Kerry’s Brendan Kealy has pulled off a couple of spectacular saves in this year’s championship, denying Cork’s Stephen Cronin and Tyrone’s Mark Bradley with fine stops.
But even though Cluxton has endured a mixed bag of a season to date, the Dublin shotstopper gets the nod between the sticks. The Parnell’s man has revolutionised the goalkeeping position in recent seasons.
Kerry’s man for all seasons is an automatic in our starting 15. Black carded against Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final, Ó Sé will relish the chance to get back to business against the Dubs.
Sky Blue defender Jonny Cooper is unlucky to miss out here as the Na Fianna man has been enjoying a fine season.
Dublin’s defensive bulwark is a resolute figure on the edge of the square.
The Leinster champions put the shackles on Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea over the course of two All-Ireland semi-finals and O’Carroll had a big part to play in that shutout.
4. Philly McMahon (Dublin)
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Made headlines for the wrong reasons in the drawn game against Mayo but showed his true worth in the replay.
McMahon’s ability to find pockets of space and his all-action style earn him a spot in our starting team. He’s also more than capable of picking off a score, as evidenced by his 1-2 haul against Mayo second time out.
Allstar wing-back last year, Murphy is capable of operating in the full-back line or further out the field.
Man of the match in last year’s All-Ireland final, Murphy shrugged off an early season injury to regain his place in Kerry’s championship line-up. Dublin’s James McCarthy is unlucky to miss out on the right half back slot.
A pivotal position on our team goes to Kerry’s Killian Young, who is one of the game’s finest defenders.
Dublin’s Cian O’Sullivan and Kerry’s Peter Crowley had strong claims here too but Young has been a member of the Kingdom’s senior set-up since 2006 and his experience is vital.
Dublin’s flying left-half back is the perfect link between defence and attack.
Not one, but two, All-Ireland senior medals could reach the McCaffrey household in the coming weeks as Jack’s sister Sarah is a member of the Dublin senior ladies squad.
8. David Moran (Kerry)
Tommy Grealy / INPHO
Tommy Grealy / INPHO / INPHO
Kerry’s current Allstar midfielder gets the nod in the centre of the park, edging out teammate Anthony Maher, who has been enjoying a fantastic season.
Moran has put his past knee troubles behind him to emerge as arguably the most complete midfield player in the game.
9. Michael Darragh MacAuley (Dublin)
Might be a controversial inclusion given he’s struggled to nail down a regular starting place this summer but MacAuley on his game is one of the very best in the business.
The 2013 Footballer of the Year came off the bench against Mayo to make a big impact, making 16 plays during the time he was on the pitch.
The name on everybody’s lips over the past fortnight and those off-field boardroom struggles seemed to detract from Connolly’s performance in the Mayo replay.
Will hope to rekindle his best form for the final against Kerry and on his day, rated as the finest player in the country.
We’ve slotted Flynn into the centre forward position to accommodate his position in this line.
Ciaran Kilkenny is enjoying a better season than Flynn but the Fingallians clubman has proven pedigree and has won Allstar awards in each of the last four seasons.
The 2014 Footballer of the Year has yet to fully fire this season but a shoulder injury sustained against Kildare stalled his summer progress.
O’Donoghue is still one of the most explosive forwards in the business and if he gets the space to unload against Dublin, the Legion man will wreak havoc.
14. Colm Cooper (Kerry)
Tommy Grealy / INPHO
Tommy Grealy / INPHO / INPHO
Positioned on the edge of the square, no team would be complete without the genius of the ‘Gooch.’
Lost his place in the starting line-up after lining out against Tipperary in the Munster championship but could now be hitting peak form at just the right time after getting back in the team for the All-Ireland series.
Brogan is quite simply a scoring machine and his crucial goal against Mayo was a real poacher’s effort.
A player for the big occasion, Brogan’s last experience of an All-Ireland senior final was a memorable one, when he scored two goals against Mayo in 2013.
Do you agree with our selection? Who’s in that shouldn’t be and who’s unlucky to miss out? Leave your feedback in the comments section below…
Do you agree with our combined starting XV from Dublin and Kerry?
1. Stephen Cluxton (Dublin)
Kerry’s Brendan Kealy has pulled off a couple of spectacular saves in this year’s championship, denying Cork’s Stephen Cronin and Tyrone’s Mark Bradley with fine stops.
