PAUL GEANEY TOOK his seat in Croke Park on Sunday before throw-in and found the 70 plus minutes of action that ensued a tough watch.
It was only after a second bout with Mayo in August that Geaney was deprived of the chance of featuring as a main player on All-Ireland final day.
Another outstanding season leading the line in the Kerry attack culminated with a bystander role on the biggest afternoon of the football calendar.
“Painful enough,” reflected Geaney.
“It was a good day, a good spectacle but it is sickening enough not being on the field on All-Ireland final day. It is what you are built to do and what you are hoping to do every year.
“It is fairly gut-wrenching alright to see someone else lift the cup and not even being able to contest it. I actually watched it in PWC’s box right next to the RTE studio so I had a good vantage point.
“I could have been the only one from our team in Croke Park the last day and I can guarantee you that there were a couple of fellas that did not even watch the game. It is a tough one, alright. I came last year as well.”
Why travel up from West Kerry then to put himself through an uncomfortable viewing experience?
“I come because I want to learn how to beat Dublin or Mayo. Every day is a school day. I am a supporter as well.
“It was pretty much all that we knew what both teams were capable of doing. Kick-outs from my vantage point was something that I was interested in. Mayo did extremely well off Cluxton’s kick-out.
“You saw Jayo running in to him in the first half to change up and try and get their hands on ball. It is not often you see anyone going into Cluxton to tell him what to do with his kick-outs so that was interesting.”
Geaney had a clear view of the chaos and madness of injury-time. With the stakes so high, the desperate measures taken to succeed – whether it be throwing GPS units, wrestling defenders to the ground or lobbing kicking tees away – did not surprise him.
“The cynicism in how the game ended up, those sort of things are interesting to see. If you are really contesting the All-Ireland and going out to win it, they are markers of where your team is at because if you are not doing those things then you are not really tuned in enough be contesting an All-Ireland final.
“I would expect it from anyone who has ambitions of winning an All-Ireland. Kill or be killed. There was a discussion on the black card the last day and somebody was talking to Colm Cavanagh, who was sitting next to me, about that incident with Sean against Monaghan.
“That was a case of either Sean Cavanagh taking a player down or Monaghan getting a goal and knocking Tyrone out. That is sport. In soccer there is a red card but that does not stop defenders making challenges to save a goal or Luis Suarez handing a ball on the line.
“It is part and parcel of the game. It is the nature of sport and I would not have expected anything less from the Dubs in that situation and they got their just reward for it, if you want to put it that way in that they slowed the game down.
“It is a situation where you have to do everything in your power to win. That throwing the GPS unit maybe a step too far but again that is Mayo will to win at all costs.
“All you can say there is that it was an incredible free from Dean Rock under that pressure in the first place. Maybe it was not a hard free and it is our job as free-takers to kick those and it is his job to kick that, but that was before I saw that GPS thrown at him.
“That can really put you off so it showed some balls for him to kick it. Even if someone ran across you line of vision in the wrong moment it would be enough to put you off but for someone to throw a GPS unit, how do you even think of that in the first place? But that shows you the will to win.”
Geaney has no qualms in tipping his hat towards Dublin but that doesn’t make it easier to take when another county is dominating the game.
“It’s something I said maybe two years ago, I didn’t want to be a player playing when Dublin have a golden era and it looks to be unfolding that they had a golden era since 2011 when they beat Kerry.
“The only thing I can try to do to stop that is win an All-Ireland or two before I hang up my boots. It looks pretty tough to do at the moment and we are doing everything we can to try and change it.
“I suppose up until the semi-final I was convinced we were going to win it this year. But looking back we seemed to have peaked at the Munster Final and went downhill from there, things didn’t go our way at all.
“We were well off the pace in both the Mayo games looking back now, and even the Galway game we were poor, we were sluggish.
“We have to try to peak later in the year to give ourselves a better chance. They (Dublin) have now done three in a row and they look hard to stop, extremely hard to stop.
“They’ve a really strong bench as well, good management, good system, they look imperious at the moment.
“It is hard to take, yeah. A bit more so for me this year. Last year was easier to get over after two weeks, three weeks, but I think there’s a long winter ahead for me to be looking at and feeling sorry for myself.
“I’ve no club football left either, so it’s hard. There’s no option but to move on. I’ll be thinking about the All-Ireland from now on until we get a chance to win it again next year. It’s sickening enough, all right.”
The42 Podcasts / SoundCloud
Subscribe to The42 podcasts here:
Great player, did very little wrong this year.
An absolute gentleman , hed walk onto the dubs starting team.
Great to see such an honest insight. Firstly in regard to Dublin and Mayo’s desire to win at all costs and his honesty about what happened Kerry so soon after losing to mayo. Kerry only blame themselves when they are found wanting. Same in 2011. No blame to Billy John Keane or cluxton eating up the clock. The attitude was they should have had us beaten out the gate before Kev mcs goal
@Bill Clay: well they kinda have to be honest because the cat is out of the bag. Kerry having the highest number of black cards received of the top teams shows the cynicism that is there.
It’s sad all the same.
@Peter McGlynn: can you back that stat Peter regarding black cards? I suspect not.
