Kerry v Donegal: Three key battles for the Division 1 final

There is no Paudie Clifford to shadow but once Tom O’Sullivan crosses that halfway line, he should be Finnbarr Roarty’s business.

David Clifford of Kerry in action against Brendan McCole of Donegal. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

David Clifford (Kerry) v Brendan McCole (Donegal)

There should be little reason why McCole should not, once again, be assigned to Clifford. 

There’s not a whole pile anyone else could have done when the Kerry talisman was in that irresistible form last July, and unlike others who have lost their All-Stars on All-Ireland final day he had enough in the bank to retain his. 

Clifford’s late withdrawal denied McCole the chance to get to know him in the round game in Ballyshannon, but he should embrace the chance for this spar. He is shaping up to be a full-back as effective as his selector Neil McGee. 

But some jobs are just damage limitation. Clifford’s 0-10 from play last Sunday, one more than his All-Ireland final hail, brought his total to 3-40 in six league games. He has a conversion rate of close to 80%, he isn’t stopping.

Armin Heinrich (Kerry) v Conor O’Donnell (Donegal)

If All-Stars were being selected now, O’Donnell would be safely in the 15. A tally of 3-15 is a dandy return for the league thus far, his three goals coming in consecutive games against Mayo, Armagh and Galway. That’s almost half of Donegal’s goals for the league. 

For an attack whose variety of scores has been questioned, O’Donnell’s eye for goal is key. 

Jack O’Connor has namechecked Heinrich on several occasions these past couple of months and you can hear his enthusiasm about the Austin Stacks man. Dutiful is one word that comes to mind watching Heinrich, “the find” of Kerry’s league aside from Keith Evans. 

The 23-year-old has a gallop too and put on the muscle to contend for breaking kick-outs.

Tom O’Sullivan (Kerry) v Finnbarr Roarty (Donegal)

Their tuxedos aren’t long pressed and put away, but All-Stars Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Gavin White will have quite the job to shift Heinrich and O’Sullivan from the half-back line. In two starts and a couple of substitute cameos, O’Sullivan has scored eight points. 

It’s a Kerry tradition of sorts for some defenders to retreat from the half-back line to full back (O’Sullivan’s Rathmore namesake, Páidí and Marc Ó Sé, Seamus Moynihan) but the new rules have emancipated O’Sullivan, the club footballer of the year. 

If Jim McGuinness is going to make exceptions to his zonal philosophy, O’Sullivan should be one of them. In only his second season, Roarty is quickly becoming one of Donegal’s most important players. 

There is no Paudie Clifford to shadow but once O’Sullivan crosses that halfway line, he should be Roarty’s business.