So far in the 2024 championship season, seven inter-county stars have already fallen at the hands of the dreaded ACL injury.
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament are not three words that any players wants to hear muttered in a row while receiving a scan to assess their latest ailment.
In the past it was as good as a death sentence when it came to your sporting career, but thanks to the advancement of medical science, it is now just a long term injury which players can fully recover them.
That's not to say it isn't serious, because the second a medical expert confirms that diagnosis, then your season is officially over, and plans install begin to rebuild for next year.
Whether it is the split season, the extra games that the group stages have thrown at players, or the state of playing pitches up and down Ireland, there does seem to be an outbreak of ACL victims in recent weeks.
In fact, we have not even reached the knockout stages of the All-Ireland in the men's or ladies game, and seven players are already into their rehab to try and make it back for 2025.
Evan Comerford
The Dublin goalkeeper's season ended when playing a club game for Ballymun Kickhams in the lead up their Leinster final against Louth.
Although it was likely that Comerford would be on the bench with Stephen Cluxton's return to the panel, the young shotstopper is widely respected in the county and would take the number one spot in most teams.
Paddy Lynch
After kicking 10 points against Monaghan and showing some real promise against Tyrone in the Ulster championship, Lynch was in the form of his life before the injury stole his season from him.
Cavan have not been the same since losing their star forward, and have yet to register a win following Lynch's absence.
Barry O'Hagan
This one is a real heartbreaker, as the former Down captain had just returned from a cruciate injury which threatened his whole playing career, and was only on at the pitch a matter of minutes against Armagh in the Ulster semi-final before he was struck down again.
Giving how quickly he returned from the first one, there is no doubt that O'Hagan will be back on the football pitch again, and the sooner it is, the better.
Aimee Mackin
Without question, the star of this exciting Armagh ladies team that has so much promise and potential, but unfortunately for her, the orchard county and the wider GAA community, she will play no further part in the championship this year.
This injury has robbed us all of great entertainment, because there are few people in the game who can kick a score quite like Mackin.
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Padraig McGrogan
At one point, Derry looked like they had too many half backs in their star studded team, but now with Conor Doherty and Eoin McEvoy picking up injuries, McGrogan's ACL tear has went from horrible to disastrous.
The Newbridge clubman has been in fine form all year, and just a week after Derry suffered their first Ulster championship defeat in three years to Donegal, the mood in the camp only got worse when news broke of McGrogan's injury.
Paddy Durcan
During the last two minutes of Mayo's comfortable win over Cavan, team captain Paddy Durcan had to be taken off, and any joy that a win usually gives a team quickly evaporated when it was revealed that he had done his ACL.
Durcan's leadership, reliability and the back and ability to punch holes in the oppositions defence, means that he will be an enormous loss in their hunt for Sam Maguire.
Ciaran Mackin
The latest to hear the dreaded news was Armagh's Ciaran Mackin, Aimee's brother, as he unfortunately hurt himself in training last week.
An integral part of Kieran McGeeney's team, the depth of their squad will now really be tested as they head into the latter stages of the championship without him.
