THERE ARE STILL plenty of unknowns heading into the final round of the Allianz Football Leagues, with finalists, promotion spots and relegation matters the main focus.
The final standings in the league will also determine the landscape of the championship as teams are divided between the Sam Maguire and the Tailteann Cup competitions.
So, with that said, let’s take a closer look at all four divisions and consider all the possibilities.
Division 1
Kerry manager Jack O'Connor. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Round 5 – Sunday, 26 March
Roscommon v Donegal
Mayo v Monaghan
Galway v Kerry
Tyrone v Armagh
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Heading into the final round, Mayo are the only side assured of a place in the Division 1 final. Galway are next in line to compete for a place in the decider as they sit on eight points, while Kerry, Tyrone and Roscommon are all in contention on six points. A draw or win will be enough for Galway while Kerry, Tyrone and Roscommon must all win to be in with a chance of advancing.
Donegal have already been relegated as they sit at the bottom of the table while Monaghan and Armagh will battle it out to avoid the drop as well. Monaghan must win and hope that Armagh are defeated by Tyrone. A draw would be sufficient for Armagh to ensure their safety.
Derry have already secured promotion to the top tier after a clean sweep of six wins from six outings. Dublin are just behind on 10 points and are best placed to join Rory Gallagher’s side in the jump but Louth are still in contention too as they face each other in a promotion showdown. A draw would be enough for Dublin while Louth will go up if they win.
At the other end, Clare and Limerick have already been relegated but victory will still be crucial in the clash of Kildare and Meath as they aim to avoid finishing low on the table and thus be in danger of going into the Tailteann Cup.
Division 3
Offaly players stand for a moment of silence in honour of their manager Liam Kearns who passed away recently. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Offaly v Down
Longford v Antrim
Westmeath v Tipperary
Cavan v Fermanagh
Cavan have claimed one of the promotion spots up for grabs from Division 3 as they prepare to face Fermanagh who are also on 10 points. But Cavan will still go up even if they lose as they have already beaten Down and Offaly who are on eight points. But, due to the head-to-head rule, only Fermanagh and Offaly can earn promotion.
Tipperary and Longford are both already relegated following this weekend’s round of results.
Division 4
Sligo manager Tony McEntee. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Waterford v Wicklow
London v Laois
Wexford v Carlow
Leitrim v Sligo
Division 4 is the most open of the lot heading into the final round. Sligo are currently the top candidate for promotion, sitting on 10 points. However, their place in the third division isn’t assured yet as they take on Leitrim, who are on eight points alongside Laois and Wicklow. A draw would be enough for Sligo to climb up to Division 3, but should they lose, they could miss out on promotion as they have already lost out to Laois.
If the second promotion spot comes down to a straight battle between Laois and Wicklow, then the latter will go up as per head-to-head rule.
Wexford are on six points and have a long shot of earning promotion if they win and Leitrim, Laois and Wicklow all lose. Scoring difference would come in to play in that eventuality.
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Explainer - Here's what's at stake for final round of GAA football leagues
THERE ARE STILL plenty of unknowns heading into the final round of the Allianz Football Leagues, with finalists, promotion spots and relegation matters the main focus.
The final standings in the league will also determine the landscape of the championship as teams are divided between the Sam Maguire and the Tailteann Cup competitions.
So, with that said, let’s take a closer look at all four divisions and consider all the possibilities.
Division 1
Round 5 – Sunday, 26 March
Heading into the final round, Mayo are the only side assured of a place in the Division 1 final. Galway are next in line to compete for a place in the decider as they sit on eight points, while Kerry, Tyrone and Roscommon are all in contention on six points. A draw or win will be enough for Galway while Kerry, Tyrone and Roscommon must all win to be in with a chance of advancing.
Donegal have already been relegated as they sit at the bottom of the table while Monaghan and Armagh will battle it out to avoid the drop as well. Monaghan must win and hope that Armagh are defeated by Tyrone. A draw would be sufficient for Armagh to ensure their safety.
Division 2
Derry have already secured promotion to the top tier after a clean sweep of six wins from six outings. Dublin are just behind on 10 points and are best placed to join Rory Gallagher’s side in the jump but Louth are still in contention too as they face each other in a promotion showdown. A draw would be enough for Dublin while Louth will go up if they win.
At the other end, Clare and Limerick have already been relegated but victory will still be crucial in the clash of Kildare and Meath as they aim to avoid finishing low on the table and thus be in danger of going into the Tailteann Cup.
Division 3
Cavan have claimed one of the promotion spots up for grabs from Division 3 as they prepare to face Fermanagh who are also on 10 points. But Cavan will still go up even if they lose as they have already beaten Down and Offaly who are on eight points. But, due to the head-to-head rule, only Fermanagh and Offaly can earn promotion.
Tipperary and Longford are both already relegated following this weekend’s round of results.
Division 4
Division 4 is the most open of the lot heading into the final round. Sligo are currently the top candidate for promotion, sitting on 10 points. However, their place in the third division isn’t assured yet as they take on Leitrim, who are on eight points alongside Laois and Wicklow. A draw would be enough for Sligo to climb up to Division 3, but should they lose, they could miss out on promotion as they have already lost out to Laois.
If the second promotion spot comes down to a straight battle between Laois and Wicklow, then the latter will go up as per head-to-head rule.
Wexford are on six points and have a long shot of earning promotion if they win and Leitrim, Laois and Wicklow all lose. Scoring difference would come in to play in that eventuality.
Get instant updates on the Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues on The42 app. Brought to you by Allianz Insurance, proud sponsors of the Allianz Leagues for over 30 years.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Allianz Football Leagues Permutations