For the second year in a row, it ended in a row.

Stephen Cluxton has been named Footballer of the Year for the first time in his career.

The only real issue I would have with the selection is different standards being applied to different players, writes Éamonn Fitzmaurice.

Having twice been shortlisted for the top individual award, six-time All-Ireland winning captain Stephen Cluxton is in the shake-up to claim his first footballer of the year as one of Dublin’s 13 PwC All-Star nominations.

Part of the deal with being inducted into the GAA Museum’s Hall of Fame is a sit-down interview with media.

Stephen Cluxton (Parnells): If this is his final bow, what better way to do it? Kerry didn’t make his life too difficult as he restarted but he was still varying his kick-outs well. His save from Stephen O’Brien was an easy one but he was so good with the high ball that came his way. 7

How are the finalists’ All-Stars stock after the drawn All-Ireland final? Honest broker John Fogarty tests the market.

It was natural that of all the previous All-Ireland finals that last Sunday’s conjured comparisons with, 1982 was the easiest from the archive to reach for, but for long periods, it felt an awful lot like 2011 to us.

All-Ireland winning Kerry keeper and selector Diarmuid Murphy joined Cian O’Neill, Mike Quirke and Tony Leen on this week’s Renault

When Diarmuid Connolly sat back into the pocket, setting himself up for power fade with the outside of his right boot, in a similar way to Ronan O’Gara and the Grand Slam drop goal over a decade ago, I thought perhaps the story was written in the stars for the prodigal son to return home with the fattened calf.

We don’t exactly know what’s going to happen on September 14 but we figure there is a better chance of predicting what won’t

Diarmuid Murphy selected five areas where Kerry impressed in Sunday’s thrilling decider and identified scope for improvement in the replay.

If you were lucky enough to get a seat in Croke Park yesterday then you certainly can’t quibble about value for money.

One way or another it’s going to be a historic day. Either the Five in a Row or 1982 Revisited. The RTÉ panel are so giddy they appear to be groping one another. You read that correctly.

Paradise lost or great expectations? This was no Penguin Classic but it will have the look of one for Kerry.

David Gough was the right man for this All-Ireland final — I maintained that from a good bit out — and seeing him give one of the best refereeing displays in a football final wasn’t unexpected.

Wow. I mentioned after the semi-final weekend that there had to be a twist in the road for this Dublin team as they sought to create history.

Dublin and Kerry will have to battle it out again on Saturday, September 14 (6pm throw-in), after this absorbing if error-strewn tussle finished tied.

The 5/1 outsiders for Sam Maguire must challenge the five-in-a-row-chasing champions with imagination and intensity, says Éamonn Fitzmaurice.

Kerry must simplify their kickout strategy and go long from the tee against Dublin, says former Kingdom star Declan O’Sullivan.

Talk of Dublin’s drive of five, or Kerry somehow bringing a halt to it will grow inescapably deafening in the next few days.

These are no ordinary times in Gaelic football and this is no run-of-the-mill five-in-a-row bid.

Seventeen Kerry players are in line to make their All-Ireland senior final debut on Sunday afternoon.

In the 2017 Division 1 final, Kerry brought Dublin’s 36-game unbeaten record across League and Championship to an end. Next Sunday, they aim to prevent Jim Gavin’s men from extending their defeat-less Championship run to 36. Thirty-three Championship wins and two draws have brought Dublin to the brink of creating GAA history. Here are 15 facts and figures behind their remarkable five-in-a-row tilt:

Dublin are on the brink of history and already have seven SFC wins to their name this summer, and John Fogarty reflects that in his August All-Stars. But how do the other counties fare?

Tony Leen A

For those who prefer their dreams sprinkled with fairy dust, maybe these metropolitan marauders will start looking at themselves fondly between now and September 1.

A blitz of 2-6 in 11 early second half minutes inspired by Con O’Callaghan and Paul Mannion sent Dublin into a fifth straight All-Ireland final.

It’s to him that most eyes will turn tomorrow evening. Wherever Lee Keegan is, there will be toil and there will be trouble.

Getting the match-ups right has gone a long way for Kerry and Mayo in recent years. We think of Aidan O’Mahony on Michael Murphy in the 2014 final, Lee Keegan on Enda Smith in the 2017 All-Ireland quarter-final replay and just last weekend Patrick Durcan tagging Ryan McHugh.

Diarmuid Connolly’s first Championship start for Dublin in 26 months was marked with a win as Dublin confirmed their All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo this Saturday.

Former Dublin manager Paul Caffrey has identified Brian Howard as a “rare luxury” in the All-Ireland holders’ team as they close in on history.

A Dublin football panel without a St Vincent’s club representative just doesn’t seem right.

Cork manager Ronan McCarthy, when asked about his players’ unfamiliarity with Croke Park and whether he had any concerns over such, provided a reply straight out of left field, pulling up a Joe Brolly quote from all of 26 years ago.

An Ennis solicitor stole €149,830 from 11 clients over a five-year period “in a robbing Peter to pay Paul’ enterprise, Ennis Circuit Court heard today.

The Leinster Senior Football Championship has long been crying ‘stop’ and Dublin have long since stopped listening. This wasn’t quite a pulverisation, but unquestionably another endorsement of capital might.

A record ninth Leinster SFC title in a row for Dublin but one that came in slightly unusual circumstances.

Former Dublin forward Charlie Redmond has claimed Jim Gavin might only field his strongest team twice this year, and not until the five-in-a-row is within touching distance.

Your morning headlines.

Halloween night is over. No more apple bobbing or scary stories or playing pranks allowed. The serious announcement of the All-Stars. An All-Star — a principal performer during the 2018 GAA Senior football season. They have been announced, writes John Divilly.

It’s All-Stars week and in the interest of keeping you informed, there is a change in the selection process from last year — an outfield player can be chosen for an award in an area other than the one they were nominated in, writes John Fogarty 

Goalkeepers of the Year

Struggling as we are for an original metric to measure this Dublin football team by, perhaps the candidates for an All-Ireland final man of the match offers an informative perspective.

Dublin 2-17 Tyrone 1-14