@Peter McGlynn:
It’s very sad Peter altogether. Only four minor All Ireland’s in four years. Awful sad.
@Peter McGlynn: Whats even sadder is the state of Donegal football.
@NeilGoochFerriter: here you are boy
http://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/25-in-four-years-kerry-are-the-market-leaders-when-it-comes-to-league-black-cards-35634272.html
@Bill Clay: who is billy john Keane you stupid preck
P Geaney is about the only kerry player that would make the Dublin squad at the moment.
@John Carroll: I’d say a few of them would make the squad in fairness but he’s about the only one who’d start.
@Conor O’Riordan: O Donoghue, Donaghy and David Moran would be close to. Kerry aren’t far away and are always capable of beating any team.
Kerry will win an all Ireland in the next 3 years… and I’m a dubs fan!
@Sean O Draighneain: donaghy? Really
@Ollie Watson: I think so. He’s a better version of o gara and a big game player. hate seeing him on the Kerry team when they play Dublin.
@Sean O Draighneain: Paul Murphy would get into the squad too in my opinion. The most underrated player in the country. And I hope you’re right!
@John Carroll:
Star would walk on.
@Ollie Watson:
Without question. Lion led by donkeys.
@Con Murphy:Dont think so Ted !!!
Interesting article perhaps the gaa will run this for their next ad campaign waxing lyrical about the values and principles of this great organisation.
It’s a pity this attitude to sport is gaining popularity .
Rules are there to ensure fair play so that the team which wins does so because they are the best at the sport.
If your going to play that way ..fine ..but spare me the hypocrisy of claiming to be a noble sports hero .. if that’s sport put it in your next ad ..let the kids see what their hero’s are prepared to do to win..I think it’s wrong and diminishes the game and the winning.
A truly great Dublin team is on the cusp of true greatness – 4 in a row. Mayo have had more chances than most teams could dream of, unfortunately, they haven’t got what it takes.
Paul, the Kerry brains trust must prevent this calamity and rise from the ashes. Only one team can stop then now.
@Etherman:
Little chance with current management. Another wasted year ahead unfortunately.
Paul like the rest of Kerry are hoping to bring this Dublin run to an end. When Kerry beat Dublin in this years league final most of the pundits said it was a dress rehearsal for this years All Ireland how wrong they were. In this decade so far Dublin have beaten Kerry four times in the All Ireland,two finals and two semifinals, not even the great Kerry team of the 70′s managed to beat Dublin four times in that decade and they had the opportunity to do so had they won in 76 or 77. I hope Dublin go on and win four in a row and go down as one of the greatest teams to play the game if they are not already there.
Lets all hope Mayo finally win it next year or someone like kildare ,Galway, Roscommon, Monaghan, or Cavan maybe could manage to step up instead of Paul and and his feel sorry for me and kerry story, with their thirthy seven All-Irelands.Surely its the very last thing Football needs right now is another domination story begining in twenthy eighteen,you wont get much sympathy for that Paul.
@John Carroll: You need a woman John
@John Carroll:
There’s no feel sorry for me from Paul you would need to read what he wrote again.
Its not the Kerry way which has resulted in a record number of all Irelands. I was glad Dublin won against Mayo as I am sick of all the hard done by nonsense from Mayo. If you want to win it go out and do it. Paul isn’t looking for the sympathy that Mayo seem to thrive on and still win nothing. Mayo have turned losing all Irelands into an art form which is no good for their supporters. Best losers in Ireland, sad.
@Con Murphy: doesn’t say much for Kerry con. They were miles behind Mayo this year – in truth they could have lost by 12 points and there’s only about 3 Kerry players who’d make the Mayo team currently.
@Con Murphy :”Not the Kerry way” ah will you get off thd dung heap you clown.
@Summer bay Devil:Ask your sister :-):-)
Great article
Very honest alright but I would worry about sportsmanship in the game today. There is too much off the ball stuff going on. A second referee would need to be on the pitch to try and stop this. Linesmen and umpires have no authority to do anything about this, and it is becoming a blight on the game.
Kill or be killed what a statement to use in any sport
@Alan Scott: At this level it is all about winning and that won’t change. You would worry about sportsmanship in the game though. I would also be worried about young kids and underage players adopting this attitude which would not be good for them or our overall society.But at senior level this is the reality and it will not change. GAA today is such a part of Irish life that so much of a players life depends on how he and his team perform at the highest level. Their jobs and careers are intimitly bound up with their sporting success or lack of it.
For a top player like a Kieran Donoghy or Colm Cooper, both from not very well off backgrounds sport, and the GAA in particular, provides hope that they can reach fame and a little bit of fortune in a society where otherwise they would not have a lot of advantages and where people look down on people from their backgrounds. Sport is one of the few ways in which a guy from an ordinary background can make a name for himself in a society which is dominated by who you know and where you went to school or who your daddy knows.
As a Dublin fan the 2011 final was the best . Primarily because Kerry threw it at us . Kerry lost it , we didn’t win it . Kerry have always been the standard by which you measured yourself . It’s lovely to see them with their confidence shot but it won’t last .
Mayo are the arsenal of Gaelic football, afraid of winning and loving a good moan
Mayo bet Kerry by 6 points this year but it could have been a lot more. They totally dominated them.