With that in mind, there is little sense in trying to make predictions for the season.
What you can reasonably forecast is there will be a lot of excitement across the opening weekend of the National League.
Armagh travel to Salthill in their first game as All-Ireland champions to face Galway, the team they beat in the final. That would be usually be enough for one Saturday evening, but throwing Tyrone v Derry and Dublin v Mayo into the mix means we’ll likely have a lot to digest.
There is no form guide to go on for Tyrone v Derry. Both teams are under new management and nobody really knows what to expect, but even with the rules changes, this is always a fiery fixture worth watching.
In terms of Derry, I’ve found the narrative around last season pretty interesting. Derry won the McKenna Cup and a Division One title and got to the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland, but there has been a narrative that it was a ‘nightmare’ championship.
My opinion is that Derry had a championship that fell short of our ambitions and standards. Across the year, it was a decent enough season.
Yes, the championship fell below the standards and expectations we had set, but there will definitely be a big drive to improve on that and ensure a successful first season under Paddy Tally.
And there may be some new rules in place, but Tyrone v Derry is a fixture that speaks for itself. It’s a big Ulster derby and I’m sure there will be a cracking atmosphere inside Healy Park on Saturday evening.
Who knows, maybe I’ll leave Omagh with a much more positive outlook on ‘enhanced’ Gaelic football. That’s part of what makes it so intriguing.
Chrissy McKaigue was speaking to BBC Sport NI’s Matt Gault
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