All-Ireland Senior Football final - Kerry v Dublin 18/09/2011

[AZOffaly]

Jinxy, you might be right, but I don't think we can be complacent. My own personal experiences wouldn't tally with such an optimistic outlook. Here in Newport, Co. Tipp, we have a strong rugby club which competes (albeit in a collaborative way) for the affections of the local young lads, and a soccer club which competes (in a slightly more adversarial way, on both sides) for the same affections.

Then take my home club of Ferbane, in County Offaly. With the introduction of Rugby into the school it has gone great guns, with the school team even winning a Connacht Senior Schools Cup. We've seen the creation of a (friendly) rugby club in the town (The West Offaly Lions) and we've seen a definite pull on players affections and commitments.

Ironically in Ferbane, the IRFU may have cut their own throat by forcing the teams to play in Leinster now, rather than the spiritual home which was Connacht thanks to the link with Buccaneers, but since Rugby took off in Ferbane, we have had more people capped for Irish Rugby teams at various levels than have represented Offaly, certainly at senior level.

I do think Rugby may have reached it's level, and may even settle a little if Munster and Leinster, especially, go into a rut but I still wouldn't be blasé about the fact that they attract young players.

I'll be as blasé as I want!

Yes. And I said I wouldn't be.

[GalwayBayBoy]

I am pretty sure that the "Dublin win be good for the GAA" has to do with the PR battle (or lack of it) for the hearts and minds of the major population centre of the country ie Dublin. In the recent past they have taken a beating from the Rugby and even the soccer crowd eg Shamrock Rovers, premiership, Trappatoni etc

It'll be good for the GAA in that the major media outlets will be all over it as opposed to been all over a rugby win or soccer story. The likelihood is that next year the olympics will hog the headlines and perhaps the Euro's, so if the Dublin GAA machine rolls on, then they will have something to compete with these huge events.

I also believe that it is the same media who has created the "good for GAA" impression.

How so?

In terms of PR, media focus, achievements, attractiveness.
Rugby have been crowned triple crown champs, grand slam winners, 6 nations winners, Leinster/Munster have won European cup, Gonnacht will now play European cup - huge progress on the rugby front in last 6/7 winners, consistantly reaching higher levels. Get huge exposure as a result plus they are back in their shiny new stadium.
Dublin now has a domestic soccer club that has broken the mould and will be playing in European competition for a prolonged period, Rovers were a huge club and their emergence and secure base will only see them going from strengyh to strength in a massive ctachment area. Will the domestic game is a mess, there is signs of clubs getting back to basics but still maintaining "standards" - selling players to UK clubs again, competing in europe. The international team are also in emergence - last weekends tabloids were more focused on the Irish game than the hurling final.

The ground the GAA can make is limited - it has no higher achievement level than an All-Ireland. It can't enter unchartered ground like the other sports have. They are constantly chopping and changing their own structures ie NFL, NHL in order to make them attractive and are failing, they are repeated calls for changes to their blue-ribon competition to make it more attractive. County boards are falling into debt chasing wild dreams. The Dublin winning an All-Ireland will give the profile a massive lift, once again the culchies will have an excuse to hate the Dubs, they'll be everyones rivals, croker be full again for leinster matches, the jersey be worn everywhere and the PR companies will look to the Dub players as well as the Leinster rugby boys.

If Dublin win the All Ireland (which would be great for the GAA by the way) how many people do you think they'll get on the streets of Dublin?
Contrast this with the number that welcomed the victorious Leinster rugby team that won the Heineken Cup (twice), back to Dublin (a few thousand).

Might have had something to with 30,000+ Leinster fans still stuck in Cardiff or still making their way home.

The lads I knew that were at it (who actually play rugby) all made it back for the homecoming.

Fair play to them. Still would have been loads who were not even home yet considering it was Sunday afternoon after the night before.

[Mike Sheehy]

Ther PR job done on this by Dublin sympathetic hacks was breathtaking, however I would expecty some objectivity on here - even among Dublin fans.  To me Kerry men in 2003 refused to take responsibility for their role in the semi final in  2003, and it cost them 2 more all ireland final defeats mainly for their bad manners.

The tripe we saw from Donegal was a direct result of Tyrones leading the way with the cheating and negative tactics. This is Tyrone's legacy. Thankfully their lack of natural talent was exposed once they didnt have the legs to keep up the puke football. The GAA is well rid of them.

