Donegal v Kerry - 2025 All-Ireland Football Final

[DaleCooper]

McGuinness didn't back his team with the new rules when it came to business end of season.

The mistakes they were making would suggest it was lack of experience and not being right on the day.....coupled with a superb kerry performance.


My main gripe is the two pointer allowing a massive gap to quickly develop, it sucked energy and Donegals first desperate goal attempt was at 20 min mark.

[Rossfan]

When defenders stand 5 or 10 metres inside the arc and make no attempt to pressure the lads with the ball outside it.......

[armaghniac]

Exactly. It wasn't Kerry people designed it. They're just currently better than anyone else and that's it.

Donegal definitely disappointed yesterday too but the much better team won. They might have kept the score down with old rules.

I honestly think McGuinness backed his team and his system and didn't account for kerry being as good as they were.

Armagh had some excuse, as Kerry did not become good until 5 minutes into the second half and they had some problems changing the plan quickly. But Donegal have known this since that day and have had more time to prepare a plan of some sort.

I wonder was Eamonn Fitzmaurice having the odd chat with Jack O'Connor during the year?
Kerry had one advantage, that their "system" last year was widely seen a deficient, so a strong motivation to get a new one. Jimmy still believed in continuity with last year.

[Spiderlegs]

Until 7 months ago, every player in Ireland had grown up on a certain ruleset.

Kerry's and David Clifford's impressive 2025 Croke Park performances feel somewhat fraudulent to me as they needed lifetime rule changes to achieve them.

Fraudulent performances ffs, I've heard it all now 

Clifford's scoring:
2021: 2–17
2022: 2–27
2023: 5–41
2024: 3–54
2025: 11–84

Maybe the massive uplift in 2025 had nothing to do with the rules.

[APM]

Some nonsense talked here. Lads embarrassing themselves. Same rules for everyone. Kerry deserved champions. Simple.

You can debate the merits of tight games versus free scoring shootouts. But for all the talk Kerry couldn't have won without primary possession send they won the midfield battle three games in-a-row.  Kickouts, Midfield and breaking ball was restored as a battleground and it is a new front upon which games can be won and lost, enhancing the competitive spectacle. To me that is the big win from the new rules and Kerry unexpectedly capitalised on it

[Armagh18]

Some nonsense talked here. Lads embarrassing themselves. Same rules for everyone. Kerry deserved champions. Simple.

You can debate the merits of tight games versus free scoring shootouts. But for all the talk Kerry couldn't have won without primary possession send they won the midfield battle three games in-a-row.  Kickouts, Midfield and breaking ball was restored as a battleground and it is a new front upon which games can be won and lost, enhancing the competitive spectacle. To me that is the big win from the new rules and Kerry unexpectedly capitalised on it

Yeah can't disagree with any of that.

I'd far rather last years final than this years (even if it hadn't been Armagh) give me a game that goes down to the wire any day over a procession, but Donegal only themselves to blame not the new rules.

[Estimator]

Until 7 months ago, every player in Ireland had grown up on a certain ruleset.

Kerry's and David Clifford's impressive 2025 Croke Park performances feel somewhat fraudulent to me as they needed lifetime rule changes to achieve them.

Fraudulent performances ffs, I've heard it all now 

Clifford's scoring:
2021: 2–17
2022: 2–27
2023: 5–41
2024: 3–54
2025: 11–84

Maybe the massive uplift in 2025 had nothing to do with the rules.

Any context here on games played etc? League and Championship? Source?
Gaelic Statsman on twitter has Clifford scoring 3-30 in league and 8-48 in the Championship. Wiki has it at 11-92.

[Armagh18]

That manic hunger and intensity Kerry brought this year is very very hard to beat. Saw it in Tralee in our league game and again from the famous 15 minutes against us in Croker and in both games since.

It's also extremely hard to maintain that extra hunger after winning it so it remains to be seen whether or not they'll back it up next year, but thats not a discussion for today. Hats off to them, best team in the country by a mile this year.

[Wildweasel74]

They been in 3 outta 4 finals, had alot of injuries, blooded new players and come out the other side. They be well placed nxt year and are by far, at the minute, the strongest team in the country. Only weak Spot yesterday  was P Murphy who looks past it and got took for multi points of Gallen and O'Donnell. G O'Sullivan will revert to that spot, he's not a forward, or T O'Sullivan come in.

[AustinPowers]

What if Kerry end  up winning 5 or 6  in a. Row?

Will they look at the rules again? 

These new rules could end up being the Dublin financial doping of  its day.

[Armagh18]

What if Kerry end  up winning 5 or 6  in a. Row?

Will they look at the rules again?

These new rules could end up being the Dublin financial doping of  its day.

Then they'll have done it because they had the best players and set up. Up to the pack to figure out a way to beat them.

[DaleCooper]

The new rules are financial doping by the GAA 🫠

[APM]

What if Kerry end  up winning 5 or 6  in a. Row?

Will they look at the rules again?

These new rules could end up being the Dublin financial doping of  its day.

How is that true?  No team has the financial pulling power of Dublin.  Are you saying Kerry is the only team with the capacity to capitalise on the new rules?

[cjx]

Kerry were driven, focussed and brilliant yesterday but Jimmy overcooked Donegal they played like nervous wrecks. Media hype and crushed together championship did not help. Less games next year and eveyone more used to rules, should be better?

[trueblue1234]

What if Kerry end  up winning 5 or 6  in a. Row?

Will they look at the rules again?

These new rules could end up being the Dublin financial doping of  its day.

How is that true?  No team has the financial pulling power of Dublin.  Are you saying Kerry is the only team with the capacity to capitalise on the new rules?

New heights of absolute bollix being spewed on here. As much as I hate the sight of them, and would have fathered any other county to win if, there's rarely been a deserved AI. They were better than everyone else by a fair margin and will be the team to beat for the next couple of years.