Kerry are on the road.
Monday morning’s qualifier draw cleared up an awful lot of things about the Super 8s.
The pinnacle of this Gaelic football season will kick off on the weekend of July 14/15. But first, the final round of qualifiers will have to take place.
The Super 8s groups will then look like this, the final two teams depending on the results of those Round Four qualifier games.
Super 8s Group One
Super 8s Group Two
The whole point of the Super 8s is that teams will be aided by home comforts one game and they’ll be taken out of their comfort zone with an away trip in the next.
With the possibility there that Kildare could have been drawn in Dublin’s group, there were worries that the Dubs would have three home games here.
Home venues for the Super 8 series must be subject to approval by the Central Competitions Control Committee and they have to meet the criteria set down by the National Facilities/Health and Safety Committee.
There'd be some scramble for tickets for this game (if Kildare make it) https://t.co/wrsyTkTgpC
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 2, 2018
Given Dublin’s huge band of support, it was expected that St Conleth’s Park would this time be deemed unfit for purpose in the instance of a clash against Jim Gavin’s men.
Thankfully, it hasn’t come to that with Kildare now on the other side of the draw.
Kerry’s tough task in Group One
Kerry’s will be on the road for their first two games in the Super 8s series. First time out, Eamon Fitzmaurice’s men will travel to Croke Park for a clinker with an in form Galway side.
The following week, the Kingdom will be heading up the country to either Clones or O’Moore park depending on the winners of Monaghan and Laois.
A trip to Clones to take on a wounded Monaghan animal would be some tough start for the men in Green and gold.
Galway will face a similarly tough start in that group, with a journey to Enniskillen or St Conleth’s Park following their Corker game.
Dublin’s draw
Meanwhile, Dublin will open their campaign in Croke Park against Donegal. The very next week they’ll be heading to either Healy Park, Omagh for a Tyrone clash or to Páirc Uí Chaoimh for a Cork meeting.
Dublin won't have three home games in the Super 8s, and their away trip looks like a real clinker https://t.co/UVx3mXZGXp
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 2, 2018
Bring on the Super 8s.
