THE legendary Stevie McDonnell doesn’t buy into the notion that Armagh were lucky to win last year’s All-Ireland - and insists Kieran McGeeney’s men won’t be derailed by a raft of new playing rules introduced for the new season.
All eyes will be on how the Orchard men carry the mantle of defending All-Ireland champions, with their opening NFL Division One tie against Galway – the team they beat in last year’s All-Ireland final – providing the opposition in Salthill on January 25.
Some observers believe last season’s All-Ireland wasn’t a vintage year, with Dublin falling at the All-Ireland quarter-final hurdle, Tyrone and Derry struggling for form, Galway being hit by a spate of injuries and Kerry too reliant on David Clifford.
But McDonnell insists a team can’t be labelled lucky having taken out three All-Ireland contenders on their way to winning the Sam Maguire.
“You’ve listened to people saying Armagh’s was a lucky All-Ireland,” the Killeavy man said.
“If you named your top five teams fancied to win the All-Ireland last year they would have been Donegal, Derry, Dublin, Kerry and Galway. Armagh beat Derry, Kerry and Galway. You can be lucky once; you’re not lucky three times.”
Armagh’s only Championship defeat in 2024 came in a penalty shoot-out against Donegal in a compelling Ulster decider.
Donegal also inflicted the only NFL defeat on Armagh in the Division Two final at Croke Park earlier in the year.
McDonnell, however, says the best team won the All-Ireland last July.
“A lot of people are tipping Donegal to win the All-Ireland this year. On what grounds? They lost in an All-Ireland semi-final [to Galway] last year. Armagh won their All-Ireland semi-final.
“Armagh had control of the Ulster final [against Donegal] and didn’t kick on. They went on and beat Derry who were fancied to compete in the latter stages of the All-Ireland and they annihilated them on their home patch.
“They shadow boxed their way past Roscommon [in the All-Ireland quarter-finals] but after that I couldn’t see any team beating them. Armagh had more firepower across their team than Kerry or Galway – and they beat them both.”
The template that saw Armagh climb the Hogan steps last summer will have to be significantly re-worked following the Football Review Committee’s seven enhancement rules that were passed at Special Congress last month.
The new rules are designed to reduce cynical play and make the game more attacking. Like many supporters, McDonnell remains to be convinced of the merits of some new rules, one of which is teams keeping three players in the opposition half of the field permanently in a bid to negate ‘blanket defending’.
“I spent most of my career playing in the inside line,” McDonnell said, “but there were times I had to track back to try and dispossess an opponent.
“How do you restrict players in field sport to stay in a certain part of the field? I’m all for attacking football but I don’t know how it’s going to be refereed. There is going to be a lot of human error and I feel very sorry for referees.
“They’re going to have to explain a lot of situations and they’ll get a lot wrong. Players can be wrong as well, so there’s going to be confusion.
“As we know rules have often been amended within our games but never to the extent of what we’re facing in 2025.
“I think after a few rounds of the National League a new version of Gaelic football will emerge. I don’t know if it’s going to be for better or worse.”
Regardless of the anticipated changing face of Gaelic football, McDonnell has absolute faith in Armagh’s management team.
“You look at the quality of coaches in the Armagh set-up and you know they’re going to be well-schooled on these changes. So, Armagh has an advantage in that regard.
“Sometimes new rules can benefit a team and I’m looking at the qualities and capabilities of this Armagh squad. There’s a lot of naturally gifted footballers who will be able to adapt to any rule change and adapt quite quickly.”
