CORK V KERRY MUNSTER ALL IRELAND SENIOR FINAL

[darbyo]

While not the most attractive pairing for the neutrals, it is the AI final and I'd imagine a lot of people care.

[Kerry Mike]

You'd nearly miss the Connacht or even the Ulster boys around for the All Ireland Final (yerra tis so long since a Leinster team was involved that they dont remember what a final is like anymore I suppose ) at least there would be a bit of talk and maybe a bit a of banter, but jaysus no post on this game in 2 days, yerra come on.

Anyway it has come to pass and we have an All Munster All Ireland final, The Kingdom verses The Rebels, The Animals verses The Langers, the Green & Gold verses the Blood & Bandage or just plain old Kerry verses Cork. Either way I can't wait for both teams to lock horns on the 16th. This is a longstanding local derby game and there is a lot of history between the two counties, with lots of old festering scores to settle as well.

For the neutral (as we see from the reaction here) it's probably a game that few would have interest in and for the experts who deride the Munster championship year after year it's a finger in the eye.

But to those of us who live in Cúige Mumhan and in particular either of the counties it has the makings of an enthralling battle.

Going back to the Munster final, Kerry were very lucky to pull out with a win, losing at half time, Kerry tacked on the scores in a quick burst after the cupan tae, Cork however fought back valiantly and should have got a draw or more from the game at least, Derek Kavanagh's last minute goal bound shot arching wide, with the help of a slight pull on his jersey, Tomas O'Se I believe with the guilty hand, Kerry lucky to avoid a penalty. Thankfully Kieran Donaghy and Sean O'Sullivan tacked on the winning points late in the game to secure a famous win for us, the first in 21 years in a final over Cork in Killarney, but surprisingly Billy Morgan was caught on camera smiling at the end result, was this part of the master plan for Cork 07, does he think he now has the recipe to beat Kerry, time will tell.

Cork dominated for long periods of that second half and won an abundance of ball around midfield especially when Cussen moved out around the middle as he has done in subsequent games. Kerry too have had to bring out the big man against the Dubs and it will be a ploy that both teams will probably have to use again in two weeks, the Midfield as it is in every game will have a major bearing on the outcome and with a meithal of big men around the middle it will be a battle to get any hands on the ball, the breaking ball in this area will need to be hovered up and Kerry will need all of the half backs and half forwards to perform well in this area. It will be scrappy, but there is nothing that gets a Kerry man going than the sight of a Cork Jersey and I am sure it's the same in opposites across the border.

There will be some key clashes to be sorted out on the field and my views though probably a bit biased are here:

First of all from a Kerry Defensive side there will be Padraig Reidy against Donnacha O'Connor, O'Connor got the upper hand in Killarney and as both are from about 5 miles from each other on opposite sides of the county bounds there will be major slagging in Ballydesmond and Scartaglin for the coming weeks, Reidy will be first man from his village to represent his county in an AI final if he is picked ,so an added bit of pressure for the young man who stood up to the Dubs and Marc Vaughan in particular in fine style last week. O'Connor is a class act and is strong in the air and good on the ball and will score off either side, he is a key danger man for us to curtail.

Marc O'Se will relish the marking task of James Masters who I believe will play despite his recent fractured jaw, he did well on him in Killarney and though Masters has a great scoring potential he does not appear to be the quickest, and Masters may not relish any physical challenges if his chin is still a bit suspect.

Tom O'Sullivan will have his hands full against big Mike Cussen but I'd expect Cussen to drift outfield where he did well against Meath, O'Sullivan will be up for it though and another Border man will raise his game for the rebels, he did reasonably well in the 50/50 balls with Conal Keaney last week. If Cussen moves I'd expect O'Sullivan to pick up O'Connor with Reidy moving out the field.

Out on the half line Tomas O'Se has had a storming year and with the loss of the Pony it is his bursts from defense that are now providing inspiration, loves to get up to kick a point and is a good man marker so hopefully either Miskella or McMahon will be in for a long afternoon.

On the other wing Killian Young has performed excellently in his first full season, he has had a direct role in 3 goals so far and is comfortable on the ball and in the air, I expect a big final from the Renard man but it wont be easy against a ward working Cork half forward line. John Miskella and Kevin McMahon will work hard to win ball and will distribute well but I am to be convinced of their scoring threat and am hopeful of a Kerry dominance in this area.

In the centre Aidan O'Mahony will have his hands full against Pierse O'Neill who has a big height advantage, O'Neill is a fine footballer too but does not seem to contribute as much scores as he should with the procession he wins. O'Mahony though has had a good year and is dogged in the tackle and reads the game well and he makes vital interceptions.

