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O'Keeffe: 'I'm expecting a really good performance'

John O Keeffe was inducted to the GAA Museum Hall of Fame last Thursday.

John O Keeffe was inducted to the GAA Museum Hall of Fame last Thursday.

By Cian O'Connell

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Last week John O'Keeffe was inducted to the GAA Museum Hall of Fame and the Kerry legend expects Eamonn Fitzmaurice's team to deliver 'a really good performance' on Sunday against Dublin.

O'Keeffe, who won seven All Ireland titles with the Kingdom, believes that Kerry can cause Dublin problems at Croke Park.

"Knowing Kerry football all of the years, I'm expecting a really good performance on Sunday.

"It wouldn't surprise me if Kerry beat Dublin on Sunday. I feel if Dublin are without three of their outstanding backline, particularly (James) McCarthy, and he has very little football played this year.

"That would be a very big loss for Dublin, particularly if the game is close going into the last 10 minutes."

Kerry need to play with pace in the middle third according to O'Keeffe. "I think Kerry realise that in the last two important games they played against Dublin they were well beaten in the middle of the field," is O'Keefe's assessment.

"We have four outstanding midfielders, but they are mainly suited to a game where you have long kickouts because they are all fabulous fielders.

"The Dubs have sort of eliminated that from the game with the kickouts. I think Kerry at the moment behind closed doors are going to have something different.

"They are going to improve on the pace in that area. You wouldn't know who they are going to put in there, but they are looking for pace."

Austin Stacks hero O'Keeffe feels that Gaelic Football has altered dramatically since his own playing days. "I think the players, the way the game is played at the moment with it being so fluid, that the demands on the players are even greater now," O'Keeffe commented.

The Kerry team pictured before the 1978 All Ireland SFC Final against Dublin.

The Kerry team pictured before the 1978 All Ireland SFC Final against Dublin.

"Obviously number one the fitness levels are very high, but the skill demands on all the players now. The game is so fluid, for example a corner back nowadays needs to very skilful.

"He has opportunities to attack, to move up the field, to play the ball way more so than in my time. In my time your instruction was more or less to mark your man very closely, to make sure your man doesn't get possession. It was quite negative that way, but now it is so fluid that I think there are a lot of positives for players.

"Maybe it isn't a great spectacle for spectators, but from a players point of view you need to develop your skills far greater now, far more so than previously. It makes for a game that is evolving really, I think the Dubs in particular are a great example, they are the benchmark at the moment.

"If you look at a Jonny Cooper or a Philly McMahon, up scoring at the other side of the field. That would have been unheard of in my time. So I think that is good for the game."

Being clinical with kick passing is crucial O'Keeffe reckons. "There is so much emphasis on players going back into slots," O'Keeffe said.

"The word has been used, it is almost robotic at times when you see forwards funnelling back into defensive positions. Overall a team that goes out to perfect the kicking game, if you can improve your kick passing. I'm talking 25-30 yard kickpasses, maybe less of the handpass, I think that team will do very well.

"As a matter of fact I think there are three things in the game at the moment that can be improved upon. The kicking game, accuracy with kicking out of defence and also kicking scores. If you can improve on that accuracy.

"Number two if you're tackling is far cleaner without fouling. I feel our tackling isn't coached well enough.

"The third thing is you have to have unbelievable levels of fitness now. If you want to beat the Dubs, I think, you need pace throughout the field, but particularly in the middle third. Pace and you need relentless pace that it is speed endurance, that you can keep it going for 75 minutes or so."