Former Kerry manager and member of the Football Rules Committee Eamonn Fitzmaurice is excited to see the National League get under way.
Division One is stacked with quality teams that make it more competitive than usual, and then when you throw in the new enhancements, it's almost impossible to call.
The absence of pre-season tournaments also means that we have seen very little in terms of who is in what squads, how teams are planning on playing, and if there are any tactical innovations in place.
When speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast however, Fitzmaurice explains why he thinks that Donegal might have a leg up on some of the other teams in the early rounds.
READ ALSO: MTU Kerry Hero Admits Sigerson Cup Wonder Goal Was Not His Intention
READ ALSO: Dessie Farrell Reveals That Dublin Have Added "16 New Players" To County Panel
"Donegal had their overseas camp in the Middle East. By all accounts it was a tactical style camp. To me that tells you of a team that is a good bit down the line. If you’re able to be focused on the tactical nuances that early in a season, it means you are in a good place.
"It’s a serious test for Kerry on the first day. If they get two points out of Donegal they would be very happy.
"My feeling is Donegal will come in locked and loaded is not based on anything else, we haven’t seen anything yet, but considering the personnel they have and the person is charge of them, and that they seem to have a bit of work done, they’ll be a handful early on for everyone.
"It’s very hard to know overall. Kerry are playing Dublin in the third round and at that stage you could have a scenario where they are grappling for points from being under pressure from earlier games. It’s great how competitive it is."
Jim McGuinness is of course renowned for his tactical astuteness and ability to get the best out of players, so you can see why Fitzmaurice has confidence in him.
The return of Michael Murphy is also significant for number of reasons, because not only is he a brilliant footballer, leader, and talisman, but he too was a part of the Football Rules Committee, so he will bring an understanding to the new rules that other teams don't have.
