Fitzmaurice has absolute belief in Kerry squad
Drawing from experience, the three-time All-Ireland medal winner reckoned the loss of the county’s marquee forward would stir the squad’s lesser-known members to vie for centre-stage.
“I remember back in 2004 when Seamus Moynihan and Darragh Ó Sé were injured and missed a good part of the summer. It was a motivating factor that people said we couldn’t cope without the pair. That was being thrown out there all the time that we couldn’t do without them,” he recalled.
Eamonn Fitzmaurice listened to the very same commentary in the days and weeks following the Gooch’s forced departure.
As Declan O’Sullivan put it so bluntly, “they said Kerry would be out of the picture for a good while when Colm had his injury”.
Even Ó Cinnéide believed the Kingdom were semi-final contenders at best this summer.
The sole conclusion to be drawn then is that Kerry, irrespective of Sunday’s result, have exceeded expectation, punched above their weight.
“Not my expectations,” says Fitzmaurice.
“There’s a lot of talent there and some of the younger lads have stepped up because there’s been a vacuum to fill. Whereas if there’s still fellas who are hanging around the place with a lot of experience, how are you going to test them, how are we going to learn about them then? We had to throw them in at the deep end. Every one found out that they were well able for it. I think publicly, even within Kerry, we’ve exceeded expectations, but not mine.”
Three rounds into the league and Kerry had failed to garner a solitary point. The doubters rang from every quarter. A 2-18 to 1-11 thumping at home to Cork in early April and the obituary was penned.
The Kerry boss appreciates neither the results nor the performances were acceptable.
“I know that they’re a very good bunch. Technically, skillset-wise they’re excellent and then when you put into the mix how hard they work. Everything that we throw at them, everything that we ask them to do, the whole group are doing it. It’s not just bits and pieces, every fella is doing it, and everyone is buying into what we’re trying to do.
“There’s a fierce togetherness in the squad. There’s a lot of energy with the younger lads. There’s a lot of experience and leadership with the older lads so there’s a good mix in the group. I knew that once we kept our head down and we kept ploughing away we could build a bit of consistency into our performances that was lacking during the league.
“We played well for a half, but not the second-half. Played well in the second-half, but not the first-half. Got a result. Won a game. Lost a game. Won three games, got hosed in Tralee against Cork. There was a lack of consistency, but I knew once we got a bit of consistency we would be formidable opposition.
“As I said there’s a great togetherness even though all the lads know not everyone can start every day. The week before the Munster final Johnny Buckley was on the B team, but he was absolutely outstanding in Killarney the Saturday before the Cork game and he was on the team then below in Cork and played well. So the lads know that no matter what status you have in the group, how many All-Ireland medals you have, you have to be playing on the top of your game to get in the team. None of them have bitched, none of them have cribbed. Every fella has put his head down, ploughed away and kept at it.”
One player who has thrived as a result of Fitzmaurice’s willingness to prioritise form over status is Paul Geaney. The 23-year old Dingle corner-forward has started in all five games en-route to Sunday’s final, currently lying second in the Kerry scoring charts with 0-18.
“He’d a frustrating year last year,” admits the Kerry manager.
“Every time he got going he pulled a hamstring. The morning of the Dublin semi-final when he’d been going well he got a back spasm which ruled him out. He worked on his physical conditioning over the winter and when he came back this year he was really ready to have a right cut at it. I think winning the Sigerson, especially when he was the captain, gave him a good boost confidence-wise.”
As for the man who is set to line out alongside him in the full-forward line.
“Kieran [Donaghy] had a massive impact the first day against Mayo. He saved us. We wouldn’t be sitting here only for him and the second day he’d an outstanding game again. It’s great for him. It’s great for us that he’s back to his best and long may it continue.”
Donaghy, 31, is one of four Kerry players — alongside Marc Ó Sé, Aidan O’Mahony and Declan O’Sullivan — for which Sunday may represent their last outing in the green and gold.
“I don’t get that sense off them that this is last chance saloon. They’re not making anything more out of it than the fact it’s an All-Ireland final and it’s our next game. I think all of them could keep going if they wanted to.
On the other side of the coin, Fitzmaurice says he can only do so much in preparing the panel’s more inexperienced members for the occasion.
“At the end of the day once the ball is thrown-in the boys will be on their own. They’ll have to stand up and you can only do that by playing in a final.
“I’ve no fear of the lads.”
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