If it wasn’t a cracking campaign so far, the whole thing is about to get cranked up another six gears.
The GAA football championship is down to the last 12 and by golly the draws are going to throw up some crackers.
It’s all knockout from here on in, no more chances – it’s win or die and every county is either three or four wins away from the holy grail itself.
Sky Sports really have played their own blinder as they’ve accrued exclusive television rights to six of the next eight football championship clashes. The English broadcaster will showcase all four of the Round 4 games on its own as well as two of the quarter-final ties and RTÉ are seriously, seriously missing out here because of some of the match-ups that are to come.
Here are the remainder of the qualifier games to play.
After their losing their respective provincial finals on Sunday, Down and Kildare will be pitted with either Monaghan or Armagh.
The theory was that Down would automatically play Armagh in Round 4 because Monaghan were beaten by Down in the Ulster semi-finals but the Mournemen have played both backdoor teams already so they will have an open draw for a 50/50 chance of meeting either again.
Teams who meet in the provincial finals are given extra priority (over teams who met earlier in their provinces) to be kept apart in the qualifiers and quarter-finals but there is no distinction made between teams who met, in this case, in the Ulster quarters and Ulster semis.
Down will definitely meet either Monaghan or Armagh next.
The draw for Round 4B therefore will take place on Monday morning.
There will be a draw Niall…. Down have already played Monaghan and Armagh. Will meet one of them again! 0835 tomorrow
— Darren Frehill (@Darrenfrehill) July 16, 2017
What it does mean now is that Dublin’s quarter-final opponents will definitely be of the northern variety.
Jim Gavin’s men cannot meet Kildare in the last eight and they are in the B section so will face off with either Monaghan, Armagh, or Down.
The rest of the football championship will play out like this.
Tyrone and Dublin could well meet in the All-Ireland semi-final but both will have to overcome stiff opposition before that.
Kerry could also still play Mayo in the last eight, however Roscommon’s win in Connacht means that is no longer definite. Had Galway won, Mayo would’ve had to be kept separate from them in the quarter-final and so would’ve automatically been given Kerry if they got there. That is not the case anymore.
Round 4A throws in on July 22 and every clash is looking mighty tasty from here on in.
Good time to be working for Sky.
Round 4A – Mayo v Cork (July 22) – Sky Sports
Round 4A – Donegal v Galway (July 22) – Sky Sports
Round 4B – Down v Monaghan/Armagh (July 29) – Sky Sports
Round 4B – Kildare v Monaghan/Armagh (July 29) – Sky Sports
Quarter-final – Roscommon v Cork/Mayo/Donegal (July 30) – RTÉ
Quarter-final – Kerry v Mayo/Donegal/Galway (July 30) – RTÉ
Quarter-final – Tyrone v Kildare/Monaghan/Armagh (August 5) – Sky Sports
Quarter-final – Dublin v Down/Armagh/Monaghan (August 5) – Sky Sports
