Roscommon's Francie Grehan will probably miss the rest of the season after the Games Administration Committee yesterday handed him a 12-week suspension. The ban had been expected after television cameras caught the Roscommon captain stamping on Galway's Padhraic Joyce in last month's Connacht first round match.
The length of the suspension means that Grehan, an All Star, will not be available to play again until August 11th. In other words unless Roscommon reach the All-Ireland semi-finals, he will take no further part in this summer's inter-county action.
It caps an awful couple of weeks for county manager John Tobin whose team were embroiled in messy tabloid revelations about misbehaviour on a weekend away and then lost the Connacht title, which they had won so memorably last year. They are scheduled to play Waterford this Saturday in the All-Ireland qualifier series.
On that matter, the GAC also yesterday released details of those qualifiers, which are to be played on Saturday with extra time being played if necessary.
What was a low-key draw failed to throw up any particularly appetising matches but few enough big teams have been eliminated yet. The pick of the bunch is the meeting between Wexford, who so nearly pulled off an enormous shock against Dublin, and National League winners Tyrone, deposed as Ulster champions by Armagh after a replay. This will be played in Wexford Park and broadcast live on TV.
Otherwise at least there is an element of novelty. Leinster neighbours Carlow and Laois will play each other but all the other seven matches involve pairings never before seen in the championship.
Meanwhile, ahead of this weekend's Leinster hurling championship semi-finals, Kilkenny are in the happy position of having a full choice available to manager Brian Cody and his selectors. With the obvious and vital exception of DJ Carey, who is still rehabilitating after sustaining a neck injury in a car accident some months ago.
All the other players are fit for what will be the seventh championship meeting with Offaly in four years. This will pose a selection problem given the success of a number of new, young players in winning last month's National Hurling League without such experienced players as Carey, All Star Charlie Carter and John Power.
This Sunday's semi-finals will make history as they are being staged in Thurles pending the completion of the new Croke Park pitch. Given that the traditional Leinster semi-finals double bill is being staged, the venue is all-ticket. Kilkenny county secretary Pat Dunphy said yesterday the tickets would go on sale today.
Wexford have injury concerns over Paul Codd ahead of their semi-final against Dublin. Codd twisted his knee in training last week and hasn't trained since while undergoing intensive treatment. David O'Connor will miss the match while Adrian Fenlon and Nicky Lambert are doubtful.
Finally the draw for the inaugural All-Ireland hurling qualifiers will be held on Sunday. Eight teams - Clare, Limerick and Cork from Munster, Meath plus next weekend's losers from Leinster, Galway and the defeated Ulster finalists - will go into the hat. It will be an open draw and teams from the same province will not be kept apart.
The four survivors will go into round three (round two only takes place if Galway lose round one and have to be accommodated with another chance) together with the defeated Munster and Leinster finalists. Again there will be a draw although teams that have played each other already cannot be drawn together again.
The three survivors will be joined by the Ulster champions and a draw will take place for two All-Ireland quarter-finals. The winners will proceed to the semi-finals where they meet the Munster and Leinster champions.
ALL-IRELAND SFC QUALIFIERS: Round One
At 4.15: Waterford v Roscommon, Dungarvan; Antrim v Westmeath, Casement Park; Monaghan v Louth, Clones; Wicklow v London, Aughrim.
At 6.15: Longford v Down, Pearse Park; Limerick v Cavan, Gaelic Grounds; Wexford v Tyrone, Wexford Park; Carlow v Laois, Dr Cullen Park.
