Donegal v Kerry - 2025 All-Ireland Football Final

[Truthsayer]

Similar to Armagh... Clare hurlers Shane O'Donnell and Tony Kelly won All Ireland medals in 2013 and 2024, have never won a provincial medal. Clare's last Munster title 1998.. just saying 🤷�♂️

The hurling championship has only 2 provincials so with only 2 provincial winners it's more likely for a non provincial to win it. With Clare playing in Munster who have 5 teams all competing for the all Ireland makes it as difficult to win the provincial as it does the all Ireland so it wouldn't be the same comparison.

It is a similar comparison  players who have All Ireland medals but not provincial medals. Keep it simple.

I mean it's not the same comparison in terms of how unlikely the chances of it happening in football is in comparison to hurling. In football there's contenders from all 4 provincial championships so to win an all Ireland over all of them despite not winning a provincial in 16 years doesn't compare to Clare not winning a hurling provincial where 2 teams that don't win it are still guaranteed to reach the last 6 of the hurling championship and are only up against 1 other province of teams to win the all Ireland.

Ok... I didn't think much bout it. Just strange 2 great players with 2 All Ireland medals and no provincials.

[Easttyrone23]

Similar to Armagh... Clare hurlers Shane O'Donnell and Tony Kelly won All Ireland medals in 2013 and 2024, have never won a provincial medal. Clare's last Munster title 1998.. just saying 🤷�♂️

The hurling championship has only 2 provincials so with only 2 provincial winners it's more likely for a non provincial to win it. With Clare playing in Munster who have 5 teams all competing for the all Ireland makes it as difficult to win the provincial as it does the all Ireland so it wouldn't be the same comparison.

It is a similar comparison  players who have All Ireland medals but not provincial medals. Keep it simple.

I mean it's not the same comparison in terms of how unlikely the chances of it happening in football is in comparison to hurling. In football there's contenders from all 4 provincial championships so to win an all Ireland over all of them despite not winning a provincial in 16 years doesn't compare to Clare not winning a hurling provincial where 2 teams that don't win it are still guaranteed to reach the last 6 of the hurling championship and are only up against 1 other province of teams to win the all Ireland.

Ok... I didn't think much bout it. Just strange 2 great players with 2 All Ireland medals and no provincials.

In fairness it's still a strange scenario in the those circumstances you mentioned but in armaghs case it almost seems impossible.

[Dun Eile]

I hear Brendan Cawley in line to refereethe final. He used to referee A v B games in O'Connor time as Kildare manager and a Newbridge man like Kerry selector Cian O'Neill albeit different clubs.

[Joeythelips]

2 poor semi finals but at least we have the 2 best teams in the country in the final. Its very hard to call so Im hoping for a good final, I suspect McGuinness may park the bus (all 11 allowed) initially to try and smother Clifford. As we have seen the new rules really help Kerry and think this will help open the game up eventually and could be a real end to end classic as both sides are very well matched.

I find it very difficult to call but with no real confidence I would edge towards Kerry.

[blanketattack]

Similar to Armagh... Clare hurlers Shane O'Donnell and Tony Kelly won All Ireland medals in 2013 and 2024, have never won a provincial medal. Clare's last Munster title 1998.. just saying 🤷�♂️

The hurling championship has only 2 provincials so with only 2 provincial winners it's more likely for a non provincial to win it. With Clare playing in Munster who have 5 teams all competing for the all Ireland makes it as difficult to win the provincial as it does the all Ireland so it wouldn't be the same comparison.

It is a similar comparison  players who have All Ireland medals but not provincial medals. Keep it simple.

It's only unique in gaelic football.
Has happened to Galway and London in hurling.

[tonto1888]

Whoever wins they will be the first team since Cork in 2010 to not automatically qualify for the Quarter Finals and win the All Ireland.

I'm assuming when you say automatically qualify for a quarter final that means having to play a preliminary playoff game or back door game to qualify for the quarter final? Kerry and Donegal both won their provincials which in previous formats like 2010 would have automatically qualified them.

The last 2 years have resulted in two firsts when it come to all Ireland winners. Armagh won the all Ireland last year without winning their provincial championship and without having to play a knockout preliminary/back door knockout game to reach the quarter finals and this years winner will be the first team to win it having won their provincial but having to play a knockout game to reach the quarter finals.

