James McCarthy says Dublin's ability to tweak their playing squad has helped create a very competitive environment - one which has seen them win the last three All-Ireland SFC titles.
This year the Ballymun Kickhams man has been impressed with some of the more youthful members of Jim Gavin's panel as the Dubs held off Galway to capture the NFL Division 1 crown.
“In ’13 you would have had Jack (McCaffrey), Ciarán (Kilkenny), (Paul) Mannion coming in and very fortunate to get Brian Fenton and John Small in ’15.
“There’s others I’m missing … but we’ve been lucky, maybe every year we feed two or three guys in.
This spring the likes of Brian Howard and Colm Basquel made telling contributions while Niall Scully continues to develop as a player.
“It makes you nervous. But it’s exciting as well because you see them getting better as time goes on and learning, they’re mad for it, so that kind of gives you a good lift and you just hope they carry that form into the summer and have no worries about it.
“We are very fortunate the last few years with the group we have. It’s a very tight group and we get on well and push each other hard and these lads are like a new ray of energy coming in.
“They just add to the mix and they are great fellas to have around. They are hungry for it, asking questions, they want to learn and get better and they are great guys to have around.”
James had to be replaced during the NFL1 decider owing to a hamstring strain but is expected to return to action for Ballymun Kickhams against St Brigid's in Saturday's Dublin SFC Group 4 clash at Parnell Park (4.0). That game is the curtain-raiser for the SFC Group 1 meeting of Kilmacud Crokes and Ballyboden St Enda's (5.45).
"I'll be touch and go, but hopefully it should be okay," says James.
On Friday night there are two game on - Raheny versus St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh in Garristown (7.0) and St Sylvester's versus Parnell's in Balgriffin (7.0).
Friday, April 13
SFC1 Group 1: Raheny v St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER (Garristown, 7.0)
SFC1 Group 3: St Sylvester’s v Parnell's (Balgriffin, 7.0)
Saturday, April 14
SFC1 Group 1: Kilmacud Crokes v Ballyboden St Enda’s (Parnell Park, 5.45)
SFC1 Group 3: St Jude’s v Ballinteer St John’s (O’Toole Park, 4.0)
SFC1 Group 4: Ballymun Kickhams v St Brigid’s (Parnell Park, 4.0)
SFC1 Group 4: Castleknock v Clontarf (O’Toole Park, 5.45)