Jim Gavin says it doesn't really matter who starts - or finishes - a match.

In what is essentially a team game, the Dublin manager says gaelic football at the highest level is all about what each player can contribute to the team cause over the course of 70 minutes, be that from a starting position or coming on as a substitute.

"We've always espoused the team philosophy, that it takes more than 15 players to win a game," he is quoted in The Irish Times.

"It's not about the start or the finish. If we had our way, we'd name the team alphabetically. We don't place any emphasis on the number on a player's back.

"It's what he can do for the team. Whether that's finishing a game or starting a game. And that's the management's job, to select those players on a tactical level for the team, and to get the best use of the players.

"Sometimes that means finishing a game. And sometimes that means starting and giving the team bedrock.

"It is part of our culture. The focus from the media's perspective is on the starting 15. But certainly, in the Dublin camp, the emphasis is not on it. We focus on positions, not numbers." Tweet

Most Read Stories