Paudie Clifford: 'We were definitely battle tested'

By Cian O'Connell

Paudie Clifford knew one thing was certain entering Croke Park on Sunday afternoon. Kerry had been already been tested at Croke Park in 2025.

In the knockout stages, Kerry had delivered dynamic displays defeating Armagh and Tyrone. Donegal were added to that list at GAA headquarters, ensuring Sam Maguire will spend the rest of the year in Kerry. "I suppose there's a worry that you wouldn't be battle-tested," Clifford explains.

"Usually, that's the kind of talk about us, but we were definitely battle tested and we had a lot of injuries. Losing to Meath probably ended up being the best thing that ever happened to us."

Valuable lessons were learned in that defeat. "Obviously, with the new rules, we had basically the same kickout strategy, we had basically the same, say, defensive strategy since we won the league.

"Everyone was only figuring things out and fair play to the lads. After the Meath game, we kind of realised that structurally in a few areas, we probably weren't where we should be.

"Once we fixed that and once we saw Croke Park and started getting bodies back all the time, it led from there. Obviously, including Cavan, we had four very hard games after Meath but we're just delighted we were able to come through them."

Jack O'Connor got Kerry going again, though. "I suppose as a team, we would feel disrespected because we were in three of the last four All-Irelands and we've won two of them now," Clifford says.

"And to be called a one-man team when I see myself some of the work that our lads put in... like Joe O'Connor, the turnovers, winning balls, scoring.

"Jason Foley, Brian Ó Beaglaíoch, Gavin White, I'm only naming a few, I see the work that they put in every day. To be called a one-man team then, it's nearly like it's disrespectful. It's kind of personal.

"I suppose that's the angle we were coming from. We were close against Armagh last year and we'd be our own worst critics as well. We admitted that we've under-performed definitely as a team over some of the years. I suppose, with the work we put in and the players we have there, for them things to be said, it's not nice to hear it."

Clifford was content that Kerry produced a polished performance on the most important day of the lot. "Even in 2022 when we won the All-Ireland, we played well against Dublin for maybe 45, 50 minutes but didn't finish well and probably fell over the line thanks to Seánie's free," Clifford remarks.

"Even against Galway, we probably didn't start great. It definitely wasn't a 70-minute performance. I know there was the Armagh second half and we still played well in the first half because Armagh are a top team. Tyrone, we played well but it wasn't an out-and-out 70-minute performance like that against a top, top team."