In Midfield Darragh O'Se (if he recovers from a hip injury, if he doesn't it will be Griffin coming in) will probably mark Nicholas Murphy, I think Murphy has been the best midfielder this year but its possibly O'Se's last final and he will be well up for one last fling against the Rebels, he has given fantastic service to Kerry and if Liam Hayes took off the blinkers he would be adding OSe's name to his small list of "20 Year Greats" he named on Sunday, namely Colm O'Rourke and Peter Canavan. Darragh has never left the county down particularly on a big occasion and for a not so big man he wins some spectacular ball in midfield at times, does not have the engine of a few years ago but still a vital cog in the Kerry system. Murphy is excellent in the air and will need close marking all day to prevent Cork setting up any scoring platforms.

Scanlon saw a lot of the ball against the Dubs but his shooting was poor and in the second half even though in scoring positions he held up the play for a forward to take over, does well in the air and is a good foil to O'Se. Kavanagh will work hard in the middle too and as captain will give his all but he just does not seem to dominate midfield. Kerry will have the considerable option of Tommy Griffin to bring on or even Mike Quirke who won a lot of ball in the Munster final.

Our half forward line is our key line, I'd expect Declan O'Sullivan to line up at 11 where he ran Bryan Cullen ragged at times last week. He has had an excellent year and the few months in Oz seemed to have revitalized him for this year, he was burnt out from last year. His goals have been vital this year and he gets into great scoring positions when Gooch comes out the field. Ger Spillane though will be a tough match up, Spillane has plenty of football in him and will be a match for O'Sullivans running, maybe Brosnan will line up in the centre leaving Declan on Anthony Lynch, either way I'd expect Declan to put in a great game and hopefully be in a position to be the first Kerry captain since Dick Fitzgerald in 1913/14 to captain back to back Kerry winning teams. It would be some achievement for the man from Dromid.

Eoin Brosnan too is coming back into form, loves the spaces in Croke Park and will always provide a scoring threat when he gets on the ball at speed, his work rate was much improved against Dublin over the Monaghan game and if he can produce the same in the final he could be a hidden gem, after being dropped for last years final will have a major point to prove to Kerry. Anthony Lynch is a very good defender and will not give away much to either Brosnan or O'Sullivan, but I feel its now or never for one of the veterans of the Cork panel, lets hope he is given a good run around the pitch and then have to cope with one of the two speedy O'Sullivan's if they are introduced in the second half.

The clash that will attract most eyes and attention is that between Paul Galvin and Noel O'Leary, both being lucky to be play in the final given recent events, Both are fiery characters but also very good footballers, O'Leary had a great game once he settled down against Meath after his altercation with Geraghty and Galvin too contributed to winning a lot of ball against the Dubs after his alleged spat with Casey, kicked 2 fine points as well. Like them or Loathe them every team needs these kind of players and it will be a test of both of their mental ability to withstand the baiting of others and avoid a red card for their team in the final, given the animosity that both had in the Munster final towards each other.

In the inner line there is Gooch who will provide a real handful for whoever is detailed to track him, Cork have the option of putting Canty on him if Donaghy drifts out the middle. Cooper is coming into great form and his vision against the dubs was excellent, he is not scoring as much as he should but is playing the role of chief playmaker to perfection, expect a big final from the Gooch, he has scored goals in 2 finals already and must be good value to complete a hat trick.

Bryan Sheehan too should hold his spot for the final, his free taking will always provide a threat to curb any long range fouling yet he only got one chance from distance against Dublin, but it was his ball winning and long range point scoring that really stood out the last day. Mike Frank will feel disappointed to lose out on another final but I think Sheehan provides better options. His height against two smallish Cork corner backs should be an advantage.

Canty against Donaghy has the makings of a great clash, Donaghy has struggled at full forward this year and that has been down to a slow recover from a spring shoulder injury and to the quality of the ball coming in, but against Monaghan he was involved in 3 good goal scoring chances and on another day with a bit of luck would have had 3 green flags, so will provide a threat if the supply is good, his move to midfield helped bolster us when O'Se went off injured the last day and he distributed ball very well, has good hands and great vision (must be the basketball) he seems to be getting back to his form of last year and the extra 3 weeks of skelping in training will be a great help to him but it also opens up the Kerry attack for Cooper, Sheehan, Declan and Brosnan. We have shown we are lethal when the ball is moved quickly but I'd expect a mixture against Cork of supply just to keep the backs guessing, Graham Canty though will be up for the task, he is an excellent defender, though he struggled in the first half against young O'Rourke for Meath but his dilemma will be if he has to follow Donaghy or minds the kitchen when Gooch and Co are let loose around the house.

Kerry have further great attacking options in Sean and Darren O'Sullivan and possibly MFR to spring from the bench, while Cork with Gould and Goulding have a solid bench to play with. Our bench however will again be light on defensive cover which has been a major concern all year, so fingers crossed all 6 backs come through on the day.