But even though Cluxton has endured a mixed bag of a season to date, the Dublin shotstopper gets the nod between the sticks. The Parnell’s man has revolutionised the goalkeeping position in recent seasons.
2. Marc Ó Sé (Kerry)
Kerry’s man for all seasons is an automatic in our starting 15. Black carded against Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final, Ó Sé will relish the chance to get back to business against the Dubs.
Sky Blue defender Jonny Cooper is unlucky to miss out here as the Na Fianna man has been enjoying a fine season.
3. Rory O’Carroll (Dublin)
Dublin’s defensive bulwark is a resolute figure on the edge of the square.
The Leinster champions put the shackles on Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea over the course of two All-Ireland semi-finals and O’Carroll had a big part to play in that shutout.
4. Philly McMahon (Dublin)
Made headlines for the wrong reasons in the drawn game against Mayo but showed his true worth in the replay.
McMahon’s ability to find pockets of space and his all-action style earn him a spot in our starting team. He’s also more than capable of picking off a score, as evidenced by his 1-2 haul against Mayo second time out.
5. Paul Murphy (Kerry)
Allstar wing-back last year, Murphy is capable of operating in the full-back line or further out the field.
Man of the match in last year’s All-Ireland final, Murphy shrugged off an early season injury to regain his place in Kerry’s championship line-up. Dublin’s James McCarthy is unlucky to miss out on the right half back slot.
6. Killian Young (Kerry)
A pivotal position on our team goes to Kerry’s Killian Young, who is one of the game’s finest defenders.
Dublin’s Cian O’Sullivan and Kerry’s Peter Crowley had strong claims here too but Young has been a member of the Kingdom’s senior set-up since 2006 and his experience is vital.
7. Jack McCaffrey (Dublin)
Dublin’s flying left-half back is the perfect link between defence and attack.
Not one, but two, All-Ireland senior medals could reach the McCaffrey household in the coming weeks as Jack’s sister Sarah is a member of the Dublin senior ladies squad.
8. David Moran (Kerry)
Kerry’s current Allstar midfielder gets the nod in the centre of the park, edging out teammate Anthony Maher, who has been enjoying a fantastic season.
Moran has put his past knee troubles behind him to emerge as arguably the most complete midfield player in the game.
9. Michael Darragh MacAuley (Dublin)
Might be a controversial inclusion given he’s struggled to nail down a regular starting place this summer but MacAuley on his game is one of the very best in the business.
The 2013 Footballer of the Year came off the bench against Mayo to make a big impact, making 16 plays during the time he was on the pitch.
10. Diarmuid Connolly (Dublin)
The name on everybody’s lips over the past fortnight and those off-field boardroom struggles seemed to detract from Connolly’s performance in the Mayo replay.
Will hope to rekindle his best form for the final against Kerry and on his day, rated as the finest player in the country.
11. Paul Flynn (Dublin)
We’ve slotted Flynn into the centre forward position to accommodate his position in this line.
Ciaran Kilkenny is enjoying a better season than Flynn but the Fingallians clubman has proven pedigree and has won Allstar awards in each of the last four seasons.
12. Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry)
The unsung hero of the Kerry team is now earning the recognition that his selfless work deserves.
Earned the Sky Sports man of the match award for his heroics against Tyrone and a key cog in the Kerry wheel with his ability to win ‘dirty ball.’
13. James O’Donoghue (Kerry)
The 2014 Footballer of the Year has yet to fully fire this season but a shoulder injury sustained against Kildare stalled his summer progress.
O’Donoghue is still one of the most explosive forwards in the business and if he gets the space to unload against Dublin, the Legion man will wreak havoc.
14. Colm Cooper (Kerry)
Positioned on the edge of the square, no team would be complete without the genius of the ‘Gooch.’
Lost his place in the starting line-up after lining out against Tipperary in the Munster championship but could now be hitting peak form at just the right time after getting back in the team for the All-Ireland series.
15. Bernard Brogan (Dublin)
Brogan is quite simply a scoring machine and his crucial goal against Mayo was a real poacher’s effort.
A player for the big occasion, Brogan’s last experience of an All-Ireland senior final was a memorable one, when he scored two goals against Mayo in 2013.
Do you agree with our selection? Who’s in that shouldn’t be and who’s unlucky to miss out? Leave your feedback in the comments section below…
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