1. Are Dublin too tough a nut for Kerry to crack?
For the fourth successive encounter, Kerry have come off second best in the championship arena against Dublin. That’s a losing streak that will hurt them desperately, a record the county has not endured since the late 80′s against Cork. When Tyrone inflicted three defeats on Kerry in 2003, 2005 and 2008, they finally got the job done at the fourth attempt in 2012 in Killarney.
Kerry’s anger after last September would have revolved around their own meek showing. Yesterday they launched everything at Dublin but still could not topple them. They had genuine grievance over the call not to award Peter Crowley a free after that withering hit by Kevin McManamon yet ultimately running out of steam in the finale cost Kerry as Dublin accelerated clear.
In the last 15 minutes of action, Dublin outscored them by 0-6 to 0-1. The Kerry camp had no qualms afterwards in saluting the magnificence of this Dublin team yet this latest loss again shows how tough an obstacle they are for Kerry to overcome.
2. How big a call was it taking off Paul Geaney?
Colm Cooper, James O’Donoghue and Kieran Donaghy may be megawatt stars in the Kerry attack but their most important forward in 2016 has been Paul Geaney. He wreaked havoc on the Tipperary defence en route to winning man-of-the-match in the Munster final while Clare have suffered twice against the Dingle man this summer.
Yesterday he didn’t disappoint, demonstrating his lethal finishing by scoring 1-4 from play and providing the assist for 0-2. He was the key attacking weapon in Kerry’s ranks and Dublin must have been relieved at seeing Geaney withdrawn in the 66th minute.
Eamonn Fitzmaurice explained afterwards that Kerry felt they needed an extra defender – hence the introduction of Marc Ó Sé – as Dublin had started to press forward. With hindsight it seemed a major call given Geaney’s sparkling form and Kerry’s requirement for an outlet in the full-forward line in the remaining nine minutes of action. Kerry only notched a single point after Geaney went off. He was missed.
3. What now for Kerry’s veterans?
Kerry’s pair of 36 year-old defensive warriors lingered on the Croke Park pitch yesterday for a few extra minutes after their team mates had departed to the dressing-room. The pain of defeat was etched on the faces of Aidan O’Mahony and Marc Ó Sé. 33 year-old Kieran Donaghy came back out on to the field with his daughter after the crowds had departed. Were the trio soaking up a few private moments to bid farewell to the stadium?
There will naturally be uncertainty now over their inter-county careers, committing again for 2017 will be a major decision with plenty miles on the clock,. The trio played crucial roles in delivering Kerry’s most recent All-Ireland title win in 2014 with their experience invaluable. They have chased glory again since but it is Dublin who have foiled them twice.
4. Will Eamonn Fitzmaurice remain at the helm?
He has presided over the fortunes of the Kerry senior footballers for four years but now there is a doubt over whether Eamonn Fitzmaurice will stay in charge next season. He committed for an extra twelve months after last year’s All-Ireland final loss and it remains to be seen whether the Finuge native will seek another term.
He batted away questions over his future yesterday, an emotional day not the moment he felt to make a critical judgement. Fitzmaurice got his Kerry team operating at a high pitch yesterday as they vastly improved on last September. He’s won four-in-a-row in Munster – the first Kerry senior manager since Micko to achieve that – and has that All-Ireland in 2014 to reflect on. But it is Dublin who have wounded them most by handing out three championship defeats.
5. Will Kerry’s emphasis switch to youth?
Kerry’s senior ambitions may have been wrecked for 2016 but football in the county is hardly in a crisis. Their minor side produced a glittering exhibition yesterday in demolishing Kildare. They’ll contest an All-Ireland final next month, potentially landing the county’s third consecutive national crown at that level.
Throw in Kerry’s decision to focus on the junior grade for developing U23 players – a move that has yielded the last two All-Ireland titles – along with the Hogan Cup wins by PS Chorca Dhuibhne and St Brendan’s (Killarney), and it’s clear the conveyor belt of talent is in working order.
Brian Ó Beaglaoich is the only member of the recent minor sides to have graduated into the Kerry senior team to date but Dingle duo Barry and Tom O’Sullivan were on the bench against Clare last month, and there’s plenty more who will be pushing for recognition next year. Kerry have a lot of underage prospects, shaping them into senior figures is the next task.
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any mention of club players in any of this discussion or do they exist…..just wondering
@PW: They do exist, but its all for the love of the parish.
@PW: in what way should club players be included in that conversation ?
@PW: no they don’t. Club was sacrificed for county long time ago.
GPA members are doing quite well to be fair. Maybe all club Chairmen and Secretaries should go on strike, all the juvenile trainers and selectors too. There are many groups who are a lot more out of pocket than the GPA members. Of all the groups within the GAA they do quite well.
Poor Tom!
Definitely needs to be a wider debate here.. the spending on inter county teams seems totally unsustainable.. The collective bargaining agreement is an interesting proposition- in that it would improve player welfare while also managing to maintain the amateur ethos…. To me a strike with all going on in the world over last few years would seem petty, although the GPA seem to have gathered more public support than I imagined
Time the players took a real stand. I’m so tired of the fat cats in GAA treating the players like fodder. No wonder we see soccer tactics are coming into the game. The players are fed up.
@2thFairy: Soccer tactics not sure your on the correct page here ? I’ve watch a bit of soccer and I’ve never seen them handpass the ball 1 million times during a game! Stick to what you seem to know very little about GAA .
@2thFairy: Pity they don’t learn to play a bit of soccer and kick a ball instead of all that hand passing, to call the game football is comical.
GPA. Greedy Players Association