Aaron Kernan on Football
Aaron Kernan on Football
Aaron Kernan on Football
"What is it about Dublin versus Kerry?"
"Is it Kevin Moran or Colm Cooper, or when Paddy Cullen made a blooper.
"Is it Molly Malone or Fungi the dolphin, is it Ballybunion for the golfing.
"Is it rural, urban, city, country, is it Pat Spillane or Eamon Dunphy?
"What is it about Dublin versus Kerry?"
The above words came from an RTÉ trailer used to promote the clash between Dublin and Kerry in the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final.
This well-put together trailer compared the city boys to the culchies, from former greats to present day heroes. It whetted the appetite for what was to come and both teams duly delivered, producing one of the greatest modern day exhibitions of Gaelic football.
Given the quality of footballers available to both squads it's safe to assume that this weekend's game should be no different. With just five days to go, both management teams have managed to keep a low-key approach in the build-up to Sunday's showpiece.
Unfortunately I never had the pleasure of being in the same position as the Dublin and Kerry players preparing for All-Ireland final day.
The closest I got was the 2005 All Ireland semi-final when a late Peter Canavan free put Tyrone one ahead and broke our hearts. To this day that result is a huge disappointment for me.
It is the absolute pinnacle of all inter-county careers but one that very few get the chance to experience. As I mentioned in a previous article , the majority of GAA players will go through their entire career with no silverware to show for it, let alone making it to the third Sunday in September.
Luckily though, such is the GAA's hold on us all, that in our own way, I think we all have a fair idea of the feelings the players will have this week.
Championship brings out something in us all that is hard to explain, it gets the heart rate going like nothing else, seasons revolve around them. Personally, it doesn't matter if it's the first round of the club championship or March 17, I have always been nervous in the build-up to championship games.
I always have the butterflies in the stomach, a mixture of nerves and excitement. I struggle to sleep the night before with a wee voice in my head asking me if I am ready to perform.
If I wasn't nervous then there'd be something wrong. Nerves are a great sign because they tell me this means something and I need to be ready for battle. From junior clubs to the inter-county level, championship is where heroes shine and respect is earned.
A local builder by the name of Joe McCreesh whose residential development site runs alongside my office in Crossmaglen is the epitome of what goes on in every club and every community across the country when "Championship Week Syndrome" kicks in.
Regardless of whether it is his own club Belleeks playing in the junior championship in Armagh or a county team in Ulster championship action, football occupies the majority of Joe's headspace in the lead-up to these games.
He'll call into my office mad to talk football, he'll be nervous, excited, anxious and hopeful all rolled into one. He'll be at training in the build-up watching the lads being put through their paces, wondering if they are ready, tuned in.
As a player, every championship game you play in, you are carrying the hopes and expectation of all in your parish. The elder generation may not darken a turnstile during league football but they'll stop you in the street on championship week, telling yarns from their playing days and looking for an insight into how you are feeling and what the chances of success are. Is this our year?
And for the majority, when defeat comes, it's like a wake in the days after, the what ifs and if onlys are talked about. The poor old referee will always get a rap of blame but equally, time will always heal the nasty wounds. And the same feelings will be felt when "Championship Week" comes around next year.
Very little news has filtered out from both camps this time around, which isn't surprising given the meticulous preparation we've become accustomed to from both teams. Regardless of the limited info from inside both camps, it hasn't stopped the rumour mill regarding potential injuries and team selections from going into overdrive.
Can Dublin beat Kerry for the third time in a row for the first time ever?
Of course they can. They have the ability, experience and more importantly the confidence gained from their 2011 and 2013 victories over the Kingdom
Also, I am certain Jim Gavin will have learned more from the two Mayo games than he would have in the 12 months previous. When Dublin sensed the first sight of panic in Mayo ranks in the replay they hit them with a ruthless burst to pull clear in the final 15 minutes. This is the sort of spell that players feed off, it reassures them what they are capable of when they hit top form.
However, Jim has also been provided with more questions that need answering.
