GAA: Efforts by Tipperary to appeal the 12-week suspension recently imposed on hurler Eamonn Corcoran have failed.

The county board was informed by the Games Administration Committee (GAC) yesterday that the appeal, which had been handed in this week, has been ruled out of order, and also informed of the reasons why.

Under rule 151, which refers to appeal procedures, a county committee cannot appeal on behalf of an individual player, but rather the player must appeal himself. And under a similar rule, that individual appeal was also deemed to have passed the deadline.

Corcoran had already missed last Sunday's Munster championship defeat to Clare, the result of his red card for striking an opponent with the hurl during the league game against Galway on April 20th. He is now resigned to being sidelined until July 13th, the weekend of the final round of the qualifier series - should Tipperary progress that far.

In team news, meanwhile, two Tipperary footballers will make championship debuts for Sunday's Munster clash with Waterford at Walsh Park. Defender Declan Fanning and forward Aidan Fitzgerald come in, while left half back Robbie Costigan gets his first start having appeared as a substitute against Cork last summer.

Waterford manager Denis Walsh introduces three newcomers in left corner back John O'Reilly, centre back Tomás Dunphy and left corner forward Mark Power. All three have made regular league appearances.

Elsewhere, the Laois team to play Offaly in Portlaoise has been rearranged a little, with Kevin Fitzpatrick the main surprise in moving from the defence to full forward, and Derek Conroy returning to centre back.

As expected, the hamstring injury suffered by Colm Parkinson in the first round win over Wexford has ruled him out of the action, with Fitzpatrick the indirect replacement. Ross Munnelly, who made such a huge impression in his first championship start the last day, retains his place at right half forward.

In Ulster, Antrim will face Cavan at Casement Park with a largely re-altered line-up, most notably with the full back line of Colm Brady, Gearoid Adams and Niall Ward. At midfield, too, Martin McCarry will now partner Mark McCrory.

TIPPERARY (SF v Waterford): P Ryan; N Kelly, D Byrne, L Cronin; D Fanning, S Collum, R Costigan; F O'Callaghan, E Hanrahan; L England, N Fitzgerald, A Fitzgerald; P Lambert, D Browne, D O'Brien.

WATERFORD (SF v Tipperary): P Houlihan; M Crotty, G Hayes, J O'Reilly; F Rockett, T Dunphy, S Briggs; C O'Keeffe, A Hubbard; G Hurney, C Power, J Coffey; J Hearne, J Hennessy, M Power.

LAOIS (SF v Offaly): F Byron; T Kelly, C Byrne, J Higgins; D Rooney, D Conroy, A Fennelly; P Clancy, N Garvan; R Munnelly, I Fitzgerald, M Lawlor; B McDonald, K Fitzpatrick, D Delaney.

ANTRIM (SF v Cavan): S McGreevy; G Adams, C Brady, N Ward; S Kelly, T Convery, A Finnegan; M McCrory, M McCarry; J Quinn, K Brady, K McGourty; P McCann, D O'Hare, K Madden.