Kerry v. Dublin: A Classic
What Else Needs Said?
Sunday 28th August, 2016 and, once again, we are at the business end of the Championship with only three teams remaining. Beforehand, if you’d been asked to pick the two most likely champions from the lineup left to make the final, you’d undoubtedly have gone for Dublin and Kerry. Well, these two ‘favourites’ come head-to-head at the Semi-Final stage, meaning that the winner will head into September’s All-Ireland Senior Football Final as overwhelming favourites. This, for all intensive purposes, serves as a final in itself.
Two of the most decorated teams in the history of the sport, the pair boast 62 All-Ireland titles between them, as well as countless Provinicial and League successes. As a result of this, a fiercely competitive rivalry has blossomed throughout the years with many greats (Sheehy, O’Shea, Heffernan and Keaveney, to name but a few) insuring their places in history as a result of their Titanic battles in the past. Although that’s not to say that the recent encounters have been dull; far from it.
The game between the pair in 2011’s All-Ireland final was a tight encounter, the Dubs only winning out by a single point thus securing their first Sam Maguire title in 16 years. However it was the Semi-Final meeting between the pair in August of 2013 that will live especially long in the memory, Dublin booking their spot in September’s final after coming from behind. Jim Gavin utilised his star-studded bench effectively and, although all subs proved to be influential, it was the introduction of the pacey Kevin McManamon which proved to be the difference. This tactic of bringing on a “super-sub”, players who would start on any other county team, has become pivotal to Dublin’s success and a hallmark of the Jim Gavin era. Sunday’s game, however, has a slightly different dynamic.
Unlike the encounters of 2011 and 2013, Sunday’s game would seem more black and white, with many predicting a comprehensive victory for the Boys in Blue. The Metropolitans have been a pleasure to watch over the past 5–6 seasons, especially with today’s systematic approach to the game. Whereas other teams have been perfecting systems to nullify the opposition’s attacking prowess, Dublin have concerned themselves with their own attacking, setting up to outplay the opposition. Rather than trying to prevent conceding scores, the three-in-a-row National League champions employ an attacking mentality which, having the impressive squad that the Dubs do, exhibits their pure football and ensures that their players have an opportunity to express themselves and enjoy their football (a thing which system-based county players are not afforded). This purity, along with the Dubs’ professionalism, should certainly get them over the line in Headquarters on Sunday, however there will be no room for complacency.
Although unimpressive in their win over neighbours Clare in this year’s Quarter-Final, Kerry are well-known for turning the switch-on come the big days in late August. Kerry decimated Dublin in their Quarter-Final meeting in 2009, despite having really struggled to find form during the Qualifiers, going on to win Sam that year. And, having a wealth of experienced players still in the ranks, Kerry will not fear the Dubs, like so many “smaller” counties do. However Kerry’s defence was pretty poor by their standards in the Clare game and would definitely be exploited by this potent Dublin side. Eamonn Fitzmaurice and his men will no doubt have worked on this but will need to formulate a stringent plan to deal with the Dublin onslaught.
Bolstered by the talents of marquee players like Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper, James O’Donaghue and the expeditious Darren O’Sullivan, Kerry aren’t too shabby themselves in attack. They are praised far and wide for their creativity, accuracy and ability to step up on big days. Be that as it may, there still remains serious questions as to whether this Kerry team are capable of outscoring a Dublin team who have scored 5–76 (91) in four games this year, led by Diarmuid Connolly (arguably Gaelic football’s most complete footballer) and King of the Hill, Bernard Brogan. Couple this with their defensive expertise, most notably Cian O’Sullivan’s effectiveness as sweeper and the man-marking excellence of Philly McMahon (who kept ‘The Gooch’ quiet in last year’s All-Ireland final), and It’s hard to see past a Dublin victory on Sunday (although if any team were going to dethrone the Blues it would probably be Kerry). The real winner on Sunday will be football — let’s hope so anyway.
O. Magee || N. O’Neill
