Mick O’Dwyer impressed with Kerry's old guard
The eight-time All-Ireland winning manager is buoyed by how well the Kingdom’s long-established 30 somethings have performed in helping guide the team to six straight victories after early Allianz League setbacks against Dublin and Roscommon.
O’Dwyer has heaped praise on Colm Cooper, Kieran Donaghy, Aidan O’Mahony, and Marc Ó Sé, particularly Cooper who, as the league campaign developed, banished memories of last September’s disappointing All-Ireland final performance against Dublin.
“He’s got his confidence back. It takes a bit of time after an injury like that. He’s really playing very well and (Mark) Griffin seems to be improving at full-back as well. There are a lot of pluses there. O’Mahony is playing better than he has ever played and Marc is playing good stuff too.
“I was 38 and still playing with Kerry. I got a Texaco (footballer of the year) award when I was 33. Age doesn’t matter; it’s how you prepare and how you keep yourself.
“Marc and Mahony, Jesus, they’re flying and Cooper has really come back. Donaghy’s now playing better than he’s ever played as well. They must be looking after themselves the way they’re playing.”
A general consensus seems to be forming Dublin’s superior speed will make the difference on Sunday, but O’Dwyer points out that only counts for so much.
“It takes more than pace to win games. Our own forward line seems to be playing well at the moment and there are still a number of Kerry players yet to come back into the game. You’ve (Anthony) Maher and these fellas.
“It’s going to be a good test for the players who are there now and whether they’re good enough to stay there.”
Likewise, O’Dwyer doesn’t read a lot into the fact Kerry, under Éamonn Fitzmaurice, have lost all four of their championship and league games against Dublin in Croke Park.
“There’s always a first. Kerry have been playing very well since the first two games when they weren’t going so good. They are doing a lot of good work and by Jesus they are playing well at the moment.”
It is the counties’ first Division 1 final meeting since O’Dwyer saw his Kerry side lose 1-11 to 0-11 in 1987, but the 79-year-old isn’t overly surprised it has taken this long for the pair to lock horns at this stage again.
“Kerry hadn’t put much into the league over the last number of years but they’ve put in a good effort this year and we’re seeing the dividends.”
Yesterday morning, RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland revisited O’Dwyer’s congratulatory address to Dublin in their dressing room following that game. “It’s great to have Dublin back at the top, and we love you for being there because we’ll have to come at you again!” That’s exactly how he figures Fitzmaurice’s Kerry will be approaching Sunday’s game.
“I think they have a good chance. They have introduced a good number of young lads and have a good mixture of experience and youth. It’s going to be a very interesting game. It’s going to be wide open. I suppose Dublin will be favourites but they have often been favourites before and we’ve managed them.
“It should be a good game of football anyway, which is important.
“I’d be hoping we’d take them but it’s going to be a very close game. There shouldn’t be much in it.
“Everybody will say Dublin will win but it’s good to have that.”
