Colm Cooper hoping David Clifford and Kerry can thrill again at Croke Park
Former Kerry footballer Colm Cooper. AIB will bring an added layer of excitement as the season nears an end with the return of the Volunteer VIP competition for the third time. For updates on the matches, Volunteer VIP competition details, exclusive content and behind the scenes action from the GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, follow AIB GAA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
By Paul Keane
David Clifford and Colm Cooper. Two generational Kerry performers who grew up just a couple of miles apart in Killarney.
Clifford's Fossa club, admittedly, is a couple of miles outside Killarney but they both live in the town now and often bump into eachother with their kids.
That's Kerry's two greatest forwards this century, with 13 All-Stars, three Footballer of the Year awards and six All-Ireland medals between them, shooting the breeze.
"It's very casual chats, it's never a deep-down conversation about football, it's more casual and low key," said AIB ambassador Cooper.
They never actually played together for Kerry. Cooper was wrapping it up in 2017 just as Clifford was getting going, hitting the ground running in 2018.
Clifford is still going strong too and, ahead of Saturday evening's All-Ireland semi-final against Tyrone, in the very best form of his career. Which is saying something for a player who has already been named Footballer of the Year twice. He has put 7-44 on the board in this season's Championship, which amounts to 9.28 points per game, a significant improvement on his previous career high of 6.75 points per game in 2023.
The really worrying thing for Tyrone and all of Kerry's rivals? Clifford still has 'more under the bonnet', according to Cooper.
"To me, he seems revitalised this year," said Cooper. "He seems hungry. Mentally, I think he's in a stronger place. I think he got a little drained. He had a season there were Fossa went to Croke Park, and he was dealing with the passing of his Mam, it was a difficult time for him but he looks to be really enjoying his football again. He's hungry and seems to be in excellent shape.
"The odd lean day is thrown in as well, which shows he's human, the same as every other player in the country. We're just lucky he's in Kerry and he's performing at such a high level.
"He's beginning to mature as a footballer I think, he's making other players better around him. His ability has never been in question, he can do anything, but he's making the team a better team and that comes with maturity. He's living up to the hype, living up to the expectations and I think there's more under the bonnet too.
"He's maybe midway through his career at the moment, if he stays healthy. Staying healthy is probably the most important thing. But there's potentially more there, yeah."
David Clifford in action for Kerry against Armagh. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Clifford himself has said he's enjoying the new rules and he and Kerry will view Croke Park as a blank canvas upon which to apply their brush strokes of genius again this weekend. Like they did against Armagh in the quarter-finals.
Cooper feels it is a venue that always brings out the best in Kerry teams.
"There's a year that sticks out in my mind, 2009, we were struggling big time in the qualifiers," said Cooper. "I think Antrim nearly beat us, Sligo nearly beat us and Longford gave us a real test up in Longford.
"We were just sauntering along, we couldn't find that gear and we just needed to get to Croke Park. All of a sudden it was the Dubs on a Bank Holiday weekend in 2009 and it certainly got the juices flowing for the players. It took Croke Park to bring the best out of us and I think maybe it's the same for the lads now.
"Injuries have hampered Kerry a bit in terms of finding their rhythm a little bit. But certainly the second-half display against Armagh would indicate that they've been looking to Croke Park all year and they've been ready to pounce."
Clifford is undoubtedly an even greater threat when partnering up with his brother, Paudie. It remains to be seen if the pair start together this weekend as Paudie was only fit enough to come on at half-time against Armagh but Cooper expects both will get the nod again.
That could mean that Cooper's Dr Crokes clubmate, the in-form Micheal Burns, is held in reserve again despite a strong impact from the bench against Armagh.
"If Paudie starts, they might hold Micheal and bring him in, that would be my initial expectation," said Cooper.
"From Micheal's point of view, he's probably saying, 'I can't do any more to force my way in'. But if you were to ask me, I'd say they'll start Paudie Clifford and look at Micheal Burns being an impact off the bench.
"That's going on the presumption that there's 70 minutes in Paudie Clifford and I don't know that for sure. He's missed a lot of football, particularly over the last two months, so it's a big decision for them."