Armagh's All-Ireland was also historic in that none of their players had a provincial winners medal.

It was also historic in that they were officially the weakest team to ever win the All Ireland.

Some said the same about Tyrone in 2021 despite having to beat Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Kerry and mayo to win it. Armagh beat the likes of Derry, Galway and Kerry from the top of my head last year.

But they are nowhere near those strong Kerry or Dublin all Ireland winners in the past who had to beat the likes of Clare/limerick or Louth/offaly to win their provincial and reach a semi final.

The child is best ignored

[lenny]

2 poor semi finals but at least we have the 2 best teams in the country in the final. Its very hard to call so Im hoping for a good final, I suspect McGuinness may park the bus (all 11 allowed) initially to try and smother Clifford. As we have seen the new rules really help Kerry and think this will help open the game up eventually and could be a real end to end classic as both sides are very well matched.

I find it very difficult to call but with no real confidence I would edge towards Kerry.

After 2 walkovers in the semi finals I'm really hoping for a good final. I think it will be a great match as both teams are in good form and won't lack in belief.

[downtothecore]

Kerry are very good and with the Clifford's are very formidable but  Donegal are well equipped to deal with them and the process will win it for them. Donegal by 3

[J70]

Will be on holidays for the final and the lead up to it, so won't get much of a chance to discuss it.

It's a weird feeling though. Delighted to be there, but there's also a tiny bit of melancholy.

We have an excellent squad of players, but is it a whole lot better than, say, the group we had in 02-09? I know you had other two ultra-strong Ulster teams then, and in Tyrone, one of the best of the past 40 years, but it's hard to avoid the fact that so much of this is purely down to McGuinness. What would he have done with a squad featuring many of the players from the 11-12 team, but also with Brendan Devenney and Adrian Sweeney up front along with Colm McFadden (the counter obviously being that a very young Murphy only came into the squad in 07, while McBrearty wasn't around until 11.) .

And the obvious other question being would we be in an AI final now without him?

It's easily possible that Kerry would be with another manager other than Jack O'Connor, impressive and all as his managerial CV is.

But we had a very similar squad in 2022 when Declan Bonner's last season saw miniscule Donegal support, despite us coming so close in Ulster, because people were so fed up with the negative, fearful football Bonner was overseeing. The following season we were a laughing stock whom no one wanted to manage (or in some cases play for) due to the political toxicity within the county.

And the fact is, our two AI wins (as well as our other final appearance), and ten of our twelve UIster titles, were delivered by just two legendary Donegal managers.

So I'm hoping that Jim can conjure up another tactical masterplan to get us over the line, while at the same time also very cognizant that we have to enjoy this thoroughly no matter what, as these days are few and far between, even for a relatively successful county like ours. We might have, by our standards, superb squads of footballers for five years every decade to come, but without a top class manager to harness the talent, chances are it could be two or three decades again before we get back once Jim is gone.

[Rossfan]

Brendan Cawley Referee.

[Dun Eile]

Brendan Cawley Referee.

Brendan Kerry.

[rodney trotter]

Kerry to wear their blue jersey for the final.

[AustinPowers]

Kerry to wear their blue jersey for the final.

Shouldn't Donegal  wear their white one then?

surely it's either  nobody  changes or both changes?

[Wildweasel74]

Kerry 3 lads in the forwards who not great as actual forwards, Mark O'Shea(Midfielder/ O'Sullivan (Corner back) D Geaney(Just poor). Donegal have a better rounded team and sub bench. Kerry relying on you know who to save the day. Problem with that,is close him down, have they enough elsewhere to win. Had D O'connor, D Moyihan, BD O'Sullivan,P Geaney, and T O'Sullivan be available, might be a total different outlook.

[blanketattack]

Kerry 3 lads in the forwards who not great as actual forwards, Mark O'Shea(Midfielder/ O'Sullivan (Corner back) D Geaney(Just poor). Donegal have a better rounded team and sub bench. Kerry relying on you know who to save the day. Problem with that,is close him down, have they enough elsewhere to win. Had D O'connor, D Moyihan, BD O'Sullivan,P Geaney, and T O'Sullivan be available, might be a total different outlook.

G O'Sullivan not putting up big scores but excellent playmaker.
Got 5 assists from corner back in the 22 final.