Donegal v Kerry - 2025 All-Ireland Football Final

[bennydorano]

I wont know who I want to win this match until it throws in, I've a long held dislike for Kerry but Donegal have certainly been pushing my buttons in recent times.  My animosity for Kerry stems from their ability to be continually showered with lavish praise as the saviours of football while simultaneously going unnoticed as one of the dirtiest and nastiest teams going, I've spoken to Armagh county footballers of numerous eras and it is always the same – Kerry are  hallions on the pitch. Donegal are no softies tho and no doubt there will be players leaving the field after 'accidental' collisions.

 

As for the game itself, the match ups will be fascinating, both teams have plenty to worry about.  If I was Jack O'Connor I'd be as concerned about Michael Langan and Ciaran Moore as much as Murphy or Gallen, Langan has been the best Donegal player all year IMO and surely in for a shout for POTY if Donegal win (and they don't fall over themselves to give it to Murphy), hopefully himself and Joe O'Connor wont directly cancel each other out and both get to express themselves. You'd have to think that McGuinness will have a plan for DC that will be effectively executed, if that's the case it will be up to the Donegal footballers to prove they are good enough up front, Gallen could either shoot the lights out or be anonymous depending on his headspace, Murphy has had a good year but can be ropey looking at times too and is liable to get himself restricted by a yellow card or worse.  Donegal had a pretty handy run to the AIF post Ulster Final, plenty of time to recuperate and reenergise, Kerry have had the harder battles.  As I type this I think Donegal have more threats than Kerry tbh, but I think I'd give a tentative vote to Kerry to win, they're not going to let Donegal do what they want to do.

[Sportacus]

I wont know who I want to win this match until it throws in, I've a long held dislike for Kerry but Donegal have certainly been pushing my buttons in recent times.  My animosity for Kerry stems from their ability to be continually showered with lavish praise as the saviours of football while simultaneously going unnoticed as one of the dirtiest and nastiest teams going, I've spoken to Armagh county footballers of numerous eras and it is always the same – Kerry are  hallions on the pitch. Donegal are no softies tho and no doubt there will be players leaving the field after 'accidental' collisions.

 

As for the game itself, the match ups will be fascinating, both teams have plenty to worry about.  If I was Jack O'Connor I'd be as concerned about Michael Langan and Ciaran Moore as much as Murphy or Gallen, Langan has been the best Donegal player all year IMO and surely in for a shout for POTY if Donegal win (and they don't fall over themselves to give it to Murphy), hopefully himself and Joe O'Connor wont directly cancel each other out and both get to express themselves. You'd have to think that McGuinness will have a plan for DC that will be effectively executed, if that's the case it will be up to the Donegal footballers to prove they are good enough up front, Gallen could either shoot the lights out or be anonymous depending on his headspace, Murphy has had a good year but can be ropey looking at times too and is liable to get himself restricted by a yellow card or worse.  Donegal had a pretty handy run to the AIF post Ulster Final, plenty of time to recuperate and reenergise, Kerry have had the harder battles.  As I type this I think Donegal have more threats than Kerry tbh, but I think I'd give a tentative vote to Kerry to win, they're not going to let Donegal do what they want to do.

They didn't win 38 All Irelands being nice guys. But they've generally always been a good watch and try to kick the bloody thing. Less interested in 'systems' than most, and they've produced some fabulous footballers over the years. Donegal under McGuinness are very good, but Kerry's forwards have more in them if they click.

[Captain Scarlet]

Reputations are earned sometimes and Kerry have for many years played nicer football than most with little dinky passes and so on. But their media presence means that any team that beat them or even try to lock things down are the 'baddies'. And their own bits of niggle and dirt are whitewashed.

But, there's different ways to play and Donegal running out at full pelt with lads on the shoulder and swinging it over the bar is still great to watch.

Joe O'Connor and Kilpatrick had a right battle in the semi and Langan has the legs and more football in him than Kilpatrick. That's a big one.

Donegal's bench also means that they have serious players to come in and push on or close things out. O'Baoill is a serious man to come in, never mind McBrearty.

Ah lads, this is going to be a great one I think (hope!).

[twohands!!!]

Donegal's bench also means that they have serious players to come in and push on or close things out. O'Baoill is a serious man to come in, never mind McBrearty.

Ah lads, this is going to be a great one I think (hope!).

I think a huge factor will be just how fit and how sharp Kerry's players who were out with injury will be.

I'm always wary of injured lads coming back into a team for a final - a lot of the time the gamble of playing lads who are not fully fit doesn't pay off. In a lot of cases while the fitness levels might be passable, their form looks to be a bit rusty, which can often get exposed competing up against fully fit lads who are likely in flying form coming into the final. Paul Geaney, Diarmuid O'Connor and Tom O'Sullivan would all be in the starting 15 if fully fit. Will any of these be in the 26? Will any of them be in the starting 15? Donegal by contrast look a lot more settled squad in terms of starters and their sub options. 

Also lot of the talk about Kerry being a one-man team was glossing over how well Paul Geaney was going. He had a great league and was having a very decent championship before he got injured. The various replacements tried for him - Conor Geaney and Killian Spillane don't seem to have performed anyway close to his levels. Where he is with his fitness and form could be absolutely massive in what way the game goes.

[blanketattack]

There's a lot of expectation that the players who've been excelling for Donegal so far are going to do excel again in the All-Ireland Final, but as we saw in the hurling that's a dangerous assumption as it's such a huge occasion way different to any other match.
Instead it was the Tipp players with the experience of the winning medals in the back pocket that came to the fore.
How will the Donegal players react to their 1st final? While some will flourish, the occasion will get to others you'd expect.
You've also the players who's previous experience in 2014 was a complete underperformance. That may motivate but it can also put a strangling pressure on them to not underperform again.

