2025 is here and so is a new dawn of Gaelic Football that will see teams the length and breadth of the country struggling, adapting and innovating with the wholesale changes to the rules introduced by Jim Gavin's FRC last year.
With the game's most prolific innovator at the helm in the North West, Donegal supporters will be viewing the new rules not as an experiment, but as the opportune moment to get their hands back on Sam Maguire.
Ever since he masterminded the seemingly unbeatable Jim Gavin's sole Championship loss in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final, and created the defensive system that many would argue has left us needing these rule changes, Jim McGuinness has been widely regarded as the game's most innovative manager - a reputation that has fans up and down the 32 counties salivating at the prospect of what he might do in the face of the new rules.
So when rumours began circulating that the great Michael Murphy - who himself sat on the FRC before making a shock return to the Donegal squad - was playing in goals for Donegal in challenge matches, many GAA fans sat up and took interest. The news was written about on Friday by Declan Bogue of the 42 on Friday and spoken about widely on social media.
Murphy has excelled in so many positions for Donegal, the thought of him in goals for gaelic football's brand new era was pretty tantalising, even if they are just rumours.
Joe Brolly debunks early Jim McGuinness loophole rumours
Brolly was writing in his Sunday Independent column on Sunday when he revealed he had it on good authority that the rumours were true - Murphy had been playing the county's in-house game between the nets.
I was in Donegal last week and three different people told me, in absolute confidence (“Don’t mention my name Joe”), that Michael Murphy has been playing in goals in their in-house games.
According to them, Jimmy discovered a loophole in the no pass to the ’keeper rule, by not putting a ’keeper’s jersey on anyone and starting Murphy in nets. With Jimmy, you just never know.
However, the former RTÉ pundit went on to cite a passage from the new rulebook that explained how Jim Gavin's meticulous wording on the requirement for teams to field a goalkeeper in a distinctive kit means McGuinness will not be allowed field an outfield player in goals.
Could we see Murphy line out as Donegal's goalkeeper? Time will tell.
In all likelihood, it seems the more realistic explanation for Murphy's place between the sticks is more likely down to hamstring tenderness cited by Bogue and a few other Donegal supporters on social media.
