Kingdom still have a bit left in tank, says O’Dwyer

THESE days, John O’Dwyer sees his football through different eyes.

Not so long ago, he would be quite nervous watching Kildare play, at a time when his brother Karl was involved and his father Mick was still manager. And he would have gone to Kerry games with an open mind, looking to be entertained and subject to the same range of emotions as any supporter. All that changed when he became a Kerry selector towards the end of 2001.

In an interview last summer, he pointed out that he found himself looking at games more from a selector's point of view and that it gave him a basis of objectivity which almost surprised him. That was how he reacted when he saw Kildare lose in the Leinster final and set up an intriguing tie with Kerry in the fourth round of the qualifier competition. Father and son were on the opposite sides, but the fact of Kildare going under was all the more poignant for the reason that it marked Micko's last game in charge of the Lilywhites.