Can Dublin show a level of discipline in defence that we have not seen this year to date? They improved in this area against Mayo in the replay but they cannot afford to gift Kerry five or six pointed frees on Sunday.
Who replaces Cian O'Sullivan if he does not overcome his hamstring injury? I would go for Johnny Cooper at centre-back with Mick Fitzsimons in the corner. O'Sullivan's loss would be a huge blow to Dublin such is his ability to effortlessly cover ground and provide an extra shield to their full-back line.
If Colm Cooper moves to centre-forward like he did in 2013, he has to be man-marked, meaning whoever starts at number six for Dublin will be unable to drop off and act as a sweeper.
What is Dublin's best midfield pairing? For me, providing he's done enough in training I would go with Michael Darragh Macauley to partner Brian Fenton. Macauley when on form is a very direct and powerful runner who breaks gain lines which attracts defenders and therefore creates space for his forwards to thrive in.
Can Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Flynn rediscover the form they had consistently produced over the past five years? Their ability is not in doubt but they have struggled to hit their own high standards so far this season.
The last day it was Philly McMahon and Paddy Andrews who emerged as the Dublin top men by contributing 1-7 from play between them, but more will be needed from Flynn and Connolly on Sunday to help ease the scoring burden that Ciarán Kilkenny and Bernard Brogan have taken most of so far this season.
Can Kerry win back to back titles for only the second time since Cork completed two in a row in 1990?
Of course they can. By reaching this year's All-Ireland final they have become only the second team after their '07/'08 version to make it back to All-Ireland final day as reigning champions from the previous season.
As is now the norm with Éamonn Fitzmaurice, we can be sure that all 14 outfield battles will be carefully selected in order to try and expose any perceived weakness there may be in their opponents. Or "hammer the hammer" as Tomás Ó Sé likes to call it.
Like Jim Gavin, Fitzmaurice will be experiencing serious competition for places. Does he go with Aidan O'Mahony's power and experience to shore up the centre of his defence, for example?
At the start of last year everyone assumed that O'Mahony's time as a starter for Kerry was up but his performance on Michael Murphy in last year's final was a reminder that he has never let Kerry down on the big day. He's selfless and always puts the team's needs first.
Does Fitzmaurice go with the route one option of Donaghy at the edge of the square or to drag Rory O'Carroll out of place to create space in front of goal? Or will Paul Geaney get his chance to start following his match winning performance in the semi-final? It is a massive call given Donaghy's captaincy and previous big game performances but I think Geaney's movement, handling and scoring potential may just see him get the nod.
Preparation will have been ferocious given that household names like Paul Galvin and Tommy Walsh failed to see any game time in the semi-final as substitutes, let alone make the first 15.
Before the Tyrone game, the word around the ground was that Walsh was flying in training and would replace Donaghy from the start. Yet he didn't get a minute of action!?
The age profile of some of Kerry's finest players in my lifetime would suggest that this could be the last time we see them perform on the big stage at Croke Park. I imagine the insane hunger being shown by the likes or Marc Ó Sé, Aidan O'Mahony and Kieran Donaghy to go out at the top will have left this Kerry team primed to perform.
Moreover, the confidence gained from winning their first Celtic Cross last year will mean Paul Murphy, Johnny Buckley, James O'Donoghue, Paul Geaney and the rest will be a different animal for Dublin to face compared to what they would have dealt with before. It has all the ingredients to be a classic between the two best panels of players in the country.
I'll get off the fence and go for Kerry to narrowly retain their title in a game that will be remembered for all the right reasons.
This is the latest of Aaron's exclusive football columns, which feature on GAA.ie throughout the summer. The opinions expressed in this column are personal and are not necessarily those of the Association. [Click here](http://This is the latest of Aaron's exclusive football columns, which feature on GAA.ie throughout the summer. The opinions expressed in this column are personal and are not necessarily those of the Association. Click here to read more from Aaron and from our hurling analyst Brian Hogan) to read more from Aaron and from our hurling analyst Brian Hogan
