PEOPLE talk about the Kerry/Dublin rivalry and the intensity that it brings to their games but to the current crop of green and gold warriors, it’s the on-going battles with Cork that have gripped the imagination.
Because Cork are our neighbours, the rivalry is so much part of our social interaction and it’s very much part of the social fabric of both communities.
No other two counties have met so often in the championship over the last three years. Sunday’s game will be their seventh meeting in just 36 months.
In 2005, Kerry beat Cork in both the Munster final and the All-Ireland semi-final. The following year, the sides drew in the Munster final with Cork winning the replay though Kerry gained revenge by winning the All-Ireland football semi-final,
Already this year, Kerry defeated Cork in the Munster final by the narrowest of margins - just one point. It is said that familiarity breeds contempt but in football circles, familiarity breeds intense rivalry. As a result, clashes between Kerry and Cork incorporates an intensity rarely seen at inter-county level.
The intensity is generally transferred to both sets of supporters for the duration of the game, yet it is tinged with a mutual respect that never allows the intensity to get out of hand.
Kerry are going for their 35th All-Ireland football title on Sunday, it’s their fourth final appearance in a row and their sixth of this decade. It is these facts that make this Kerry team the yardstick by which all other present-day inter-county teams are measured.
What makes this Kerry team so special?
Very often, it’s decision making in the heat of championship battle is what sets this team apart from the rest. This group of Kerry players are such natural footballers that they always, and effortlessly, seem to take the right option at the right time.
They perform the simple skills with great efficiency. They keep their game simple while their intensity and work-rate off the ball is enormous.
Kerry always seem to have another gear in them because, to date, when the need has arisen, they have always been able to up their performance and tempo.
Mental and physical toughness is another ingredient that this team progresses in abundance. A few years ago it was something that Kerry lacked against the northern teams, such as Armagh and Tyrone. Teams learn from their mistakes and there is no doubt that Kerry have benefited from these defeats.
Against Dublin in the first half when the ‘softening up process’ began, Kerry were not found wanting in this dimension.
Young Padraig Reidy had a baptism of form in his maiden voyage to Croke Park with the Kerry seniors against Monaghan. In that game he experienced a physical dimension to the game that he was not prepared for mentally.
However, Darragh ” Sé made sure that he would be prepared for the game against Dublin.
"Darragh said to me beforehand to wise up and that Croke Park is no place for nice guys. I know now what he meant." Reidy earned his Croke Park legs the hard way.
Physical toughness brings with it responsibility. In order to achieve the required physical intensity some players sail very close to the wind, which highlights the importance of discipline on the field for Kerry.
Whether we admire referee John Bannon or not, the fact is that in the All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin, he penalised Kerry 29 times as opposed to Dublin’s 15 fouls committed.
Physical intensity is a thin line and Kerry need to be careful not to overstep this boundary.
We all know Kerry players who are brilliant in training, challenge matches, etc but will not rise to the big occasion and perform on the big day. All the Kerry players are ‘big day’ and ‘big game’ players. That means that they have the focus and the temperament to perform when the need is greatest - like an All-Ireland final.
This Kerry team seems to have a secret of taking the right options at the right times. They possess the mental and physical toughness that is required for championship success.
To date, they have demonstrated the discipline that is required that goes hand-in-hand with physical toughness, and I believe that it will take a great team to beat them.
Whether Cork fit this bill, I’m not sure but it promises to be a cracking final on Sunday.
