When Michael Murphy retired from inter-county football two years ago, it was like someone had plucked out the very heart of the Donegal team.
The county went into battle without him for the first time since 2007, and it was as if their very foundations had been broken.
The team was relegated from Division One, the players ousted Paddy Carr before the league campaign had even finished, the news cycle was continuously spurning out negative stories from the county, including a real mess with the development teams and Karl Lacey's exit from his role at the academy.
The season ended in a whimper as Tyrone made easy work of them in the preliminary quarter-finals, and soon a mission was at hand to bring Jim McGuinness back and restore pride in Donegal again.
McGuinness did just that as they secured promotion from Division Two, won the Ulster Championship, and now march towards their first All-Ireland semi-final since 2014.
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Despite this success, it is clear that they haven't replaced Murphy up front, although you will never really be able to do that. Oisin Gallen is starting to hit All-Star levels, while Paddy McBrearty is now the veteran target man, using experience, guile and scoring prowess to help his side.
After that however, all of their scoring threats come from players playing in deep positions like Peader Mogan, Ryan McHugh or Daire Ó Baoill, who have been in sensational form this season.
Father Time waits on no man as they say, but after Murphy's performance in the last Division One game of the season for Glenswilly earlier in the week, it doesn't look like he has slowed down at all.
The flying full forward hit an incredible 3-06 against Downings, as his side won 4-17 to 1-10.
A hat-trick of goals in the top division would be enough for any county manager to consider having a look, but McGuinness knows all about Murphy of course.
In the off-season, the Donegal manager said he "half-tortured" his former captain to come out of retirement, and although he was tempted, the Glenswilly man stood by his decision.
As the team head into an All-Ireland semi-final, you could argue that they haven't really been missing him, but when you get little reminders like that club performance, you can't help but think - 'if only'.
