In 2000, Moynihan captained Kerry to the All-Ireland and won footballer of the year having switched from centre-back to full-back.

Spring break in the National Football League, and after three rounds of drama including timekeeping issues, ridiculous red cards and a fixture list designed by Jared Kushner, there exists much food for thought, even if the conclusions are pretty much the same.

Despite the team’s average age standing at a sprightly 24, Clonmel Commercials manager Charlie McKeever reckons this campaign could well represent their last opportunity to add a second Munster Club football crown to the provincial title they snatched four years ago.

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.

In Tipperary town 34 years ago, Donie Buckley got enough of his right fist to a desperate, late sideline ball from his Desmonds colleague Martin Downey to deliver a first All-Ireland club football title to the town of Castleisland.

Paul Murphy, unsurprisingly, didn’t enjoy how Tyrone set themselves up in the All-Ireland semi-final earlier this month.

Former Mayo selector Tony McEntee insists tomorrow’s Super 8 decider is not personal for Stephen Rochford - but claims Donegal are in difficulty going to Castlebar.

Friends Buckley and Rochford must pit their wits against each other, writes Christy O’Connor.

When I was in charge of Kerry one of the our mantras at different stages was: “Earn the right to play, then play.”

Regrets? They’ll have a few.

Around 45 minutes from throw-in time, with the sense of anticipation building in Kingspan Breffni Park ahead of Donegal’s semi-final win over Tyrone, a familiar figure was calmly stepping out distances between the cones he was setting down and the poles he was plopping in.

Three of Mayo’s previous management team have now linked up with rivals of the recently-crowned Division 1 champions.

Tomorrow’s league final presents both Kerry and Mayo with a great opportunity to win a national title in Croke Park.

17 days ago, Donie Buckley turned the car and headed north from Ennis. Like he had done for the five previous years.

We can’t say for certain if Mayo’s players will be back at Croke Park this year beyond Sunday but they will certainly be seeing the inside of plenty of churches.

Did ‘Winning Streak’ air earlier than scheduled Saturday on RTÉ? An edge-of-the-seat game of risk and reward in Tralee climaxing with a roll of the dice and everyone leaving Austin Stack Park with something in their pocket.

Back to Fitzgerald Stadium Kerry go on Sunday week, 177 days since there they became the first inter-county team to exit the All-Ireland SFC on foot of a victory. Like Connie Murphy and Karl O’Dwyer being the only two Kerrymen to win All-Stars but never an All-Ireland (David Clifford will be spared for now), it’s a fact that will be fodder for generations of table quizzes to come.

Maurice Fitzgerald was best man at his wedding and four other takeaways.

Kerry county board chairman Tim Murphy has defended the length of time taken by his selection committee to appoint the new Kerry senior football management team.

New Kerry football manager Peter Keane had full autonomy in selecting his backroom team, Kerry county board chairman Tim Murphy has insisted.

They had word of Peter Keane’s appointment in the wards of Kerry University Hospital after lunch yesterday — but there will be no confirmation from the Kerry County Board of the decision until Monday night’s scheduled meeting in Tralee.

Former Kerry captain and manager Mickey Ned O’Sullivan has criticised the county board executive for attempting to “micro-manage” the appointment process to find Éamonn Fitzmaurice’s successor.

The Dublin County Board may have to embark on a charm offensive if they want Mattie Kenny to take over from Pat Gilroy as their senior hurling manager.

The same week Stephen Rochford embarked on his first of three underwhelming Connacht championship campaigns with a visit to Ruislip, another manager familiar with some football grounds in London as well as working with top players for a support base craving silverware brought out a book called Quiet Leadership.

A lack of support from the Mayo executive from the All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Kildare to recent days compelled Stephen Rochford to step down as senior football manager yesterday.

Stephen Rochford’s acrimonious departure from Mayo has been handled similarly to the last heave against the management team three years ago: Badly.

He's in the process of recruiting replacements for three of his management team.

On the basis that former manager Pat O’Shea and Laois boss John Sugrue are unavailable or not interested and potential candidates for the future like Declan O’Sullivan and Seamus Moynihan aren’t ready, the shortlist to be the next Kerry football manager is just that — short.

Tipperary’s 2016 selector, Tommy Toomey, has challenged the team to spread doubt among the Mayo supporters as much as the players in Thurles on Saturday.

The futures of Derek McGrath and Stephen Rochford should be considerably clearer by the end of next week.

Three weeks of it so, poking and prodding this Gulliver of a football team, Mayo and the rest of us mulling over the questions Tyrone failed abysmally to pose of Dublin yesterday.

The Leaving Certificate results were delivered yesterday. Much debate and fanfare mixed with smiles and tears were shared, no doubt, across the country.

To most of the casual supporters of Gaelic football in the country, the name Donie Buckley probably means little, if anything.

Since the final whistle of last Sunday’s chaotic and compelling All-Ireland final, there’s been a consensus that Jim Gavin’s Dublin will automatically be better in the replay. 

Mayo selector Sean Carey admits his involvement with the county panel will only be truly enjoyable if the team win an All-Ireland title and break the duck to Mayo’s last honour in 1951.

Football things to think about...

New Mayo manager Stephen Rochford has attempted to temper expectations in the county by admitting survival in Division 1 is his top priority.

A REQUEST to Mayo supporters. No more “Mayo 4 Sam”. No more public displays of affection. We get that your longing for an All-Ireland is stronger than most if not everyone else.