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.