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You are > Home > Here’s hoping for a long summer of top Kerry football
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Thursday, May 13, 2010
Here’s hoping for a long summer of top Kerry football
IF anybody didn’t realise that the Munster senior football championship is starting this Sunday, then Kerry’s closed-door training sessions of late would have given the game away.
It just goes to show how seriously Kerry are taking this weekend’s Munster championship opener against Tipperary, and rightly so.
Tipperary football is on the up, as we have seen by the county’s recent performances against Kerry in both the under-21 and minor provincial football championships. It stands at one win apiece after those two games.
Having said that, the recent All-Ireland under-21 semi-final between Tipperary and Donegal was one of the worst games of football that I have seen in recent years. It lacked the basic gaelic football skills and was a poor advertisement for the game.
That said, I have seldom seen a fitter team that that Tipp outfit but neither have I seen a team so berate in the art of kicking the football. All one can assume is that fitness was swapped for the basic football skills.
Some managers and coaches go down this road when they realise that their squad may not be blessed with the natural ability to play the game. Instead, they get their team really fit.
And like I have said many times before, a fit team can worry a more skilful team – that’s just what might happen in the Munster opener in Thurles this weekend.
When the two met in the McGrath Cup in Killarney earlier this year, it took a Donnacha Walsh point to get Kerry over the finishing line first, winning 0-13 to 1-9.
A late George Hannigan goal that day sent John Evans men into a 1-9 to 0-11 lead, only for Barry John Keane and Donnacha Walsh to prevent what would have been a shock result.
But since then, there have been further changes on the Kerry panel but I expect Kerry to put on a performance in Thurles against Tipp.
To be fair to John Evans, he is taking his side to the wide expanses of Semple Stadium whereas former Tipp managers would prefer to take Kerry to a tighter pitch in the hope of making the game more physical.
There is no doubt that Tipperary have progressed under the guidance of Evans but I would be surprised if they run Kerry close.
I am hoping that Kerry win the Munster championship this season, and if that’s the case then it means defeating Cork in a possible semi-final showdown.
Like everybody else, I give Cork a chance this season. It’s the best opportunity that they have had in winning an All-Ireland title in many, many years but I would like to see the real Cork selection before I make my final call on them. I said before that they don’t frighten me and I stand by that.
We are one of five counties that have a realistic chance of winning the All-Ireland, unless there is a dark horse out there that surprises everybody.
Like I already said, I want to see us go through the front door this season, as opposed to the qualifiers route that we embarked on successfully last season. No supporter wants to come up against a team like Armagh, lurking in the qualifiers.
Looking towards Sunday’s game against Tipperary, the home side will put it up to Kerry for 40 minutes but it’s then that I expect Jack’s men to kick on and start off the championship in fine style.
Even though there are a few injury worries at the moment, there is still more than enough class in the Kerry team to win this game with a few points to spare.
At this stage it’s hard to gauge what sort of team will be selected but it might just see Padraig Reidy, Tommy Griffin and Tom O’Sullivan in the full back line with a half back line of Tomás Ó Sé, Mike McCarthy and Killian Young. Seamus Scanlon and Michéal Quirke will probably get the nod in midfield.
If Colm Cooper is passed fit, then it should be a case of familiar faces in the forwards, along with the likes of Kieran Donaghy, Paul Galvin and Declan O’Sullivan.
Maybe the management will try out one or two of the younger players, we will just have to wait and see.
But Tipperary won’t be any pushover. You can be guaranteed that. They have fine players such as Kevin Mulryan, Barry Grogan, George Hannigan, the Curran brothers and more, so they have the talent.
And they have played Division 2 football all year so that will also stand to them, even if they were relegated at the end of their campaign.
But I have a feeling that this Sunday’s game might follow a recent behind-closed-doors game that Kerry played against Laois in Killarney of late.
I was told that the game was over early on as a contest and I wouldn’t be surprised if this weekend’s game follows a similar pattern.
So, here we are once more, back on familiar territory just before the start of another All-Ireland championship.
We have been spoilt by the success of our footballers over the last few years and here’s hoping that another long summer of championship action lies before us.
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