Pat O'Shea verses Billy Morgan will be a battle of tactics on the sideline, if there is one thing Morgan wants in Life its to take a Kerry scalp and to do that from an All Ireland would be worth 20 years of bragging right to the bould Billy, but Pat O'Shea has done really well in his first year to get us back to a final and to hopefully get the lads in a mood for winning our 35th title. The new trainer John Sugrue who is younger that some on the Kerry panel, and who has played against many of them in club games this year, has to get great credit too in bringing new ideas to the training field and to keep the lads fit and hungry for more, he had to earn that respect but I am sure he has fitted in well at this stage.

4 finals in a row is a huge achievements in the modern era and shows the hunger and desire from the panel to keep on winning but winning the final is all that matters over any statistics, we have won 3 tough games this year by the bare minimum and that will stand to us, and hopefully there is more in the tank, and yet we did not play to full capacity for any of those games, we seem to go to sleep in the middle of both halfs with strong starts and finishes being the hallmarks but that may be a testament to the opposition not allowing us to play as well, Cork will look to exploit that perceived weakness. Like Kilkenny on Sunday it is difficult to counter act raw hunger, but Cork have shown that it will be no easy game, it will be a hard physical encounter and I don't expect to see the open scoring game like Kerry v Mayo last year. David Coldrick of Meath has been named referee today, will need to get a close eye on the off the ball activities.

For lads like the O'Se brothers who have all been outstanding in different games this year, games against Cork run deep in their blood and they will not let anyone on the team lie down easily. Since 2000 this will be the 13th championship meeting between the two counties, with 8 Kerry wins, 2 draws and 2 Cork wins making up the tally and from a Kerry point of view we have beaten them 3 out of 3 times in Croke Park semis but all that will count for little once the next game starts, both teams will tear into each other trying to get the important early scores.

I'm excited and nervous in equal measures at the moment and just hopeful that on the day we play as well as we can and for longer periods than we have in any of the games this year, if we do we will hopefully have too much for Cork but I don't think there will be much in it. Cork struggled against Sligo and Louth but did enough in both games to win but they really turned the burners on against Meath creating a great team effort, but Meath were poor on the day too, so Cork's greatness will have to wait for another day to gain a better perspective. Their problem is that we don't know which Cork will show up on the day, they were very inconsistent in the league and that has traveled with them into the championship. Billy will have them bursting to get stuck into Kerry. Cork being the last team to win back to back titles in 1990 adds another little ingredient to the mix, they will not want to lose that distinction especially to Kerry. Not having won an All Ireland in 17 years is a long time for a county with the footballing potential of Cork so they have a huge number of motivations to use for winning.

Its all to play for I think and on the day the little things could have a major bearing, here's hoping they go our way...

Ciarraí Abu

[ExiledGael]

Very good Mike, comprehensive to say the least!
Have felt that it's another cert for the Kingdom, but after reading that I'm starting to think Cork could rise to the big occasion!
You's fly feckers are good at that!

Kerry by ten   

[From the Bunker]

Very little interest in the final here in Mayo. Usually at work, the pub, on the street there is small talk of tactics and formations etc, even when the county is not involved, but nothing. Many do not even have even a preference as to who they would like to win.

What is the interest like in Kerry and Cork?

Is there a scramble for tickets?

Said a few weeks back that both the Hurling and Football AIs would be non events competitive wise and so far have be proven correct in the hurling. Kerry have smuthered Cork in Croker the last couple of years and i see no difference this year.

[MauriceMalpas]

Christ Mike.

Not much to add but Mike Quirke cant start, or be involved in an AI. Not good enough & will get found out in the spaces of Croker due to his immobility and, quite frankly he was poor in Munster Final in which we were fortunate not to LOSE. I''m a massive Griffin fan but cant see him starting as it appears he doesnt have 50/60 min in him never mind 70. I was happy enough with Scanlon in the SF especially in the 1st half.

It'll be interesting to see how Cussen and the Star fare as they'll both more than likely be around the centre. Will they be followed out or allowed to go toe to toe?? Finally Murphy, imo, has been the most consistent MFer over the last few yrs and thats naturally a key battle, assuming Dara starts BUT we said the same about O'Se and Whelan and they were the 2 poorest midfielder on show during the semi.

[Billys Boots]

if Liam Hayes took off the blinkers he would be adding OSe's name to his small list of "20 Year Greats" he named on Sunday

That should be enough to rule both players mentioned out of the running.