[Rossfan]

[The tripe we saw from Donegal was a direct result of Tyrones leading the way with the cheating and negative tactics. This is Tyrone's legacy. Thankfully their lack of natural talent was exposed once they didnt have the legs to keep up the puke football. The GAA   Kingdom is well rid of them.

Fixed that for you mikeen

[INDIANA]

Hard to see a Dublin win here.

Playing the best team of the last decade.

Didnt play well in the semis

Injuries

Kerry's to lose.

[heffo]

Hard to see a Dublin win here.

Playing the best team of the last decade.

Didnt play well in the semis

Injuries

Kerry's to lose.

Can't foresee anyway either to be honest.

Flynn & O'Carroll both doubts. B Brogan's hamstring acting up.

Colm O'Rourke making a flippant comment about Dublin winning being 'good for the GAA' puts all the pressure on the ref to give Kerry the big calls.

Gooch on track to run away with POTY.

I just hope we give a good account of ourselves.

[ross4life]

Best team of the decade: Agreed but Tyrone had their number.

Didnt play well in the semis: True but could be a blessing in disguise.

Injuries to Flynn & O'Carroll both doubts. B Brogan's hamstring acting up: As injured as a Kerry man i suppose.

Kerry's to lose: Possibly.

Colm O'Rourke making a flippant comment about Dublin winning being 'good for the GAA' puts all the pressure on the ref to give Kerry the big calls: Yeah can the Dubs trust a former Meath player?

Gooch on track to run away with POTY: He's on track but would need to get MOTM in this final IMO.

I just hope we give a good account of ourselves,Hard to see a Dublin win here: Spare us guys we all know you are quietly confident. 

[mannix]

Dublin are a nice team but it's hard to see them living with the kerry lads for the full seventy.at least we will see some football in the final.

[Hill16 Blues]

The big challenge for Dublin is that you know Kerry will perform in the final. With Dublin you can't be sure as we've had too many blow ups over the years to trust them fully.

However firmly believe Gilroy and this team are different. They will play and work together as a team for 70 minutes and have a fitness level that Kerry will not better. We also have more scoring threat up front now than any point in the last 10 years and have beaten Kerry last two times we've played them in the League. Kerry certainly didn't want to lose the one in March.

We do have a very decent chance but Kerry would be firm favourites based on what this team has already achieved and the class upfront they still posess. Cant't wait!!!

[Canalman]

Big quesion is whether we have managed to claw back the 20 point dfference in class since 2009 between us and the Kitcheners.

Personally not so sure, head says Kerry all the way in this one sadly. Any team that can have Seamus Scanlon on the subs must be a class outfit............. a guy imo criminally underrated by the Kerry fans as I think that he carried Ó Sé at midfield for the last few years of his career.

Kerry to win at their ease.

[Hill16 Blues]

Dublin have very different team and very different gameplan from 2009. Would expect only 3-4 of that Dublin team will start in the final. For thes rest of them it means absolutely nothing. Those guys have played Kerry twice and beaten them twice!

Key lesson to be learned from that game is that Dublin need strong start. If we stay with Kerry for first 20-25 mins then it will definitely be game on!

[Jinxy]

When was the last time Kerry won a final where the opposition actually gave them a game?
They've some amount of handy All-Irelands and I, for one, think a Dublin win would be great for the GAA.

[Hardy]

[blanketattack]

When was the last time Kerry won a final where the opposition actually gave them a game?
They've some amount of handy All-Irelands and I, for one, think a Dublin win would be great for the GAA.

Cork led Kerry by 5 points in '09, and with 13 minutes to go a Marc Ó Sé block prevented Cork from getting an equalizer.

[ross4life]

Dublin have very different team and very different gameplan from 2009. Would expect only 3-4 of that Dublin team will start in the final. For thes rest of them it means absolutely nothing. Those guys have played Kerry twice and beaten them twice!

Key lesson to be learned from that game is that Dublin need strong start. If we stay with Kerry for first 20-25 mins then it will definitely be game on!

8-9 of that Dublin team will start in the final, the gameplan is different now Dublin are defending better.

When was the last time Kerry won a final where the opposition actually gave them a game?
They've some amount of handy All-Irelands and I, for one, think a Dublin win would be great for the GAA.

Needed a replay to beat Galway.