While there is still some mouthwatering provincial action to look forward to over the next couple of weeks, GAA fans now have a clearer idea as to what fixtures we will see once the All-Ireland series gets underway later this month.

The draw for the opening round of the All-Ireland took place on Monday, throwing up some very interesting ties. Kerry’s clash with Donegal is certainly the standout fixture, with the pair set to face off in Killarney.

In saying that, some feel that this game could highlight one of the issues with the new All-Ireland format.

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Could Kerry vs Donegal raise All-Ireland format issue?

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A new format will be in place for the All-Ireland series this year. The round robin has been removed, replaced with a new knockout system. However it is not straight knockout and teams will have to lose two games before being eliminated.

As a result, no team who loses in the first round will be eliminated from Sam Maguire contention.

Questions have also been asked about the decision to hold the All-Ireland draw in advance of the provincial finals being played, with Jack O’Connor among those who feel such a move could devalue those still ongoing competitions.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Inside Sport, John Heslin suggested that while teams would still the provincial finals seriously, the clash between Kerry and Donegal could tell us just how much stock teams will be putting into the first round of the new championship format.

It probably does take a bit of shine off it, but I think it will probably be parked now for those teams that are in the provincial finals. They will start to out their focus on that…

You’ll see different comments online for different people. Does that game add anything? What are the consequences of losing that game for either team?

They’re not gone from it. There is potentially a momentum swing for them. But it will be interesting to see how those teams line out for that and the approach that they take.

Is it going to be another shadowboxing game for them? Are they going to meet later in the season? It leaves it all interesting for the buildup anyway.

Both Kerry and Donegal would fancy their chance of making the All-Ireland quarter-finals even if they did lose that opening game. They would need to win their next two fixtures in order to avoid an early elimination.

While some kinks in the format may need to be worked out, there still should be some very entertaining GAA action over the coming weeks.

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