2024 Football Power Rankings as Armagh spring from the pack in last Championship of its kind
The full raft of new rules being introduced under former Dublin manager Jim Gavin's Football Review Committee may not see the end of 2025 - but enough of them will endure to ensure that the game is headed on a different path.
After years of tedium, there was a welcome splash of variety to the 2024 Championship as, for the first time since 2010, the final didn’t involve one of Dublin, Kerry or Mayo.
And heading into the 2025 Championship, there is a tightly packed field of six or seven teams - maybe more - from which an All-Ireland winner could emerge in 2025. Indeed, Armagh came through this year having been placed as low as seven in these rankings 12 months ago. But the newfound competitiveness of the Championship should not be confused with the game being in rude health, because Gaelic football has deteriorated notably as a spectacle in recent years and the All-Ireland final, and the first half in particular, was a rather turgid affair.
By then, Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee was already well advanced in its reconstructive surgery of the game and sweeping rule changes will come into effect for the start of the Allianz League next month, though they are likely to evolve as the year progresses. It’ll probably be better, but football in 2025 will certainly be radically different to what we saw in 2024, which marked a line in the sand for the game.
READ MORE: Jim Gavin insists that 'benefits outweigh negatives' as he allays fears of club refs
1 Armagh (7)
Having captained Armagh’s only previous All-Ireland winning side in 2002, Kieran McGeeney pulled off a stunning managerial feat by steering the county to their second title this year.
More than two decades later, the names of the more celebrated players from that team of yesteryear still roll off the tongue, but the current iteration of Armagh is more notable for the strength in the collective rather than sheer individual brilliance.
One defeat in their last 20 Championship games in the regulation 70 minutes speaks to how difficult they are to beat, though the planets may not align so well for them next season and, already, off-field matters look set to have a destabilising effect.
2 Galway (6)
Having come through some ferociously tight games en route to the final, Galway couldn’t find a way to win it when it was was well within their grasp.
Still, they got a lot from a season that was in danger of drifting well off course as they suffered a huge injury crisis early in the year. Although the provincials are diminished currency these days, there is value in going the direct route for Galway.
They dipped after their last final appearance in 2022 but, while that experience should stand to them, you’d have to wonder if they’ll get a better chance than what presented itself this year.
3 Kerry (2)
Did just about everything that was asked of them up to the semi-final stage, but they left Armagh in the game for too long and paid the ultimate price coming down the stretch and in extra time.
With Dublin having been taken out at that stage, it’s the kind of All-Ireland that Kerry traditionally sweep up but their panel lacks depth and the five-in-a-row of minor All-Irelands from 2014-19 hasn’t resulted in the throughput of players that might have been expected, with David Clifford’s genius all too critical to their chances.
The management has been shaken up this winter and they won’t be too far away again, but you certainly couldn’t back them with any great conviction.
4 Donegal (11)
Jim McGuinness underlined his managerial brilliance by picking Donegal up off the floor after a dreadful showing in 2023 to win another Ulster title, as well as climbing out of Division Two in what was a remarkably similar season to his first year at the helm back in 2011.
Back then they absorbed the lessons from a two-point All-Ireland semi-final to go all the way the following year and McGuinness will back himself to eke out the improvement to put Donegal in a position to do just that again in 2025.
By enticing Michael Murphy out of retirement, he’s already made a very decent start on that front.
5 Dublin (1)
For the first time since 2009, Dublin weren’t around at the All-Ireland semi-final stage and with a couple of high profile retirements, and the threat of more to come, there’s an end of an era feel to things now.
It wouldn’t have taken a whole pile more for them to get past Galway in the quarter-final this year, and who knows after that? But it still wouldn’t change the fact that Dublin’s age profile is trending in the wrong direction and there doesn’t appear to be a readymade batch of emerging talent as was the case more than a decade ago.
Expect changes next year and while there may be some pain, they’re still operating in a forgiving environment in Leinster and they’ll surely be around come the knockout stages, when Croke Park will hold a significant advantage for them.
6 Derry (3)
A bizarre year that promised so much ultimately delivered little for Derry, even if they did win a first League title in 16 years, an honour that most counties would treasure.
But at what cost? While their League final against Dublin was a cracking contest, Derry never scaled those heights again having drawn from a shallow pool of players throughout the competition and their nosedive in the Championship was spectacular.
Mickey Harte inevitably moved on and Paddy Tally was eventually appointed, but you’d wonder if they can find the zest of 2022-23 again.
7 Mayo (5)
A year of near misses as Mayo repeatedly put themselves in a position to win big games only to fall short. They led in injury time against Galway, Dublin and Derry, yet failed to win any of those games, with each outcome having a profound effect on the direction that their season took.
There was plenty of hemming and hawing before it was finally confirmed that Kevin McStay would continue for the third of a four-year term, while retirements and defections in the meantime don’t make for a glowing backdrop going into the new campaign.
