, C Murphy, E Martin, M Rigney.
