Play it Again Sam

This Saturday Kerry and Dublin embark on the second part of their latest drama. For both panels a date with fate in Croke Park awaits. Another classic? Extra time? An unlikely winner? History repeating itself? It’s the oldest and most enduring rivalry in football. Soaked in history. One for the purist, a case of play it twice, Sam, for old times' sake.

A Beautiful Friendship

Whatever happens, with a young Kerry team on the rise and a Dublin team blending emerging players with established stars, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship over the next few seasons. Certainly, the Kingdom looks best placed to pose a consistent threat to this brilliant Dublin outfit. A browse through the papers shows pundits and former players seeking ways and means to spot the cracks in Dublin. There aren’t many. Normal service could resume on Saturday.

As time goes by, since the first match, the expectations are that Dublin will change their script after a two-week intermission. The key matchups. Who will pick up Clifford? O’Shea? O’Brien. Will Johnny Cooper reprise his role on the young Fossa forward? Or could he find himself on the bench after his first-half indiscretions.

The perceived wisdom before the drawn game acknowledged Kerry’s attacking threat but suggested that Dublin had more firepower upfront. Given the ‘relatively’ quiet performance from some of the attacking boys in blue, we can expect a few tweaks in their attacking unit. Or can we? The problem with perceived wisdom is that (i) it’s a perception and (ii) it’s not always wise. Jim Gavin may go with the same attacking personnel after he pores over the tape, but adjustments in defence may be more likely. Do not underestimate the impact of that sending off on the game Dublin were obliged to play rather than the one they intended to play.

Kerry Questions

Kerry have their questions to ponder. They got several match-ups spot on. Tom O’Sullivan on Con O’Callaghan; Jack Barry tagging Brian Fenton and Tadhg Morley with Paul Mannion. One big question mark is what do you do with a problem like Jack McCaffrey. 

In the drawn game he delivered a real tour de force. Scored 1-3, forced eight turnovers against Kerry and took home his back to back All Ireland final man of the match award. Kerry will be thinking of all the GAA matches he has to do that, against us. Interestingly McCaffrey’s All Ireland final record down the years is a mixed bag. Substituted in his first, weakened by food poisoning in his next (still won player of the year tho’!). The following year he was in Africa, missed the season and sat out the final. Roll on the next year when alas, his cruciate goes in the opening ten minutes. The best was yet to come, with those back to back MVP awards. If he isn’t to add another chapter at tea-time Saturday, then Kerry need to take steps to curb his attacking threat. It’s not a case of just round up the usual suspects. They need a man with a plan. The issue with pinning Jack back is his effectiveness in his territory with that serious turnover tally. There are suggestions that Stephen O’Brien could be detailed to go on him to give him something to think about.

Dublin will need to give thought to their approach in the midfield sector with David Moran a larger than life-sized problem looming given his strength, mobility and overall appetite for destruction. He is a larger than life character and ball carrier and serious presence in the Kingdom’s engine room.

Moran featured in a few post-match discussions when an image emerged of himself and his childhood buddy Tommy Walsh getting ready for a rugby-style line out lift if required as Dean Rock prepared to take his decisive injury-time free. It would have been interesting if Moran had saved the day and prevented a point having plucked the O’Neills size five from above the crossbar, a case of play it again Hawkeye! Moran was a towering figure all day, grabbing possession, grabbing the game, firing opponents out of his road. A lot of the pre-match speculation was about his old friend Tommy Walsh and the role he might play, but it was Moran who grabbed the eye with a barnstormer of a game, driving back the years. It’s great to see it from the totemic Kerins O’Rahilly man who has fought back through two cruciate injuries and other injuries to be a leader of this young Kerry team. 

Off The Bench

It's hard to beat a Kerry and Dublin final. It throws up so much history, so many questions, so many blasts from the pasts and so many options and possibilities. Here are a few more perceived pearls of wisdom to ponder in conclusion. It is easy to say that whichever defensive unit copes best with their direct opponents will prevail. Matchups are key. And the bench vital. However. The vaunted Dublin bench didn’t score either against Mayo in the semi-final or against Kerry. Compare that for example with the impact of Kevin McManamon in 2013 against Kerry and Cormac Costello in particular in 2016 in a replay against Mayo. In a battle of marginal gains, Jim Gain will undoubtedly seek more from his bench. Compare and contrast Killian Spillane, named to start but left out for Jack Barry. Cometh the hour and all that jazz he delivered. Consider also Tommy Walsh. Will he again start on the bench? Only Peter Keane knows and he isn’t going to say.

It’s a game to look forward to for supporters and players alike. The stakes are huge, whoever wins will go down as history makers. And when they wake up on Sunday morning, the importance of what they have achieved may sink in. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of their life. All the best to both teams. Let’s hope it’s a real cracker.