ARMAGH'S focus for next season, and into the future, will be on youth as manager Paul Grimley looks to draw a line between his team and the successful sides of the last decade.
The Orchard county boss says he intends to introduce "three or four" new players to his squad for next season and added that, while last season wasn't a success in terms of results, it was a success in that the transformation of the Armagh squad began. Grimley intends to add to his squad year-on-year, with the emphasis on bringing together talented youngsters and allowing them to gel.
He cautioned Armagh fans that their county's senior team is still in a "transition stage" which won't be completed for "another year or two".
"We have lived too long on the 2002 success," he said.
"We've drunk out of that cup for far too long and we're only starting to make progress now in building for the future.
"That's my job and I'm determined to stick at it and I won't be sidetracked by anything else. Last year wasn't a success in regards to winning matches but it was a success in that we started the transformation.
"We have to see where it takes us and I'm trying to build a team here."
While he wants to move out of the shadow of Armagh successes up to 2008, Grimley will have Ulster Championship-winning manager Peter McDonnell in his backroom team next season.
Martin McQuillan will also be back but Grimley said he was still in the dark over whether Orchard County icon Kieran McGeeney (pictured) would be part of his set-up. It is understood that former Kildare boss McGeeney was interested in returning to the Armagh fold and that Grimley and the county board were keen to bring him in.
But, with the finer details of the move still unresolved, McGeeney's involvement remains up in the air.
"if anything had happened, i would be the first to know," said Grimley.
"at the minute Kieran is an open agent and that's the way it is. I'm concentrating on the work that I'm doing, which is putting together a new panel for November."
McGeeney aside, Grimley said that the rest of his backroom team was in place and will include a new strength and conditioning coach and a new speed coach.
The Armagh city man introduced eight new players last year - his first in charge of Armagh - and said there will be more new faces next year.
"My idea is to make the panel as young as possible," he said.
"Obviously, there'll still be seasoned players there, but my whole idea is to make this panel young. We need to get the panel together, get them training together and keep them together for the next 10 years.
"if you look at the all-Ireland final last Sunday, there were five players
on either team between the ages of 19 and early 20s. This is the way to go for Armagh - continually rejuvenate the panel until we have all the potentially good young players in the county in the senior panel." And Grimley intends to be there to bring the young hopefuls through into senior teams.
"My name was put forward at the county convention in front of the clubs and i was unanimously voted in," he said.
"I have the full backing of the county board and all I want is 12 months in advance all the time - I'm not looking for a two or three-year deal."