John Fogarty: What Kerry football team will Jack O’Connor build?

The shape of Jack O’Connor’s Kerry, Tipperary’s sponsor search, and showing respect in Mayo

Mon, 27 Sep, 2021 - 18:15

Speaking about his native county on last month’s Irish Examiner football podcast, Jack O’Connor, who was then Kildare manager, made a number of interesting observations.

In the context of what has happened in the intervening weeks, his frank remarks about the Kingdom are worth reviewing:

What Jack said: “I remember looking at the Tyrone-Kerry game from 2003 and I knew straight away Kerry are going to have to get a different kind of player. This is where the Paul Galvins, the Aidan O’Mahonys, the William Kirbys and those type of players with big engines, big hearts who could put in big hits. That’s where Kerry are at the moment. You won’t get away with six decorative forwards.”

If David Clifford is isolated as much as Daniel Flynn was in the Leinster final, O’Connor knows his public support will plummet. He needs somebody playing sidecar as he does a playmaker, basically his brother Paudie, with the wing-forwards dropping back to the half-back line. Who can be Galvin 2.0 in 2022? Micheál Burns and Dara Moynihan may be moulded as such.

What Jack said: “It didn’t do Kerry any favours that they scored all these goals all year. I think they had something like 21. That gets into players’s heads, right. There were points for the taking the last day and even good decision-makers… I had Killian Spillane as a minor in 2014, he was the best minor forward that I put through my hands, Killian was a fantastic decision maker yet he made a poor decision going for a goal when Peter Harte went full length and blocked him.”

Kerry were never huge goal scorers under O’Connor — in 2004 they averaged 1.3, 1.5 in ‘06 when they were goalless in four Munster outings and 0.75 in ‘09. Sure, teams like Dublin and Mayo were beaten comprehensively in his two previous spells in charge but extravagance was avoided where possible.

What Jack said: “To my mind, Seánie Shea is the best centre-forward in Kerry and possibly the best centre-forward in the country. He played very little at centre-forward the last day.”

O’Shea finished the championship as top scorer, 2-10 of his 2-29 total coming from play largely because he was playing closer to goal. Yet O’Connor clearly felt Peter was robbed to pay Paul by pushing him there and will look to return him to being a third fielder, long-range passer and driving runner.

What Jack said: “Paul Geaney in his heyday was a good corner-forward stroke full-forward. He played in the half-forward line the last day. I couldn’t see the logic in that, to be honest with you. I don’t think he has the engine for that type of middle third action.”

Only 31 in November, Geaney has at least another season in him and that this latest one was a relatively injury-free one will stand to him going into 2022. O’Connor sees him as an inside forward where, if Kerry are to play with two inside, he will competing with David Clifford, Tony Brosnan, and Spillane.

What Jack said: “James O’Donoghue is a class player and has been a class player for manys the year and it was a bit of a surprise when he opted off the panel due to a lack of opportunities.”

O’Donoghue doesn’t turn 32 until next summer. Pulling the strings like he did in the 2014 final is still within him, possibly as an alternative to Paudie Clifford. O’Connor will at least make a phone call.

What Jack said: “Kerry tried to press in the middle of the third pitch but as soon as Tyrone broke that press there were acres there and Kerry didn’t have a dedicated sweeper to give a bit of protection in front of the full-back line.”

O’Connor would have seen how Peter Keane was perceived and indeed filleted last winter for being overly defensive. His overtures to Paddy Tally are clearly sourced in his concern for Kerry’s rearguard configuration. Supporters won’t mind a sweeper — Paul Murphy remains the best placed to fill the role — but the scales can’t be tipped too much into the Kerry half of the field.

What Jack said: “The reports are he (Jason McGahan) is doing great work and is well respected but late in the game especially in the first half of extra-time Tyrone had the legs…. the one thing I did notice and it’s a completely unscientific observation, I did think the Kerry warm-up was very vigorous. It was a very warm day. Tyrone’s certainly wasn’t as energetic.”

O’Connor was concerned by Kerry’s cramping in the All-Ireland semi-final but the early indications are he will look to work with head of athletic performance McGahan next season.

Past success is no burden for Mayo

Aidan O'Shea of Breaffy. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Aidan O’Shea and Rob Hennelly’s interviews on TG4 following Breaffy’s opening championship win over The Neale on Sunday gave two different slants on Mayo’s recent All-Ireland final defeat.

On one hand, there was Mayo captain O’Shea, delighted to be back playing two weeks on but feeling the effects of a loss for which he was disproportionately blamed. “When we win, when we lose, it’s not something I pay too much attention to. I’ve been off the grid for the last couple of weeks. When you lose, everything is wrong; when you win, everything is right.”

Seconds later and Hennelly, a man who had to face fierce criticism following the 2016 All-Ireland final defeat to Dublin, was the paradigm of philosophy. “If I was talking to Mayo supporters, we are very lucky, we are in a privileged position in Mayo, and we should probably appreciate it a little bit more.”

Hennelly even had the presence of mind at the end of the interview to add his respects to the family of Paddy Prendergast afterwards and highlight how much of an inspiration the 1950 and ’51 All-Ireland winner was to the current Mayo group.

Speaking to Prendergast three years ago, the concern he had for Hennelly, O’Shea and their team-mates and the cumulative effect the run of final defeats it might have on them illustrated the warmth of the man.

Genial as he was, he had grown tired of talking about his feat. Prior to Limerick’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final win over Cork, Eamonn Rea agreed to talk to this newspaper on the proviso 1973 wouldn’t be mentioned. He feared the previous All-Ireland had become an albatross for the current group.

As conscientious as Rea was, past success didn’t burden Limerick and it hasn’t Mayo. How Prendergast’s passing is somehow seen as a release for Mayo is as distasteful as some of the comments aimed at Hennelly five years ago and O’Shea now.

Tipperary need marquee sponsor

Tipperary jerseys at Semple Stadium. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile

Confirmation last week that Teneo were finishing up as jersey sponsors in Tipperary after three years will come as little surprise in the county. Previous backers Elverys InterSport were there for four seasons and Skoda the same before them.

The departure of Declan Kelly and Liam Sheedy from their respective roles was highlighted too although Teneo are to assist in the search for successors and sources suggest they may yet remain involved as a secondary or tertiary sponsor now that sleeves can also be used as advertising space as well as the back.

Suggestions that John Magnier might come on board as a new backer in the form of Coolmore or Cashel Palace Hotel were wide of the mark but attracting such names is where the board executive should be aiming. Would there be anything to lose by approaching the Collison brothers, the global financial services giants? Raised in the village of Dromineer which falls into the catchment area of defending senior champions Kiladangan, supporting Tipp might appeal to them. Besides that, doesn’t the prospect of the blue font of Stripe across the gold sell itself?

Regardless of who comes in, anything less than the previous arrangement with Teneo and there will be questions asked of Tipperary GAA’s ambition. Given how highly they view their brand and their primary rivals being assisted by billionaires and multinational companies, they can be little slacking.

Email: john.fogarty@examiner.ie