Six minutes that summed up modern Gaelic football

Against Dublin, Roscommon went into clinical keepball for almost six minutes. 77 passes in all. Their goalkeeper was a constant outlet and racked up 19 possessions in that passage alone

KEEPBALL: Eoin McCormack of Roscommon in action against Brian Fenton of Dublin during the All-Ireland SFC Round 1 match against Roscommon at Croke Park. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

At the launch for the Munster championship in April, this writer sidled up alongside Kerry selector Diarmuid Murphy in search of some exclusive hot take on the shape of Gaelic football. Instead, he elected to slice right to the heart of it.

With a beady stare, Murphy swept aside trivial questions about the evolution of goalkeepers and whether styles make fights. Winners set trends, we submitted. Coaches copied Kerry’s direct approach with Kieran Donaghy and Donegal’s blanket defence. Where will it go next?