Armagh have made two alterations to the team that will face an unchanged Meath side in the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland football semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday.
Crossmaglen's John Donald son has claimed his first championship start of the year at midfield, and his club-mate Tony McEntee comes in at centre half forward.
While the Armagh attack had gained admirers for its style and dash, there have been doubts as to whether it could survive the intensity of the Meath defence. The arrival of Donaldson and McEntee gives the front six a much more substantial look.
Both men stand at 6 ft and weigh 13 st and 14 st respectively, thus adding significant bulk to an Armagh attack already laden with finesse.
Paul McGrane, who has partnered Jarlath Burns at midfield throughout the Ulster campaign, moves to wing forward while John Rafferty and Cathal O'Rourke - both relatively small - lose out.
Rafferty's form had dipped over the summer, while O'Rourke has persistently excelled when introduced from the bench and his presence again gives the Armagh management options.
Oisin McConville has been named at full-forward and will thus face Darren Fay in what promises to be an intriguing battle, while Diarmuid Marsden, who is seen by Armagh fans as the soul of the team, has been named on the wing.
Tony McEntee thus joins his twin brother in the Armagh attack. The 22-year-old Crossmaglen man made his debut in 1996 after a glittering underage career while Donaldson (23), came onto the inter-county scene in 1997.
Donaldson's presence points to the respect the Armagh management have for the lauded Meath midfield partnership of John McDermott and Nigel Crawford, and the likelihood is that Paul McGrane will operate as a third midfielder.
Meanwhile, Alan O'Neill, who injured himself earlier in the campaign, returned to training last night and may yet feature on the bench on Sunday.
With Meath also laden with potential midfielders around the half-forward area, the scrap for possession around that area will be fierce and space at a premium.
The Armagh defence remains unchanged, again revolving around centre back Kieran McGeeney who has emerged as one of the most polished defenders in the country. Ger Reid, who has improved with each outing, is once more named at full back, where he will mark Graham Geraghty.
As anticipated, Sean Boylan has opted to show faith in the side which comprehensively defeated Dublin in the Leinster final. The manager also last night witnessed Tommy Dowd kick a ball for the first time since the win over Offaly on July 4th.
Dowd's rehabilitation from a back problem which has tormented him throughout his career continues at a painfully slow rate, and while Boylan may yet name him as a substitute (that list has yet to be finalised), the conventional wisdom is that he is extremely unlikely to feature.
While the Meath team are identical to that announced prior to the Leinster final, there are again likely to be many positional switches among the forwards. Against Dublin, only Trevor Giles and Graham Geraghty remained anchored to their nominal positions of half forward and full forward respectively, while the rest of the attack was totally altered, with Nigel Nestor swapping wings, Donal Curtis moving into the corner forward and Ollie Murphy operating as a wing forward.
Murphy, a revelation against Offaly and also scorching in the Leinster final, finds himself assuming the role so long cherished by Dowd as Meath prepare for Sunday. Murphy's physique and direct style have already drawn comparisons with Dowd, and Boylan will hope that he can emulate Dowd's knack of hitting crucial scores as well.
Should Meath win on Sunday, Dowd stands a reasonable chance of recovering in time to earn an All-Ireland final place against Cork and thus resume the blindingly effective partnership he had begun to initiate with Murphy.