I think Kerry have a good bit in the tank, and rarely 'show their hand' in the Munster Final.  In fairness, they haven't had to since either.  Cork have a better defence than Dublin had, but appear (to me) to be more limited in attacking options.  They'll win their share in the middle third, but don't appear to have the efficiency in converting possession to scores that Kerry have.  Kerry by 4 or 5.

[the Deel Rover]

can anyone post the article that hayes wrote

[MauriceMalpas]

Rock-bottom Kingdom ripe to be stormed if Dublin's true believers hold their nerve
Football Analyst Liam Hayes

KERRY football surely reached its lowest point in the last 30 years, midway through the second-half of their quarter-final victory over Monaghan earlier this month. It was sad to watch. Pathetic, even. Sure, Monaghan stopped two feet short of the finish-line and refused to budge, even an inch further, in the last two minutes of the game itself and the three minutes of stoppage time.  And, sure, Kerry stormed by them to win by a whisker. It is from this low, low point that this Kerry team are viewing this afternoon's great semi-final meeting with Dublin.  They have a long uphill battle ahead of them after their dreadful quarterfinal performance. With the game looking out of their reach and with Monaghan looking good for an historic victory, a half-decent Kerry team was reduced to the antics of a bunch of juvenile footballers. We watched grown men in green and gold, a great many of them with two All-Ireland medals pinned to their chests, carefully working the ball up to within 70 yards and 60 yards of the Monaghan goalmouth . . . and then lobbing it in the direction of Kieran Donaghy.  Eventually, a defender under pressure from Donaghy knocked down one ball and Kerry got the goal that saved Pat O'Shea's bacon.  But it was bad, bad, bad football, and I couldn't help trying to work out for myself how far Kerry football has fallen, in full view of the last generation of GAA fans.  Kieran Donaghy acting as a telegraph-pole in front of an opponent's goal got Kerry out of a 'bad place' last summer and won them an All-Ireland which, thanks to Mayo's second vanishing act in three years, was of precious little value. But if the future of the Kerry football is dependant upon 'Hail Mary' (that's what they call them in the American NFL) passes being sent in Kieran Donaghy's general direction, then it has to be said. . .  The Kingdom no longer rules. It's finished, it's kaput. There is no such place worthy of . . . and living up to - this mighty name anymore, and the GAA has lost its most prized territory.  Now, let me tell you, I don't like writing this and I don't like you having to read this judgement of mine on the morning of yet, another, so tempting Kerry-Dublin meeting. I love Kerry football. Some of my best friends are Kerry people. Actually, I am in awe of the fabulous county and the smart, always sensible men and women produced there.  However (and this is a thundering however), I'm not going to come out with the false patronising commentary which almost everyone else in this writing business has been offering up in recent years. They're all afraid of saying 'boo' in front of a Kerry football team - terrified, most of them.  I'm going to tell you that Kerry football teams have barely left a mark on the game for over 20 years - less than a handful of All-Irelands, and not one of them truly memorable in my book.  Equally, Kerry stopped producing 'giants' of the game over the last two decades. Apart from Darragh O Se.  He's for real, a living giant. But Seamus Moynihan was never one of the greatest footballers of this or any other generation - he was, just, exceptionally good, and strong and brave.  A few weeks ago, I wrote that 'The Gooch' was like Tiger Woods stuck on two 'majors', and I firmly believe that he gets far too much praise, far too quickly from most quarters. Colm Cooper is a tricky, accurate inside forward, with a sublime touch on occasions which are quite infrequent. He needs a massive 'second-half ' to his career if he is to be measured up against Pat Spillane or Mikey Sheehy or John Egan.  Naturally, it would be right to assume that I give Kerry no chance of winning this afternoon's semi-final, and gaining access to an All-Ireland final against Cork which would warm all Kerry hearts. Kerry and Cork, right now, are both in Dublin's pocket.  If Kerry are to make a real game of this 'semi', they will have to begin by taking Donaghy from full-forward and allow him 70 minutes of athletic 'fun' beside O Se in the middle. Pat O'Shea should actually take this page from Billy Morgan's game-book last Sunday.  Morgan sent Michael Cussen roaming and for a tall, rangy player he played a significant, little role in Cork's stunning, though predictable, victory.  Donaghy is twice as good a footballer as Cussen. He's got greater confidence in himself, and he has the intelligence to make a difference on the football field. He's really lost at No. 14. The Kerry management would be far better off putting Cooper in that shirt for the next four or five years and asking him, every single game, is he a man or a mouse or is he 'Gooch the Great'?  My money, still, would be on Cooper showing us just how great a footballer he is, and I genuinely would love to witness him living up to his name and showing us all that his reputation was not over-inflated at too young an age.  Cooper in front of the square, in front of Ross McConnell (or whoever else the Dublin management team decide to send in his direction) should be an easy call this afternoon.  Kerry were in ragged condition by the time they started celebrating their quarter-final victory over Monaghan.  Their defence had been stretched, and stretched again. Their midfield pairing had been muscled out of the contest before it was half-over. And their forward division had been sent packing by the Monaghan defence - Galvin with a sore shoulder, and Brosnan and Frank Russell, with nothing to show for the afternoon, were taken off.  The kids who replaced them are only kids. Bryan Sheehan and Darren O'Sullivan have not even finished their apprenticeships as Kerry footballers.  The Kerry team is down and that's why most of the country imagines they are going to be incredibly dangerous this afternoon. I don't think so.  If this Dublin team is worth its salt it will work solidly for 50 or 55 minutes and coast home, in a business-like manner (rather than a holiday-like manner). I honestly believe this Dublin team is lacking in genius, and has no great magical quality to it, but it has brought itself to a position over the last six years (not three) where it believes, solidly, truly, that it is the best football team in the country.  Believing is half the battle, and if Dublin hold their nerve once again, as they did brilliantly against Derry in their quarter-final win, they will be in an All-Ireland final before they know it.  This Dublin team in an All-Ireland final will surely behave like men entering a five-star hotel in a promised land.  They'll make themselves at home, and look and feel absolutely fantastic.  Dublin are so close, finally, and the poorest and most shaken Kerry team of the last 20 years are in their way. It does not have to be all that close. Dublin could, all going well, win this game by anything between five and 10 points.  It all depends, really, on the Dublin defence. It's got to hold up, that's all.  Last week, we said that in a contest between a 'great' Cork defence and a 'very good' Meath attack, that the defence looked the winner. And so it was. Today, we've got a 'very good' Dublin defence against a 'good' Kerry forward-line. If defence holds solid, The Dubs are home.  There are no real doubts over Dublin's ability to, at the very least, win an even share of the good ball and spoiled ball in the middle third of the field. Ciaran Whelan and Shane Ryan are the number one midfield pairing in the country, and Cahill, Cullen, and Moran are going to put their lives on the line for every loose ball. Kerry footballers never lack bravery when it comes to the ugly side of the game either but this Dublin team will not lose out when it comes to measuring out the raw courage on display.  It's in Kerry's front garden, however, that Dublin can also profit and win the game. Any team, coming into the month of August, which has forwards as scorehungry as Alan and Bernard Brogan, and Jason Sherlock and Mark Vaughan, has to be as happy as it is confident.  The Dubs have more forwards bang in form than Kerry, they have two 'new' forwards (in Bernard Brogan and Vaughan) who are lapping up the big time and who do not seem to realise they should be very afraid. And they have Conal Keaney - Dublin's 'secret' All-Ireland winning weapon. Keaney has had a relatively quiet summer but has time on his side to be the most important footballer on this Dublin team. He might just take what's left of the championship by the throat.  All that powerful scoring ability favours Dublin and that's before anyone thinks of Ray Cosgrove or Mossy Quinn, either of whom could be worth an All-Ireland winning point.  As I asked last week - spread the two teams out on the table in front of you, weigh them up, shake them around, hell, turn them upside down and whichever way you look at it, this day is going to end up with a Dublin victory. Unless Dublin fold,

