Stephen O’Brien encouraged by fresh approach to Kerry’s set-up

Back to Fitzgerald Stadium Kerry go on Sunday week, 177 days since there they became the first inter-county team to exit the All-Ireland SFC on foot of a victory. Like Connie Murphy and Karl O’Dwyer being the only two Kerrymen to win All-Stars but never an All-Ireland (David Clifford will be spared for now), it’s a fact that will be fodder for generations of table quizzes to come.

But it’s the wait that concerns Stephen O’Brien. He wasn’t on the panel that were 183 days without competitive action between the 2012 All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Donegal and 2013 Division 1 opener against Mayo. It was worse in 2011 as 191 days was the stretch from the last-eight loss to Down the year before and beginning their ‘11 season but try telling O’Brien it hasn’t been a yawning break. “That was the start of August. We finished up with the club (Kenmare) in the first weekend of October so I haven’t played in ages.

“Last year stung everyone. You put so much into it and for it to stop like that. Those young lads that played last year, it’s not something they would have experienced for. I remember the first Championship loss we experienced was the 2015 final — Paul Murphy, myself and a few around our age.

“You just didn’t know what to do. It sticks with you. It can only improve them. It’s sport, it’s a learning curve.”

The closing stages of that game against Kildare is an experience that leaves him cold. The futility of Kerry piling on the scores as Monaghan led in Salthill. “The damage was done. Obviously, if we had beaten Monaghan away, but that’s a tough draw the week after. Then there was obviously just a very surreal feeling after that against Kildare. We were still in the balance if the other result had gone our way.

“Tom O’Sullivan told me when I was coming up the pitch to pass the ball to him or we were just after getting a goal and he told me that (scoreline). I was just thinking ‘would you not have given me five minutes? I’d have found out anyway!’ So it was hard to play the last five minutes of that game. Everyone refers to it as ‘when Kerry lost to Kildare’ or like a defeat to Kildare because it felt like a loss.

And then Éamonn (Fitzmaurice) stepped down that day, so…” O’Brien’s interest in the Championship after that waned. He paid scant attention to the Dublin-Tyrone All-Ireland final.

“I half-watched it. I wasn’t looking forward to it or anything. It’s a tough situation.

“You’ve no interest in it. I remember I went up to the one in ’17 because the minors were playing and Seánie O’Shea was captain so I watched it here. It’s very tough to watch. It wouldn’t be the best spectator sport for us.”

It’s to Curransthat O’Brien and others have gone to wash that season out of their systems and under Peter Keane, those existing panel members have had to audition all over again. “You can definitely see how he has been successful with other teams. He’s very business-like. He’s a big businessman outside of football as well. He’s a sharp cookie. Very professional set-up. Éamonn was the very same.”

And like Fitzmaurice, O’Brien didn’t have any experience of working with Keane previously.

“You earn your own crust. I don’t think experience would make any difference with him if you weren’t pulling your weight. It’s all about what you’re doing at the moment. You’re on edge going into it but Éamonn wouldn’t have been too kind to you if you weren’t pulling your weight.” That will be more than expected of half-forwards like O’Brien, particularly as coach Donie Buckley puts such an emphasis on tackling from the front.

“Yeah, that’s definitely something we need to work on. To see the work he’s done with Mayo. To see their tackling and their foul count, it’s way down. That’s something we have to look at. In some of the big games, we’ve conceded way too many frees. So definitely it’s a big focus for us.

“It’s not cynicism. Giving away a foul is no advantage to anyone. You don’t get the ball off him. They have the ball. It doesn’t slow the game down at all. You want to get the ball off them. Yeah, we just have to work at that. The Mayo forwards are brilliant at it. Maybe because of Donie (Kerry will be), hopefully.” It’s at home against the likes of Tyrone in nine days’ time and those Saturday night games against Dublin and Mayo in Tralee where O’Brien hopes Kerry can make statements. Those evening games are a preference for players.

“I think most GAA players would say a Saturday night game is what you want.

“It’s just tough going to work Monday mornings after the game. It’s great. We’ve Mayo under lights as well. They’ll be two good atmospheres.”