Éamonn Fitzmaurice: Dublin find a template, Murphy nonchalantly compelling

Kerry have questions but a big takeaway is that the Dubs are stirring again.

Michael Murphy of Donegal signs autographs after the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Donegal and Armagh at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey, Donegal. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Kerry and Dublin games rarely disappoint and Saturday's was no exception. An atmospheric Austin Stack Park was packed and we got a great physical contest. Referee Liam Devenney deserves credit as he left it go a bit and was razor sharp on the new rules. The crowd remained engaged throughout. They had no choice as there was a constant stream of incidents. Scrolling on phones mid-contest is thankfully a thing of the past. 

The strong wind did mean it was a game of two halves, but it was fascinating to watch both teams handle playing with and against the elements. While there is much to unpick, the big takeaways from the game were, firstly that even a double-digit advantage doesn’t guarantee victory now. We saw that pattern across the weekend. The wind and the two-point arc put paid to that.