[the Deel Rover]

thanks for that MM , just show's you what Liam Hayes knows about football. I can't stand the pr**k so i never buy the paper he writes for. What is he on about with gooch and moynihan. I think the 2 points the gooch scored against dublin showed the quality of footballer the gooch is as for Moynihan he had nothing to prove to anyone least of all hayes.

[MauriceMalpas]

thanks for that MM , just show's you what Liam Hayes knows about football. I can't stand the pr**k so i never buy the paper he writes for. What is he on about with gooch and moynihan. I think the 2 points the gooch scored against dublin showed the quality of footballer the gooch is as for Moynihan he had nothing to prove to anyone least of all hayes.

I was at home at the weekend and picked up the Tribune to read his follow up which was as baffling. A kind of "If I knew it would create this much uproar I wouldnt have wrote it" kinda article. What?? Love or loathe Kerry football you cant underestimate it's quality and by taking a swipe at that you are bringing into question the overall standard of Gaelic football. Silly Stuff. Wont go on as I'm sure its all been said last week.

It was funny that his colleague on the opposite page had a diff view but he stiill maintained Hayes has GAA knowledge, as he predicted Armagh wouldnt make QFs, Tyrone wouldnt make SF & Cork would turn over Meath. However, he went on to say Hayes was clearly on another planet when it came to Kerry and stated that the Gooch will confirm his superstar status with a performance if he performs against Cork.

