Hassett: Kerry’s defence is not too old

KERRY’S former All-Ireland winning captain Liam Hassett insists too much is being made of the age profile of the Kingdom defence.

In the 2004 final win over Mayo, Hassett lined out alongside five of the players who are set to take up defensive roles for them again on Sunday.

The quintet of Marc and Tomás Ó Sé, Tom O’Sullivan, AidanO’Mahony and Eoin Brosnan are all 30-plus but the Laune Rangers man has no doubts about their legs.

“They’ve a few miles on the clock but they’ve lots of experience and they’re not as tired as people think they are,” said Hassett.

“Look at what they’ve played this year — three games in Munster, an All-Ireland quarter-final and now asemi-final.

“Jack O’Connor is one man who knows how to keep a team fresh. He knows the players’ strengths and weaknesses better than themselves. People are giving out about the backs but they were still able to handle Cork in the Munster final.

“Kerry people are critical but the backs have come up trumps when they’ve had to this year.”

Hassett believes Mayo have their greatest opportunity of beating Kerry in the championship for the first time since the 1996 All-Ireland semi-final, a defeat he experienced first hand. “A lot of people think just because it’s Kerry and Mayo it’s aforegone conclusion but I think it’ll be a tighter game. I hope it is anywaybecause the team that wins needs a good test as the other side of the draw is fairly strong.

“This is the best chance Mayo have of beating Kerry since 1996. We weren’t expecting them to do it back then but that won’t be the same now. Mayo are a footballing county. They haven’t delivered in finals but as Kevin McStay said on The Sunday Game their semi-final record is very good.”

Hassett knows the Kerry players are still smarting following their exit at the quarter-final last year.

“There was no greater motivational factor than losing to Down last year and then seeing Cork go on to win the All-Ireland. It’s the same with any neighbours doing well but the fact Kerry were the only team Cork didn’t beat last year didn’t sit well with a lot of the (Kerry) boys. When Kerry boys go out of the championship it takeslittle to get them going for thefollowing year.”

Kerry’s in-form attacker Darran O’Sullivan has revealed he is motivated to win on Sunday having failed to reach the All-Ireland final for the first time in his inter-county last season.

“Not getting to the All-Ireland final last year was a low I had never feltbefore. You find yourselves three or four weeks later asking why we didn’t do this or what was I was doing?

“Watching the game back that feeling got me back training earlier. I couldn’t wait. It drives you on.”

O’Sullivan has set a target of winning five or more All-Ireland medals before he finishes his inter-county career.

In an interview to be shown on RTÉ’s The Sunday Game Live, the 2009 All-Ireland winning captain talks about what it means to him to wear the Kerry jersey and his determination to add to his three Celtic Crosses.

“It means everything,” said O’Sullivan (25). “I wouldn’t be coming back here year after year doing it because it is tough work. There is that great history behind you when you’re from Kerry. You want to be part of that. I’ve always said I won’t base my time with Kerry on years. I have afigure in my head of what I want to get up to in terms of medals. I’m not there yet. It is no good having twos and threes and fours in Kerry because there’s players with more than you. The feeling of winning after nine months of hard work and all the nights on your own, it is a massive relief.”