Kerry GAA discussion thread #2

I have been very surprised at Geaney starting. Burke is a fine player and might be a great player, but for me I'd start him and let him at it. While he does bring energy when he comes on he is still too raw at this point in the championship to do the right thing every time towards the end of the game when it's in the melting pot which is no surprise for someone young and experienced. That's the time you might need Geaney, not in the first 3/4 of the match.

At least your women prevented another Armagh - Dublin final. They take no prisoners.

Taking each game you mention individually you can construct an argument. Yes, Tyrone weren't a great team, and yes Kerry did lead Armagh by 5 points. (Clifford, for some reason, actually got Footballer of the Year after that display against Dublin). The catch is when you consider the evidence from all the unfortunate defeats together.

You seem to be disregarding that losing to those teams says something about Kerry too. They did not happen to some third party or as an act of God. These were games Kerry were involved in and were in a position to exert control of but were unable to do so.

There's a touch of the Kilkenny hurlers' self-delusion in some of this ("we were only two points down with 10 minutes left and somehow this is a better guide than the fact that we lost by 10 points in the end"). You could probably have Galway hurlers (or anyone else) on three or four in a row too if you pick arbitrary moments in matches where they were ahead and looking okay against 'not great' opponents. But it'd be equally hollow.

To jump from acknowledging those sort of recurring Kerry defeats to a four in a row claim is the problem. It is defeats in those circumstances that makes the four in a row claim silly.

Would agree with that, some great individuals but not a great team.

Also the sight of them panting and going down with cramp all over the place in extra time during the semi is a worry and something that needs to be addressed. It’s nothing new, albeit it’s the worst example I’ve seen. Maybe they just hadn’t been tested and were too used to winning games pulling up.

Jaysus lads we are facing down the barrell of 20yrs since we did back-back all irelands nevermind this talk of should be goin for 4 in a row.

Utter nonsense talk, if we were good enough we'd have won them...simple as

Ya certainly agree with that, we could say we could have won a few more in the last 5 years and you could say we were lucky to win the one we did in 22, we expected to push on after winning in 22 it didn't happen, what a game of hurling we had today puts that shite we have been watching last few weeks in the football in to prospetive and what a speech by the GAA president, great speaker and some ocation next week end with his son playing for Armagh, great moments in Irish sport.

harsh, are you forgetting the all Ireland glory of 2022 that 30 other counties in Ireland can only dream of.

100%.

Armagh aren't a great team.

This is another AI left behind us.

How do you feel about being 5/2 favs for next years All Ireland? I think it’s short but probably fair enough that your slight favourites I suppose!

Has Burke leaving been confirmed? That would be a big loss but good luck to him at the same time.

I do think they could do with a back room shake up. Not sure if Donaghy would want to come in with Jack who looks to be a bit of a lame duck going in to next season in all honesty. I can’t see them extending his term now, and if they dont win the All Ireland in 2025 he will almost certainly be gone.

On another note, well done and congratulations to Kieran on yesterday. I was surprised to see him link up with McGeeney in Armagh but it has worked out great for him and the Armagh players clearly have great time for him.

TBH, once you get to the All-Ireland semis and onwards, a management team makes it own luck - there've been too many times over the last decade where we've been dominant in games entering the final quarter, but between fitness issues, tactical negativity and being heavily reliant on largely the same panel, we've thrown away 3-5 point leads, which more often than not, has been fatal. Of course the players ultimately have to hold their hands up as much as JOC, but have our minors and U20s progressed to the extent that might have been expected - I suspect few would make that argument

I think CB is only going to Oz for the winter. I think he will be unavailable for the league but will be back for championship next season. A mistake by Jack not starting him for championship this year. If he was starting he might not be going to OZ.

Hiw long will DG stay around if treated the same. For all those lads complaining about Jack Barry we really missed him this year. He might have made the difference. Joe O Connor is a bit static or is that the way he is played. We missed JB blocking runs for Clifford into the scoring area.

On Jack he us slipping failed to make the changes early enough in the final last year. This year spend the league trying to avoid winning it ir getting relegated after he f@@ked up in the first match against Derry. Had 2-3 new players in the league and did a Peter Keane on it in dropping them for older players.

Of the present team, Murphy, Morley, Moynihan, Brosnan, O'Brien and Geany are questionable as championship material. Four of them definitely need replacing and 2-3 should be leaving the panel.

I don't think we left anything behind us this year. The reality is, this team just isn't good enough.

Beat a poor Dublin team missing some huge names in 2022 with a last second hail mary and were lucky we faced a poor Galway side in the final.

Armagh were full value for the win in the semi final and I'm glad they finished the job yesterday, especially with Donaghy in with them.

The football looks to be open for the next few years so maybe we can pick up 1 or 2 sporadically if things go our way but we won't be doing 2 in a row any time soon.

Cillian Burke is only gone to Oz travelling afaik, not for AFL, and will be back.