[Sean3]

This is Hayes from last Sunday


Kerry's 'great' expectations rest on the final outcome;
If Kerry win this All Ireland, they will have a team worthy of sharing the same status as the outstanding teams of the past 20 years

Liam Hayes

There was one lingering moment of extremely light relief over the last seven days, when my two 'interrogators' on a Radio Kerry programme vehemently condemned me for suggesting that their county has not produced many Gaelic football 'giants' over the last 20 years.

I had readily ceded to them that Darragh O Se fitted that description, but, even over the telephone, I could sense that they were 'locking, and loading', and aiming in my direction. And what about Seamus Moynihan, they asked? And what about Maurice Fitzgerald? And, I waited for them to mention a few more names, but, you know what, the two Kerry lads on the lunchtime programme just kept on talking to me about Seamus Moynihan and Maurice Fitzgerald, and Maurice Fitzgerald and Seamus Moynihan, and Seamus and Maurice, and Maurice and Maurice. In a 20 minute conversation, covering 20 years of Kerry football, my two learned friends, under a bit of pressure admittedly, could only come up with three names.

I would have thrown Colm Cooper's name in as well, for free, but I decided to leave the two lads at it! Of course, as I stated last week in this newspaper, Seamus Moynihan was a very good player, strong and brave. You would think that not too many people would get very upset about that, wouldn't you? I mean, it's not like I said that their beloved 'Pony' of a footballer was really half a donkey.

The last two decades was a blistering period for Gaelic football and during this time we've watched a long line of outstanding teams grip and tantalise the country. We had Meath and Cork in the late 80s, and we had Down and a brilliant Derry team in the early 90s. There was a damn fine Dublin team around the place too at that time. Then we had Galway in the latter half of the 90s, and as we wheeled into a new millennium Tyrone and Armagh brought team performance to an entirely new level of intensity. I wouldn't put the Meath or Kerry teams which each won two All Ireland at the tail-end of the last century on the same big stage as the eight teams just mentioned.

But, I dare you? Go through all of these eight teams and, hand on heart, put your finger on individual footballers who were were real, live 'giants' of the game? When I do this exercise I find myself identifying a significant grouping of footballers who honestly excelled and entertained hugely, but who all came up short of meriting the label 'giant' or 'legend' or call it what you will. Mick Lyons, Larry Tompkins, Mickey Linden, Padraig Joyce, Michael Donnellan, Sean Cavanagh, Steven McDonnell, Kieran McGeeney have all been superior footballers. None of them were true giants of the game.

Colm O'Rourke was a giant, and Peter Canavan was too, but anyone who accepts the exercise I am presenting before you with the utmost seriousness will really, really struggle to put many more names on the same plate as O'Rourke and Canavan.

I hadn't mentioned Maurice Fitzgerald last week in my column at all, but since I'm now being invited to comment on his candidacy for 'giant-hood', I've got to say, lads, ladies, I don't think so! Maurice Fitzgerald was one of the most magnificently stylish footballers I have ever had the pleasure of watching, but if you ask me, or a jury of any group of county footballers over the last 20 years, you'll find that the judgement on Maurice is one that he under-performed to reach that dizzy mantle.

And, hey, nobody should take this personally. It happens! As I've written before - maybe a dozen times - I was fortunate enough to be on a Meath team which won two All Irelands, five Leinster titles and two National Leagues, and I was fortunate enough to be on a Leinster team which won three Railway Cups, and I was fortunate enough to play for Ireland a few times (actually, that was unfortunate!) and win an All Star (should have been two!), and I, Liam Hayes, was one of Gaelic football's greatest under-performers. A 'true giant' amongst under-performers, if you like. But still, to this day, if I am at an official function or if I am being introduced in public, it will usually be said that I am a 'legend', or that I was one of the 'greatest midfielders' ever seen in Croke Park. One or the other, nearly all the time!

This is not true, of course, and I more than anybody know that a thorough inspection of my performances over 12 years on the Meath team would, quickly enough, make me unworthy of either comment. Just because people say it, does not make it truthful or in any way factual. Trust me, I'd love to believe some of the things I've heard people say about me since I retired. And just because Kerry folk tell themselves that the 'Pony' and Maurice and a rake of others were the greatest of all time, does not add up to 'diddly' amongst the nation's Gaelic football fans, who really know, and live and breathe, the game. In short, what I am saying is that we have devalued the term 'great' by over-usage and incorrect application.

Anyhow, it was an interesting week, and very entertaining in parts, but also enlightening. I didn't know before writing last week's column that it was against the rules to write a critical analysis of the Kerry football team.

Sure, only a few years ago (five or six summers ago) Kerry GAA people were noisily eating their own (such as two-time All Ireland winning manager Paidi O Se) and a great Kerry footballer (we're still talking about Paidi here, folks!) was calling Kerry football fans 'animals'.

