Kerry draw their power from Clifford, it gives them a swagger

RARE TALENT: David Clifford burst
onto the scene as a teen wonder with dizzying hype and has somehow exceeded massive expectations. Pic: James Crombie/Inpho

Picture this. Standing in Croke Park, all eyes on you, having taken 11 shots with no score from play. One mark and three frees on the board. One free dropped short as well as three wides, one off the post and two short outside of that. A dull day for David Clifford.

And still he kept shooting. Finally, in the closing minutes of the quarter-final against Tyrone, he clipped his first point from play. Like any good scoring forward, the confidence did not falter. His chilling composure was still evident despite the deluge of missed opportunities. The genius still evident in a sensational no-look pass for their second goal.

That kick was just the latest in the niche catalogue of exceptional assists. His dummy bounce to commit three defenders and set Dara Moynihan away against Mayo was also magnificent. The assists are in another category. Right now, the assists are secondary.

That he preserved to claim his score against Tyrone is in some ways a testament to his cleverness and skill and mental fortitude. In the championship this year the Kerry captain has scored 5-39 (2 penalties, 17 frees, 3 marks) from 61 shots. He has only attempted six shots on his right side, to score one mark against Derry and a point against Mayo.

The fact he is increasingly opting for his favoured foot reinforces the reality that Clifford is now in a new bracket. Every day he is expected to be David Clifford. He burst onto the scene as a teen wonder with dizzying hype and somehow exceeded it. None of this is normal. Just consider how the conversation has already elevated beyond any reasonable expectation. Limitless at only 24.

It materialises in his showings. The onus is obvious. When the need is greatest, greatness emerges. Against Mayo, Cork and Derry Clifford carried the fight. That does not mean flawless kicking. At least not in the conventional sense. Tyrone was an extreme but not a complete anomaly. With Clifford’s game, inaccuracy is not uncommon.

For example, leading analytics company GAA Insights have 56 Kerry games in their database across league and championship since 2019. From that Clifford has scored 20-130 from 267 shots. It leaves him down in 28th place in terms of raw accuracy amongst all the players with over 80 shots across the same window.

None of that is a real concern when faced with the staggering lists of honours and achievements he has already amassed. His improbable plays are the games great commodity in a digital age, guaranteeing colossal views. As they should, that is where his wonder truly lies.

Per GAA Insights module, Clifford ranks fourth in total on score over Expected Points, +15.77pts. Simply, he scores more points from shots than the average shooter could ever hope to expect. It is the Erling Haaland phenomenon. The striker took 114 shots in the Premier League and struck a record 36 goals.

That is why Clifford keeps shooting. He still puts scores on the board, consistently. Ever since he kicked 4-18 in his debut championship campaign as a 19-year-old. Kerry grant him that freedom, to move and to fire at liberty.

“We allow ourselves not to be rigid. You can be fluid and go wherever you want,” Clifford explained after that Tyrone game. “I probably drifted out there (on the 45) at times today because it wasn’t going well inside.” 

In 28 career championship games, Clifford has scored something in every single one. Any occasion he is held scoreless from play is held aloft like a rare discovery worthy of immediate investigation, even if the opposition were completely wiped on the scoreboard anyway. He has still registered at least one point every single day he crossed the white line. You couldn’t say the same for any forward named to start on Sunday, not even reliable free-takers like Sean O’Shea or Cormac Costello. Maurice Fitzgerald and Colm Cooper both endured blank outings in their illustrious careers. 

The Irish Examiner report from the 1975 semi-final noted that while Kerry’s 17-point winning margin was impressive, their forward sextet “were also caught in the throes of a squandermania epidemic and kicked the sum total of 20 wides.” According to Terrace Talk’s terrific archive, that is the only match of 49 senior championship appearances Mike Sheehy did not score in. There was also a scoreless league game against Offaly.

As it happens, Clifford has scored in every single league game. Terrace Talk logged a sum of ten games as a minor and he scored in every single one there too, culminating in that awesome 2017 decider when he bagged 4-4 against Derry. Imagine wielding that power. Knowing that on every occasion you have donned the green and gold, at a minimum one white flag will rise. Further strengthened now that the lack of an All-Ireland medal is no longer a factor. One of many weights mercifully unburdened.

His scoring matters. Statistically, aesthetically, spiritually. From that the Kingdom draw their power. It emboldens them with a swagger. Kieran Donaghy articulated as much in his chapter of the Kerry, Game of my Life collection.

“I remember telling David Clifford when he came into the scene first, ‘Dave, celebrate your goals because you are going to be an icon for the next number of years. If you get a big goal, and you celebrate with the crowd, they will then give you more energy and give everyone a lift.’” 

Clifford is currently four points off Shane McGuigan in the top-scoring standings for the 2023. In the from-play race, he is two points away from Colm Basquel and one shy of Con O’Callaghan. His most recent display was near flawless. Against Derry, the full forward kicked 0-9 (4 frees, 1 mark) from 11 shots.

Afterwards he was asked about yet another stunning total. In his typical understated way, he strived to play it down, while conceding it was an enjoyable outing in HQ.

“You’ll have good days; you’ll have bad days,” Clifford said. “Just trying to take the good days as they come.” 

We’ve never seen good days like this before. Plenty more to come yet.