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A week on from Dublin's victory, 5 questions as we peer ahead to the 2017 football season

We look at Dublin’s three-in-a-row prospects and a potential changing of the guard in Kerry.

Can Dublin do the 3-in-a-row?

Denis Bastick sons Aidan in the Sam Maguire after the game James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

THE QUESTION ON everybody’s lips after the final whistle last Saturday. Under Jim Gavin’s stewardship, they’ve suffered just one championship defeat – to Donegal in 2014.

They’ve claimed three All-Irelands either side of that loss and the squad is still young enough to contend for the next few years. Most of the crew who’ve been a part of the squad since 2011 are approaching the end of their careers, but there’s a talented young crop ready to take over the mantle.

That group includes Stephen Cluxton, Michael Darragh MacAuley, Bernard Brogan, Paul Flynn, Philly McMahon, Eoghan O’Gara and Kevin McManamon, who’ll all be into their 30s in 12 months’ time, while Cian O’Sullivan and Paddy Andrews will be 29.

The expected return of Jack McCaffrey will add to Dublin’s talented core of players in the  23 and under age bracket – Brian Fenton, Ciaran Kilkenny, John Small, Paul Mannion, Cormac Costello and Con O’Callaghan.

Dublin’s older contingent will fancy making a run at history and cementing their legacy before their time runs out.

Can Mayo bounce back?

Aidan O'Shea and Seamus O'Shea Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Question: How do Mayo come back from this latest All-Ireland final defeat? Answer: They have no other choice.

Barring some star players do a Rory O’Carroll and leave the country, Mayo have enough star quality for us to comfortably rate them as a top three side heading into 2017. They’ll look to blood more of those All-Ireland winning U21s over the spring, while we can expect youngsters like Brendan Harrison, Stephen Coen, Patrick Durcan, Diarmuid O’Connor, Conor O’Shea and Evan Regan to build on this good season.

Can Michael Hall, Shehroz Akram, Liam Irwin, Conor Loftus and Brian Reape step-up and throw their names into contention for serious championship game-time?

Against Dublin, Mayo lacked a pacey, explosive inside forward, like a Paul Geaney or Conor McManus. Regan could be that player and Rochford needs to persist with him in 2017. He might not be a natural ball-winner, but Mayo have enough of those players. They need someone with Regan’s accuracy in the full-forward line.

Mayo’s starting forwards scored just eight points from play across the two finals against Dublin, including 0-3 in the replay. Rochford might only need a few tweaks to get this group over the line.

Will we see a changing of the guard in Kerry?

Aidan O’Mahony, Kieran Donaghy and Bryan Sheehan Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Eamon Fitzmaurice has been reappointed for a further two years in charge of the Kindgom. It’s reasonable to assume that 2017 will see him attempt to intergrate some of the emerging talent from the All-Ireland minor winning teams of 2014-16, and perhaps one or two from the victorious junior All-Ireland teams of the last two years.

It’s likely the Kingdom will lose Marc O Se and Aidan O’Mahony to retirement this winter, while question marks hang over Donnchadh Walsh and Kieran Donaghy.

Fitzmaurice needs to inject more athleticism into this team to challenge Dublin. The prospect of denying a Dublin three-in-a-row will focus the minds in the Kingdom.

Can Tyrone or Donegal close the gap?

Cathal McCarron and Michael Murphy Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO

If Dublin, Mayo and Kerry are the three top tier sides in the country, then Tyrone and Donegal are the two best placed teams to make the jump up.

It’s going to be an interesting year in Tyrone, with Mickey Harte’s future unclear after the coming season. Only retaining the Ulster title they won last year and making a first All-Ireland final since 2008 will represent tangeble progress for this group who fancy themselves as All-Ireland contenders.

Finding a steady scorer inside would transform Tyrone offensively, and defensively they are about as solid as any side out there.

Donegal have been beaten in two Ulster finals since Jim McGuinness left, and despite the talent of young quartet Ryan and Eoin McHugh, Odhran MacNiallais and Ciaran Gillespie, it still looks like this team’s best days are behind them

What bolters will we see?

The Tipperary team stand for the national anthem Tommy Grealy / INPHO Tommy Grealy / INPHO / INPHO

Tipperary and Clare were two of 2016′s biggest success stories with their respective runs to the last four and eight. Longford enjoyed a decent run in the qualifiers, including an impressive win over Monaghan, while Galway won their first provincial title since 2008.

Outside of that four, there’s still hope for this young Roscommon team, but they must not burn out in the league again. Meath are an intruiging prospect under 2016 All-Ireland winning club manager Andy McEntee.

Two of the biggest dissapointments in the 2016 championship were Monaghan and Cork, and both counties undoubtedly have the talent to still be in the shake up come next August.

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Anthony Daly in mix for Clare return with big-name backroom team

Poll: Who deserves to be crowned the 2016 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year?

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