Kerry had won a couple of All Irelands at this time, but after well over a decade of great frustration and immense self-doubt - O Se was not the only manager who was hounded up and down the streets, and out of a job after Mick O'Dwyer's departure - nobody appeared very happy with the immediate past, or what the immediate future held for Kerry football. The county was in deep, deep trouble.

One county official in Kerry, over the last seven days, actually called me 'scurrilous' on more than one occasion. He had his great, big, chairman's knickers in an awful twist altogether, and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and suggest, here and now, that the poor man was in such pain that he didn't really know what he was saying.

When Portuguese journalists write that Madeleine McCann's parents might know more about her disappearance than they are saying - that's 'scurrilous'!

Writing that the Kerry football teams of the past two decades have been second-rate by Kerry's own enormously high standards is not close - not even in the same parish - as being 'scurrilous'. I'll have a few more short words to say about this at the very end of this article, but let's get away from last Sunday morning (and my article in the Tribune) and let's get into the middle of last Sunday's All Ireland semi-final.

Of course, Dublin, as I suggested, did not win the game by seven or eight points. Dublin played poorly enough by their own high 2007 standards and their performance over the full 70 minutes was wildly inconsistent.

It was a game which Dublin might have drawn, but which Kerry did deserve to win. It was not a thriller, and will be left in the tuppence-halfpenny department when compared to the great, rough 'n' tough, manly contests between the two counties in the past. Pat O'Shea made all the right, astute changes to his game-plan between the quarter-final and semi-final, and by taking Kieran Donaghy into a deeper role on the team and leaving Colm Cooper in more of a stand-alone target-man position, he allowed his entire team to break free from the rigours of 'kick and hope' football which has dominated the mind-set of this team for almost 12 months.

But we'd all been telling Pat, for weeks and weeks, that this was exactly what he had to do, so there's no top marks for the Kerry coach for this tactical performance. However, he does get ten out of ten for having his team mentally on 'red alert' for the contest - and for having his team back on the field before Dublin for the start of the second-half, and for having them get stuck into Dublin on the re-start and fighting like demons for every single ball. Like all Kerry teams, these lads like to play good football - and they did that at times last Sunday. Cooper was excellent, and this is the level of superior performance which people expect of him every single time he togs out. The level of expectation is higher for him than possibly any other 'footballer' in any sport in the country - with the exception of Brian O'Driscoll, maybe. The bar is that high for Colm Cooper. But, y'know what, truly great players have to live and suffer that constant expectation. They live with a ridiculously high level of adulation and, correspondingly, they have got to live with a little bit of criticism too at times. Cooper has not been half the footballer he is supposed to be these last two years, admittedly through sad circumstances for himself and his family. But, now, in the All Ireland final, he must finish off the season with an equally perfect performance, if he is to get his career firmly back on track - and if he is to safely book his place alongside Colm O'Rourke and Peter Canavan at the very top table.

It was the raw energy of the Kerry players which was the single most impressive part of their performance last Sunday. On the ball, and off the ball, they were 'burning' it up, and in the circumstances things got a little bit nasty at times... and 'girly' at times too.

The Kerry team before us today is perilously close to winning three All Irelands in four years. And that would be a fantastic achievement in its own right. Nobody's arguing with the maths. But in pure pedigree, where does this Kerry team sit overall within this 20 years period? Remember, Kerry struggled to win one All Ireland in the whole of the 90s, and don't forget that the last two All Ireland victories over Mayo were embarrassingly awful non-events, admittedly thanks entirely to Mayo.

The last two titles, when measured up against the 30-something Kerry have claimed over the last 100 years, would find themselves probably closer to the bottom of the pile.

What I'm saying here is that there were eight outstanding All Ireland champions over the last 20 years and, apart from going toe-to-toe with Galway, Kerry teams seldom got really close enough to any one of the others when those teams reigned.

And now we have a Kerry team who are No.1 in Ireland again. And clearly No.1 after physially and psychologically demolishing Dublin last Sunday afternoon. They are facing into an All Ireland final which could be a death-trap for them, with all the perils of a Munster final now presenting themselves in the month of September. Everyone expects Kerry to win. Me too! And Kerry are going to find themselves in a dangerous place on the morning and afternoon of that game. It could be the greatest moment in Kerry football in 20 years, or it could become something else entirely.

If Kerry do lose, maybe then the people of the county will look back over their shoulders at two decades, and feel dramatically short-changed by everything they have experienced and everything they have achieved. Then they will certainly share my perspective of the last two Sundays - at least in the privacy of their own homes and their own quiet conversations.

If Kerry win this All Ireland, they will have a team worthy of sharing the same status as the outstanding teams of the last 20 years. A lot rests on the next 70 minutes. Nearly everything, in my opinion.

