All-Ireland final chance takes Kerry boss Mark Bourke by surprise

Kerry defeated reigning champions Dublin to reach the All-Ireland final against Galway. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Kerry manager Mark Bourke admits their run to Sunday's All-Ireland senior ladies football final has caught even him by surprise. Bourke, in his second season as Kerry manager, will attempt to plot an upset against favourites Galway. 

“I didn't plan for it at all, to be honest with you," said the Tralee native. 

"No, we were only looking at every game, and we knew there were five games in this competition, and suddenly you beat Dublin, and all of a sudden you're in an All-Ireland final. 

"We were just looking at the next game, what's the next game, and do what we do in terms of our planning for two weeks' time. I did realise, but it didn't sink in for a day or two, that it's an actual All-Ireland final. It's just another game. It's a strange one. So maybe in a few weeks or whenever, win or lose, we'll think back on it, and it is funny. It does catch up to you fairly quick, you don't realise it. So I am surprised yeah.” 

Kerry have gone one step further than last season when they lost the All-Ireland semi-final to Meath. Bourke believes their near-perfect run to that game ultimately counted against them, as his players had experienced few setbacks from which to learn. 

"After that we lost no game up to the All-Ireland semi-final," said Bourke.

"So in essence we didn't know what losing was like and the problem you have with that is you can't get as good learnings unless you lose. 

"If you lose you get a good learning of what went wrong, why did it go wrong. The Kerry men lost to Meath a few weeks prior to ours by nine points and they got learnings out of that and that kick-started their championship season.

"If we had lost in a round-robin game or an All-Ireland series game I think we would have learned so many good lessons and that was the fall of it. This year we lost four National League games, because we used them to blood players, but we got great lessons from it, we got great learnings from it.

"In addition to that we lost the first round of the Munster Championship to Waterford. We were five points up at half-time, everything was right tactically in every way, it's just we never came out of the dressing room in the second half and lost by two points I think. So there was great learnings in that. So losing is [about] learnings and that's what happened this year.” 

Kerry face uncertainty over the availability of midfielder Anna Galvin who is receiving treatment for a knee injury amid speculation she has damaged her ACL. 

“Galvin was ruled out last week because of a knee injury and she got a scan," said Bourke.

"She's rehabbing at the moment and she's to meet a consultant maybe next week. So I'm not sure if she's ruled in or ruled out yet.

"We don't have any confirmation of her injury. She was with us last night at training and she was walking around fine. I'm not sure, we won't know until we get a confirmation from the consultant of the extent of the injury.

"But she's in great form at the moment so we'll see what he says whenever he meets with her; obviously it's on his schedule. I couldn't confirm or deny that she's going to be available on the day."

Galway underlined their threat with a 13-point semi-final victory over Armagh. 

"If they get form and if they get a run on you, you are in big trouble," he said.

"We will have to be very, very cautious about that Sunday.”