Kingdom still team to beat, warns Blues skipper Brogan

DERRY’S victory over the All-Ireland champions in the Allianz National League Division One final offers encouragement to the main pretenders to their throne, says Dublin captain Alan Brogan.

At the same time, he says that “without question”, Kerry remain the yardstick for all-comers seeking to surpass them and that they are “still the team to beat”.

“The result at the weekend proved they are not invincible, which gives everyone else a glimmer of hope,” said Brogan. “Derry are going to be serious contenders after that performance. I think they were quite close last year, only a block by Barry Cahill on Paddy Bradley secured victory for us (in the quarter-final). They were a lot closer than people thought,” he stated at the launch of the new-style All-Ireland football championship in Croke Park.