Didn’t the summer slip by so quickly? What summer? I hear you ask. But here we are again at All- Ireland final weekend and the majority of us are still hoping for an Indian summer. Alas, it does not much look like it is coming our way now. But, we have the football All Ireland to look forward to and, this year in particular, it brings the promise of its own ray of sunshine. This final has definitely tickled the imagination of all GAA followers. The Dubs are back. But are they? Time will tell of course. As with every year the hunt for tickets is on in earnest and, also, as with other years, they are again at a premium like the proverbial ‘hen’s teeth’. Indeed it will be felt even more intensely this year as the pairing of Dublin/Kerry attracts far more neutrals than any other possible pairing. Every year, I get more than a few calls from family, cousins, friends, acquaintances, and occasionally from people I have never met in my life all looking for a ticket for the final. As this is the first Kerry/Dublin decider since 1985 it is a major box office draw. I have heard it suggested many times that participating counties should get the bulk of the tickets for finals. While there is a strong argument for that it would be wrong to deny genuine lovers of Gaelic football the opportunity of being at HQ for the highlight of the year.
In 1996, I recall asking Mick Byrne, the well known publican and sportsman from Castlebar, if he had managed to sort out all of his ‘Byrnes Babes’ with tickets. I will never forget his reply. He said he did not want a ‘handy’ ticket as the fun for him was in the hunt for a ticket. It meant he had an opportunity to chase his friends and acquaintances all over the country, seeking that elusive ticket. On the other hand I know quite a few characters who love stockpiling tickets and often arrive at HQ with a bundle in their hip pocket. They can be spotted in and around Croker bright and early with a smug and unhurried look about them. Very often they leave it to the very last second to part with the surplus to a few unfortunate supporters who may have spent hours begging for a ticket. The former will be few and far between this year I suspect.
If you are lucky enough to be there, I believe you will get value for money as we really have the makings of an intriguing contest. You may hear it mentioned a hundred times or more that a Dublin victory would be good for the game. Their participation will not necessarily bolster the turnstiles this weekend, as that usually takes care of itself on both the first and third Sundays of September, but when the Dubs are going well, not alone do they bring great colour and fanfare to proceedings, they usually pack the terraces for matches throughout the season, generating huge income for the GAA. When the Dubs are buzzing, they really do a fantastic job of marketing the game for the GAA. I read somewhere this week that Jack O’Connor has said that Dublin will win an All-Ireland sooner rather than later. Of course he will be hoping it will not happen this Sunday. Typical Jack, typical Kerry, they always manage to deflect attention away from themselves and, by doing so, heap lots of pressure onto the opposition. Jack, like his players, will be wary of the threat posed by Dublin, but you can be guaranteed that both he and they would much rather play Dublin in a final than say the likes of Tyrone or an Armagh side. The record in that regard speaks for itself.
Are the Dubs really up to the challenge ?
Dublin are beginning to appear a little vulnerable in recent months. We just do not know how good they really are. There is no doubt about it but Pat Gilroy has done a fantastic job as manager of this team, but the performances against Wexford and, more particularly, against Donegal in the semi-final, when Dublin looked very naive indeed, have raised questions regarding their true worth. Then we had that sparkling performance thrown in between those two matches against Tyrone when they looked quite awesome. Months earlier I really fancied their chances of winning this year’s title based on their good league form and some of their early championship matches.
The two Brogans in particular looked unstoppable. However, I am now changing my mind and beginning to believe that Kerry’s experience may shade the day. You see, Kerry are unique in many ways. They know how to win big games. They are benchmarked at home only by the number of medals they win. They just seem to have the uncanny knack of being mentally and physically steeled for big days. Just like Kilkenny two weeks ago. Indeed they will have been hugely encouraged by the performances of some of the older guys on the Kilkenny side that day. Kerry invariably set the tone for the exchanges on All-Ireland days as there is very little that these guys do not know about winning. They rarely chase the glory or the lifestyle that comes with winning titles. It is in their gene pool to chase the title itself. And there is a subtle difference. Kerry’s attitude changes when finals are there to be won. Jack O’ Connor is preparing his team for a fifth All-Ireland final. On the other hand, this is virgin territory for Pat Gilroy and his Dublin side. Irrespective of how well he prepares the players, he has no idea how they will cope with the pressure that presents itself at this stage of the competition. He will not know until the ball is thrown in on Sunday, how well his charges have coped with the hype in the lead up to Sunday. Kerry on the other hand have more experience in dealing with the demands of the media and, as I mentioned earlier, they are all well practised in heaping lots of praise (pressure ) on to the opposition.
Dublin’s tactics might not be enough on Sunday
There is a school of thought out there that Dublin deserve great credit for beating Donegal in the semifinal. I am not so sure about that. On that occasion, Donegal managed very successfully to curb the threat posed by the aforementioned Brogans and also that of Diarmuid Connelly. The tactic of deploying half-forwards as cover for a vulnerable defence has evolved as part and parcel of the modern game. Dublin use it by deploying two natural half backs in their half forward line as a damage limitation exercise and to reasonably good effect. That tactic is normally good enough to get you so far, but to win an All-Ireland?
I believe you need a little more ingenuity for that. The Dubs are a little more concerned with negative play rather than the creative. I agree it is tough to criticise any strategy that produces wins, but their performance against Donegal lacked real football intelligence and guile. Kerry have arguably four or five of the very best forwards in the country playing on Sunday. Dublin really do not have any outstanding man-markers and their tactic will be to close down space and to try and suffocate Kerry’s natural forwards. However I hope we see a return of the more traditional values of attacking football, football with real positive intent to mark our sports biggest showpiece. It’s a must see game but I would love to see the Dubs win this one. It is not often you get the culchies shouting for the Dubs, but we can maybe manage it once every 10 or 15 years.
I just feel the Kerry boys will be better at channelling the emotion of the occasion in their favour to deliver a performance that will get them over the line.
Home fires still burning
The club championship draw threw up two interesting pairings. I am not sure which teams were trying to avoid which as I feel all four have a genuine chance of winning this year’s title. Having said that, I do know that one particular manager was rumoured to have leapt with delight when he discovered what team his side had drawn. It is a tough time for all to prepare at this time of year as the nights are drawing in really fast and students have returned to their respective colleges. I am looking forward to the two games in a couple of week’s time.
Delighted to see both Andy Moran and Donal Vaughan called into the Irish ‘Aussie rules’ squad for training. This kind of exposure, where they will mingle with the very best footballers in the country, is great recognition for Mayo’s two best footballers of this years’ championship.
