Peter Canavan column: All-Ireland finals are different, and having family involved makes it more special

The build-up to an All-Ireland final when your own county is involved is special.

Firstly, you're proud as a Tyrone man to be there. You're proud of your club colleagues and friends that are going to get the chance to represent the county on the sport's biggest day.

And to have one of your own family involved is something special. I know exactly what it feels to be part of such a big day, and get a real kick out of that. But there is one difference on Saturday. When you run out onto the pitch, the tension leaves the body very quickly. When you're watching on from the stands, it doesn't!

But it will be a great day for the Canavan clan, and so many other families of those playing.

For players, there is no getting around the fact that an All-Ireland final is not just like any other match.

The first time you are in a final, you can get caught up in the hype. But for those fortunate to play in a final for a second or third time, it gets easier. And most of these Tyrone players were involved in 2018. Similarly, Mayo are appearing in their second consecutive final. That's a massive help for both teams.

You cannot let yourself get bogged down by peripheral distractions such as sorting tickets, or anything else that goes with an All-Ireland final.

It's all secondary to what happens on the field of play.

I remember my first decider in 1995. The excitement in Tyrone was crazy. We had never won an All-Ireland final at that stage. Thankfully, we have moved on from that. There is not the same noise as there was back then, simply because we have managed to get our hands on the Sam Maguire Cup. But that's not to say there is not a real buzz around the county.

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Traditional big guns eliminated

Both teams will fully believe they are good enough to win it. Neither team will have any fear of the opposition. If Tyrone were facing Dublin, there would be a danger of paying their opponents too much respect. Likewise, Mayo have suffered at the hands of Kerry in All-Ireland finals down through the years.

But with the traditional big guns gone, both sides will now feel they are good enough to win on Saturday.

Not only that, but they are entering the decider in similar circumstances, having come through their semi-finals as underdogs. They built those victories on strong running games, and both won despite their starting forwards not firing in the first half.

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There will be so many fascinating battles on Saturday that it's difficult to pin-point one which could decide the contest.

In the semi-finals, we had Con O'Callaghan vs Padraig O'Hora and David Clifford vs Ronan McNamee which we all thought could go a long way to settle the ties.

It's going to be so tight that smaller margins will decide it. Both teams will be happy with their defensive set-ups, both teams happy with their running game, but both believing they can do more up front.

The two sets of substitutes made positive contributions in the semi-finals, and that will be needed again.

James Horan, Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan have big decisions to make, not only around the starting teams but also their matchday panels.

For Tyrone, Richie Donnelly, Rory Brennan and Niall Kelly could come back into the mix. Oisin Mullin missed Mayo's win over Dublin, but could be back in the reckoning.

Of all the jobs the management teams have, the toughest might be to tell a player that he has missed out on the matchday 26.

Of course there will be key match-ups, which we will see unfold on Saturday evening. Mayo will have earmarked certain Tyrone forwards, and vice-versa.

But there will be very little between the sides. Like the two semi-finals, I wouldn't be one bit surprised if this game ends all square at full-time.

Watch Mayo vs Tyrone in the All-Ireland SFC final live on Sky Sports Arena from 4pm Saturday.