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Noelle Healy facing Galway's Áine McDonagh last year. Tommy Dickson/INPHO
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Two changes for three in-a-row chasing Dublin, Galway unchanged for All-Ireland final

The teams are in ahead of a Super Sunday at Croke Park.

THREE IN-A-ROW CHASING Dublin and Galway have named their sides for Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland senior football final showdown at Croke Park [throw-in 4pm, live on TG4].

Sky Blues boss Mick Bohan has made two changes in personnel to the team that lined out against Cork in the semi-final, with 2017 Footballer of the Year Noelle Healy and Cuala young gun Jennifer Dunne both down to start.

Healy made a huge impact off the bench in that last four battle, as Dublin reached a sixth successive All-Ireland decider. She was introduced at half time for Niamh Hetherton that day, with the Clontarf teenager now held in reserve instead.

Nicole Owens is the other to drop to the bench after undergoing knee surgery, while Dunne — also a used substitute against the Leesiders — gets the nod this time around. 

In total, there are 12 survivors from last year’s All-Ireland final starting 15. Sinéad Finnegan and Leah Caffrey, who both left the panel, and Owens, all lined out in front of 50,141 fans that day — but now it’s over to Dunne, and defensive duo Éabha Rutledge and Aoife Kane.

Meanwhile, Tim Rabbitt has named an unchanged Galway side from their All-Ireland semi-final victory over neighbours Mayo at Croke Park almost a month ago. 

Appearing in their first senior decider since 2005, the Tribe are hoping to get their hands on the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time since 2004. Sinéad Aherne, Lyndsey Davey and Siobhán McGrath were the Dubliners there that day, but no Galway players survive.

Tracey Leonard captains her troops, who’ll look to the experience of her cousin, Róisín, and key defender Sinéad Burke, while they have youth and exuberance in abundance.

Rabbitt confirmed during the week that the experienced Cooney sisters, Fabienne and Charlotte, will both be available after missing the Mayo outing with hamstring injuries, and as of now, they take their place on the bench.

Elsewhere on Sunday, 2017 champions Tipperary and 2018 finalists Meath go head-to-head in the intermediate decider (throw-in 1.45pm), while likewise in the junior showdown, 2017 champions Fermanagh and 2018 finalists Louth do battle.

The six starting teams are below:

Dublin

1. Ciara Trant (St Brigids)

2. Éabha Rutledge (Kilmacud Crokes)
3. Niamh Collins (Foxrock Cabinteely)
4. Martha Byrne (Cuala)

5. Aoife Kane (Kilmacud Crokes)
6. Sinéad Goldrick (Foxrock Cabinteely)
7. Olwen Carey (Thomas Davis)

8. Lauren Magee (Kilmacud Crokes)
9. Siobhán McGrath (Thomas Davis)

10. Carla Rowe (Clann Mhuire)
11. Niamh McEvoy (St Sylvesters)
12. Lyndsey Davey (Skerries Harps)

13. Sinéad Aherne (St Sylvesters) – captain
14. Noelle Healy (Mourneabbey, Cork)
15. Jennifer Dunne (Cuala)

Galway

1. Lisa Murphy (Kilkerrin Clonberne)

2. Sinéad Burke (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
3. Nicola Ward Kilkerrin (Clonberne)
4. Sarah Lynch (Naomh Anna Leitir Móir)

5. Orla Murphy (Claregalway)
6. Barbara Hannon (Dunmore McHales)
7. Shauna Molloy (St Fursey’s)

8. Louise Ward (Kilkerrin Clonberne)
9. Áine McDonagh (Moycullen)

10. Olivia Divilly (Kilkerrin Clonberne)
11. Megan Glynn (Claregalway)
12. Mairéad Seoighe (Clonbur)

13. Tracey Leonard (Corofin) — captain
14. Sarah Conneally (Dunmore McHales)
15. Roisín Leonard (Corofin)

Meath (v Tipperary): M McGuirk; K Newe, O Duff, S Powderly; O Byrne, S Ennis, S Wall; M O’Shaughnessy (capt.), A Cleary; E Duggan, V Wall, M Thynne; B Lynch, K Nesbitt, F O’Neill.

Tipperary (v Meath): L Fitzpatrick; L Spillane, M Curley, E Cronin; B Condon, S Lambert (capt.), C Kennedy; A McCarthy, A.R. Kennedy; N Lonergan, A Moloney, O O’Dwyer; A Fennessy, A McGuigan, C Condon.

Fermanagh (v Louth): S Murphy; A Maguire, E Murphy, M Flynn; M McGloin, C Murphy, S McQuaid; R O’Reilly, A Flanagan; J Doonan (capt.), L Maguire, D Maguire; A O’Brien, E Smyth, B Bogue. 

Louth (v Fermanagh): U Pearson; E Hand, S Quinn, S McLoughlin; C Nolan, M McMahon, D Osborne; E Byrne, A Byrne; R Carr, S Byrne, A Russell; L Boyle, K Flood (capt.), N Rice.

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