In the absence of Dublin, it seems nobody can call the clash of Donegal and Kerry in today’s All-Ireland final.
The Dubs brought certainty to the equation whenever they played, until, of course, they didn’t. We have Donegal to thank for that.
The closest thing to the nailed on certainty that Jim Gavin’s men would win consecutive All-Ireland’s was that if they didn’t, there’d be no more “Mayo, God help us” uttered for a while as Horan’s men would surely be next in line to ascend to the throne. As with Donegal, Kerry preferred not to listen to that narrative but write their own.
And so All-Ireland day dawns with two sides - one the game’s most successful ever and the other a recent All-Ireland winner - neither of which are exactly minnows of the championship, but at respective odds of nine and 20 to one not so long ago, surprise September packages nonetheless.
Autumn was mutually kind to both. Spring and early summer has never rested particularly on Kerry minds and at the other extremity of Ireland that’s becoming the modus operandi too – it is, after all, all about reaching the third Sunday of September.
It’s a tough game to call with so many variables. Kerry: the kingpins of Croker yet underdogs as the less experienced of the two and vulnerable versus Ulster opposition in finals; against Donegal: potentially past their peak and chasing a title that would leave them just the 33 behind today’s opponents.
It’s being billed as a tactical battle between two of the most astute sideline operators in the business yet, clearly, the ability of the players to carry out their instructions and perform in the moment will ultimately be decisive.
To that end, Donegal probably hold the upper hand being, as they are, the more experienced of the two. Even that somewhat tentatively made assertion is open to debate though given the hordes of Celtic Crosses in homes of Kerry stars lining out today. With so many All-Ireland debutants, however, the mix of old and young rests slightly more with the latter than the former.
Donegal too might fancy coming out on top in the physical stakes, especially their backs – most of whom seem to be carrying a size advantage over their opposite number which is no guarantee of success in its own right but might just prove important if Kerry forwards can’t impose themselves on the game.
Once again though, there’s a caveat to consider – and a big one at that. Finding himself on the periphery of the panel since being dropped for last year’s Munster final all the way through to the Mayo game this year, Kieran Donaghy was far from the star of this Kerry side his nickname might suggest. It was a little uneasy when ‘Star’ came to mind as he sat on the bench; the name so clearly betraying an importance of yesteryear rather than the present, particularly against Galway when for the first time being fit and available he took no part in a Kerry championship game.
He fought back, however, and got the karma he deserved for sticking with it, according to his manager. He subsequently earned Kerry a spot in the final for without him it’s hard to believe the Kingdom would’ve survived any number of hairy situations in both Mayo encounters. The play that earned a reply, encapsulating his finest attributes of ball-winning and decision-making, is evidence enough to that point.
A second titan of those contests was another Kerryman who has seen the abyss but resisted the temptation to give in to injury only to grab his chance now that it has come along. Bryan Sheehan’s own injury woes handed David Moran his chance and the Tralee man has stepped up to the plate with magnificent ease. Against Donegal’s defensive and counter-attacking brilliance his ability to strike points from distance, and feed Donaghy, could well prove pivotal.
If Donaghy can occupy not just Eamonn McGee but the minds of a few others too, Stephen O’Brien’s inclusion in the half-forward line at the expense of the more industrious Michael Geaney suggests Fitzmaurice sees scope to exploit the Donegal half-back line by running at them.
It is, of course, a half-back line that packs plenty punch of its own as the team’s launchpad for the swarming counter-attacks that suffocated Dublin in their own backyard in what was one of the greatest performances of the last 15 years, at least.
Both teams, too, have mental fortitude among their list of attributes having battled back from significant deficits in their respective semi-finals. Neither will panic.
Perhaps crucially though, Donegal’s ability to shackle exemplary attacking talent throughout this year’s championship might elevate them to the position of favourites. Should they do to James O’Donoghue what they’ve subjected Jamie Clarke, Conor McManus and Bernard Brogan to thus far, rendering them all largely anonymous, Jimmy may well be winning matches all over again.