[the Deel Rover]

The thing the annoys me with hayes is that he judges a player despite the fact that he has only probably seen them play Live a few times. For e.g last year he wrote a damning article about Ciaran Mc before the Dublin Match stating that he was not a  even a good player and and that he should be dropped Mc d answerd him in that match. However i'm sure he has never been to the connaught championship to see him play nor to a qualifer nor to see him play in a club match yet he bases his opinion or 2 or 3 matches that he sees himself. Has he ever Seen Maurice fitz play down in Kerry?

[never kickt a ball]

Kerry boss Pat O'Shea has repeated his displeasure at Liam Hayes' scathing article about the Kingdom's football, describing it as "repulsive" to Kerry people.

Hayes stated that the Kingdom "no longer rules", "barely left a mark on the game for over 20 years" and has produced only one giant of the game in the last 20 years - Daragh Ó'Sé.
This left O'Shea seething, and the Kerry boss was quick to point out to Meath man Hayes, that the Kingdom does its talking on the pitch.
"It was really in the aftermath of the win over Dublin that people found Liam Hayes' article more repulsive than anything else," O'Shea told the Kerry radio."If the result had gone differently against Dublin, Kerry supporters might not have taken too much notice of it.
"But because we had won, people felt that something needed to be said, that this assessment of Kerry football was just not right.
"I don't think it would have been said about Kilkenny hurling or Cork hurling in the same fashion as what Liam Hayes wrote about Kerry football over the last twenty years.
"Some of the players like Seamus Moynihan and Maurice Fitzgerald are iconic figures and would have been no matter what era they played in.
"I know there were other players mentioned but there was no basis to what was said and, in short, it was disrespectful towards Kerry people, who like their footballers to do their talking on the field and 34 All-Ireland wins proves that.
"We did our talking on the field against Dublin so let them write history away, you can't change history."

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[never kickt a ball]

Cork to wait for surgeon's report on Masters

Cork selectors will wait until next week before a decision is made on the availability of leading scorer James Masters for the All-Ireland SFC final against Kerry.The Rebels management must await a final surgeon's report on the broken jaw the Nemo Rangers man suffered in the quarter-final win against Sligo last month."We honestly don't know what the story is with James at this stage," Cork selector John Corcoran is quoted as telling the Irish Examiner."We're awaiting a surgeon's report and it will be next week when we're picking the team before we can make a final decision on whether James is available."
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[timmykelleher]

Kerry Mike,

I never knew you had it in you. That preview of the match was both balanced and insightful. A damn good read. Not your usual inflammatory produce at all? I'd agree with all you have said above, apart from Liam Hayes did include Darragh O'Sè in his "greats" and the "Ciarraì abù" bit, obviously. 

My own view on the match is that this may be Cork's best chance to win for sometime but they may come up short.

The reason I say that is their best chance for a while is based on the strength of their midfield sector. Cussen, O'Neill, Kavanagh, Murphy and Spillane are all big men capable of winnning their own or breaking ball. Scanlon seems a little green despite being on the Kerry panel for a good while and Ò Sè is (hopefully) past his best. Of course past his best may still equate to the best midfielder on the pitch. I can still picture him rising in the middle of Cussen, Kavanagh and Murphy in the munster final and coming down with the ball. I wouldn't mind seeing O'Neill mark him for a while to see could he test out that rusty hip by running the legs off him.

Also Cork seem to be reverting to puke football, in that they get as many men back inside the 45 as possible.
2 of the last semi-filletings have seen Gooch roast Kieran O'Connor and another corner back in one match and Kieran Donaghy give an injury hampered Derek Kavanagh the run around in another. Neither of these match ups were helped by a man for man marking system that is being dropped in favour of mass defence.

The reasons I feel they will come up short are Kerry's more populous scoring threat. Galvin hit 2 great points off either foot at the start of the semi, Sheehan can hit them off either foot or from the next parish if it's a free, the gooch hit 2 class scores off either foot in the semi and his goal against Cork wasn't half bad, Sean O'Sullivan and even Donaghy hit 2 class long range points against us when the need was greatest. Just who does one concentrate on? I mention spillane's importance for the breaks but does he instead track O'Sullivan constantly. Just as well they don't have a raiding half back good for 2 scores a game 

For us scores maybe harder to come by. Pierce O'Neill was flying in the semi but I can't see Kerry allowing him the space Meath did.
We were struggling last year to kick 45s. This year Donnacha seems to be improving but you get the odd free like against Kerry in the munster final where he missed from about 25 yards out. (Although was this and Kavangh's miss part of Billy's master plan, Mike?)
McCarthy is there to carry the ball. Masters is injured and Goulding is raw. Donnacha O'Connor is our best hope. So who do Kerry concentrate on?

Ciarraì?  Booooo!