I expect Cian O'Neill's experience to be a vital factor. He's won All-Irelands coaching Tipp in hurling and Kerry in football and tonnes of All-Ireland final day experience. I think he's a more valuable asset to Kerry than McGuinness is to Donegal.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

You could say that about anyone sure. Will Clifford underperform like he did in his last All Ireland final? Who steps up if he does?

Who from Donegal was there in 2014 who doesn't have an All Ireland medal in the back pocket? McHugh?

Cian O'Neill couldn't get Galway over the line last year, so he may not get Kerry over it.

You're basing a lot of that on very little.

[Blowitupref]

Cahair O'Kane reckons if Donegal hold David Clifford,Sean O'Shea to a combined total of 15 points and Kerry to 23 points will be enough to win. 

[blanketattack]

Cahair O'Kane reckons if Donegal hold David Clifford,Sean O'Shea to a combined total of 15 points and Kerry to 23 points will be enough to win. 

I'm sure he thought that Donegal holding James O'Donoghue scoreless in 2014 would be enough to win as well.

[Blowitupref]

Cahair O'Kane reckons if Donegal hold David Clifford,Sean O'Shea to a combined total of 15 points and Kerry to 23 points will be enough to win. 

I'm sure he thought that Donegal holding James O'Donoghue scoreless in 2014 would be enough to win as well.

2-9 won't be a winning score for Kerry this weekend as it was in 2014.


With these new rules it could be opportunity to break scoring records

Top score in a final from a winning team  Dublin 5–12 (27) in 1977 and Kerry 4–15 (27) 2006.

Top score for team that lost the final.  Mayo 1–16 (19) in 2017 and Galway 2–13 (19) in 1973

[DaleCooper]

Handling McBrearty when he comes in could be critical, Kerry would have Looney in reserve for that maybe.

Paddy is good but hes patchy enough and a fast tight marker on him would frustrated his usual routine of pipping a point or two.

Gallen really needs a huge day out if they even want a sniff at Sam

[JoG2]

In years to come hopefully the game will return back to something similar to football and the basketball type of game Donegal and many other teams play will just be a bad dream. I recently witnessed an under 10 training session where  one of the players was told off for kicking the ball. This how deep the poison has spread.

So you are living off the fantasy that Kerry are a lovely kick passing team? 

The FRC dream was to make the game more of kick-pass game.  In reality the team that kicked most during this championship was Meath who got almighty hammering in the semi final and the "through the hands" football remains king with Kerry and Donegal the primary exponents.

The Kerry people in the media constantly tell us this and it is being absorbed. They have one amazing player who plays off the cuff but the rest are as sidewards, backwards and risk free as anyone else.
Indeed, Paudie Clifford was arguably their most influential player for most of this season. You'd nearly mistake him for a Jim McGuinness Donegal player.

Get the name of an early riser......

Your call if you're absorbing anything.
With the new rules, Kerry and Donegal would be at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

Kerry kick more , Donegal run more (alot more)

Kerry will go for it shot wise while Donegal will pass and pass until there's little chance of a miss. You've county forwards constantly passing the ball around the small arc.. 25m shots. It's so micro managed compared to the more off the cuff style of Kerry in the scoring zone.

[Captain Obvious]

In years to come hopefully the game will return back to something similar to football and the basketball type of game Donegal and many other teams play will just be a bad dream. I recently witnessed an under 10 training session where  one of the players was told off for kicking the ball. This how deep the poison has spread.

So you are living off the fantasy that Kerry are a lovely kick passing team? 

The FRC dream was to make the game more of kick-pass game.  In reality the team that kicked most during this championship was Meath who got almighty hammering in the semi final and the "through the hands" football remains king with Kerry and Donegal the primary exponents.

The Kerry people in the media constantly tell us this and it is being absorbed. They have one amazing player who plays off the cuff but the rest are as sidewards, backwards and risk free as anyone else.
Indeed, Paudie Clifford was arguably their most influential player for most of this season. You'd nearly mistake him for a Jim McGuinness Donegal player.

Get the name of an early riser......

Kerry lads in the media go out of their way to convince people that alright. James O'Donoghue after the All-Ireland Quarter was raving about Kerry's kick passing game while ignoring only 4 of Kerry's 27 scores came from a kick pass.

You'll have people including commentators during the game on Sunday remarking they have mirror Donegals style because in their heads Kerry are this magical kick passing team. In reality the two finalists are primary exponents of "through the hands" football. 

Colm Parkinson is their biggest cheerleader gets on my nerves now.

Among the worst and also attention seeking idiot.  Before the semi final he was tweeting that the warm weather would suit Meath's kick passing game while it was too late for Donegal to change their through the hands football but needed to come up with a new plan.  End result they changed nothing and blew Meath away in the 2nd half like they did against fellow Leinster finalists Louth.

[DaleCooper]

Lifford cinema [eclipse] is showing the match for free.

Smart business move, wish more would do it.

[balladmaker]

With risk of over simplifying it, win midfield and win the game.  I expect Donegal to boss the kickouts, starve Kerry of ball into the forwards, grind them down and eventually strangle the game.  Donegal by 3 but having matters well under control long before the final whistle.

[Armagh18]

With risk of over simplifying it, win midfield and win the game.  I expect Donegal to boss the kickouts, starve Kerry of ball into the forwards, grind them down and eventually strangle the game.  Donegal by 3 but having matters well under control long before the final whistle.

Thought we would have done the same but look what happened. Donegal are massive around the middle though so you could be right.