Regaining Connacht must be a priority for McStay in 2025.
8 Louth (13)
Ger Brennan pulled off one of the managerial feats of the year as he inherited a side that Mickey Harte seemed to think he had hit a glass ceiling with, only to break through it and guide the team to their first quarter-final.
It may not have been for the purists, but there was plenty to admire in how they went about taking on Dublin in the Leinster final from a tactical viewpoint having been ruthlessly exposed 12 months earlier. And with Brennan’s native county already seriously weakened - and the potential for more departures yet - he may spy an opening for Louth.
9 Roscommon (8)
After putting a lot into their first League campaign under Davy Burke in 2023, there was a certain inevitability to Roscommon making the drop this year, only there was no notable dividend in the Championship, where they lost three of their first four games. Then came a notable win over Tyrone in the last 12 but Armagh always had their number in the quarter-final.
And that seems to be Roscommon’s glass ceiling. There are a number of counties who could come from the front of the pack to win an All-Ireland, but you couldn’t say that Roscommon are even in that grouping to start with.
10 Tyrone (9)
They had their moments but, ultimately, at no stage did Tyrone look like a side that was about to reverse the slide in their fortunes since winning the 2021 All-Ireland.
It came as no surprise when joint managers Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan, who was recovering from illness for much of the year, stood down but the appointment of Malachy O’Rourke seems to have infused a fresh sense of optimism.
2025 may be a year or two too soon, but given the quality of their underage teams in recent years and O’Rourke’s ability to mould a winning combination, good times shouldn’t be too far away.
11 Cork (10)
Cork looked to be in a good spot to push on this year but essentially flatlined and have now been hit with a string of defections and retirements.
12 Cavan (15)
Decent effort in Division Two of the League and the Ulster Championship, but bottomed out in the All-Ireland group stage.
13 Monaghan (4)
Finally relinquished their spot in Division One and there was little to crow about in the Championship. Could be entering a transitional spell.
14 Westmeath (16)
Emerged from a weak Division Three but, like last year, a poor Leinster Championship was followed by stubborn showing in the All-Ireland group stage.
15 Down (17)
Finally ended their 30-year losing streak in finals by winning the Tailteann Cup but promotion from Division Three was arguably more important.
16 Meath (14)
There was no notable development this year on the back of winning the Tailteann Cup and Robbie Brennan will do well to shift them up the rankings.
17 Clare (18)
Mark Fitzgerald did well to steady Clare amid a spate of retirements and defections and leaves a decent base for Peter Keane to work from.
18 Sligo (22)
Moving in the right direction. Almost shocked Galway and might well have won the Tailteann Cup but for indiscipline in the semi-final.
19 Antrim (21)
More of the same as they stayed in Division Three and reached a Tailteann semi-final. 2025 is probably make or break for Andy McEntee.
20 Fermanagh (19)
Couldn’t hold their spot in Division Two and while Ulster was always going to be a stretch, they ought to have fared better in the Tailteann Cup.
21 Laois (27)
A solid first year’s work by Justin McNulty in his second spell in Laois as they won Division Four and reached the Tailteann Cup final.
22 Kildare (12)
Endured the biggest slump of any county - and it wasn’t as though they were pulling up trees in previous seasons. Should see improvement with Brian Flanagan replacing Glen Ryan.
23 Leitrim (30)
The now-departed Andy Moran turned things around well after traumatic 2023 as they got out of Division Four but will feel they should have gone further in the Tailteann Cup.
24 Limerick (23)
A second successive League relegation though they did pick things up in the Tailteann Cup until running into Sligo.
25 Offaly (20)
An utterly shambolic year all round and appointing Mickey Harte to work alongside Declan Kelly is a complete cop out.
26 Wexford (28)
Made a decent stab at promotion from Division Four and gave Louth some problems in Leinster but flattered to deceive in the Tailteann Cup.
27 Wicklow (24)
A disappointing showing in the League but bounced back in the Leinster Championship, beating Westmeath and almost scored a famous win over Kildare.
28 Longford (25)
Another O’Byrne Cup win but left themselves with too much to do after a bad start to the League. Couldn’t win a game in the Tailteann Cup.
29 Carlow (29)
Did reasonably ok in the League but couldn’t muster a win in Leinster or Tailteann Cup as Niall Carew moved on, with Shane Curran coming in.
30 London (33)
Scored a rare victory, and a comprehensive one at that, over Offaly in the Tailteann Cup but little to show for their year outside of that.
31 Waterford (32)
Scored a rare win in Munster at Tipperary’s expense but finished bottom of Division Four and failed to get out of their Tailteann Cup group.
32 Tipperary (26)
Tipperary football appears to be bottoming out now after a relatively progressive 15-year spell, with key players having moved on and another change of manager this winter.
33 New York (31)
Always hard to gauge New York. They were never likely to back up their Leitrim win last year with Mayo coming over, though they troubled Laois in the Tailteann Cup.
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