Mod Note Post #1 - The 2022 All Ireland Senior Football Championship.

One day, that Dublin 5 in a row team, will be appreciated.

The covid all Ireland was a bit of a farce. I thought Kerry were last years and this years best Panel. They blew last year. They nearly blew this year.

Galway should have no fears . If anyone looks back to Galway history in Finals, even their losses' were close run things!

Mayo 2012/2018, would hammer any of the last two years A.I. participants out the gate. No luck.

Yes. They're from the same club.

A bit of a stretch to call it a galway juggernaut isn't it.

In any case, kerry have been caught with their pants down twice in the last 2 years so complacency should be well dealt with by now.

Anyway we'll get to see how good this Galway team really is, against a top tier team. If there is an all ireland in them! I think it's a year or two early and that is if they continue to improve. Have they sorted there vulnerability under the high ball that Armagh exposed? If not they could ship allot of goals....

They have a potent attack to be sure, but there defence will need to stand on its own 2feet without the aid of a massive blanket if they want to beat the top teams.

Joyce's approach to this match will be interesting, how good does he think they are? Will he go out to outscore kerry in a shoot out? Or a similar game plan to the Derry game. I think in a Straight up game of football they are shaky enough in the fullback line and could be punished badly. He'll probably go back to the blanket and try to stiffle kerry.

Some interesting points there alright.

Kerry in effect play a 3 man midfield with one Of the named wing forwards(Normally COC) dropping in. They normally edge that area as a result. Playing a sweeper isn't straightforward. We were trying it for years before we got it right. You could argue Morley isn't even a sweeper. Just a full back that doesn't follow his man out the field. Allowing him to mark spaces instead of men.

Traditionally Galway played a kicking game similar to ourselves so they should be no strangers to it. Probably brought up playing that way. If they back themselves and come out to play Traditional, it could make a cracker. 2 kicking teams going at each other would be great. It could be also end up being th opposite with defensive systems and lateral passing.

Who is COC meant to refer to on the Kerry team? I've seen the initials mentioned several times since Sunday on here and elsewhere but unless I'm missing something really obvious, I don't see anyone with those initials.

Yep,

Ha! That would be dream team territory

Sean Purcell, Frankie Stockwell, the three in a row team from the 60's, and players like Padraig Joyce, Derek Savage and Michael Donnellan from the 1998 and 2001 teams. Galway have a wonderful tradition of producing great players, and playing nice and clean football. Even the Galway team, that lost three all Ireland finals in four years back in the 70's, had some fine players in Johnny Hughes, Jack Cosgrove, Tommy Joe Gilmore, Michael Rooney and Jimmy Duggan. It's always good for gaelic football when Galway are up and about and doing well.

Ah here, will you just take your beating and move on? Game is over. Better team won. Comerford acted the maggot a bit too much, oshea didnt deserve a red. The guy has a point re some dublin fans being hypocritical. Done.

Im not a big believer in the tradition stuff. Tradition wont beat a better team for you and the teams of 20 years ago will have the same bearing on the occasion as a team from 70 years ago - none.

On paper kerry look to have too much attacking power for galways defensive system to stifle. For them to get a result they need a few kerry forwards to misfire and maybe a bit of luck somewhere too. Those things are possible with this kerry team, but their final experience will probably tell in the end.

It is great to see 4 completely different teams contest the final over 2 seasons. There is a freshness about the thing.

Galway, Kildare would have to go up two notches get solid backs and a tactical structure that means their flair forwards can flourish. Then there is always the question on Kildare when was the last time in championship when outside Leinster they actually beat a team they were not supposed to? Through tactical nous and getting tactics spot on etc

Cork lack of a strong bench hinders them. They play well to a point then run out of steam.

As for Meath they are not in an asses roar of been contenders. In the last five years or so Meath have consistently lost to teams they should be beating handy, Westmeath, Longford, Clare etc.

It could be a few generations 20 years before Meath get their act together. So it is really fairy tale stuff to say it would be nice if Meath could be contenders.

They have to get back to beating teams like Clare when it matters.

Sport can come back to bite ya fair point. But I have seen enough of both sides to know that would need a lot to go wrong for Kerry. And a lot to go right for Galway. To cause a shock.

Now in fairness Joyce was smart and did a real number on Derry. Derry were not expecting that game plan and had no plan B. But I can’t forget those three goals Galway conceded v Armagh. Each one similar. Given the quality of the Kerry attack I can’t see Galway keeping Kerry quiet.

I would love to be proved wrong and Galway beat Kerry, to be honest. Might even wear a Galway jersey if I end up going!

But I can’t see Galway winning. Kerry are a different animal to even Kerry 2019 now. More tactically astute. Calmer, better defensively. Battled hardened with recent humbling defeats by teams they should have beaten on paper. Kerry won’t be taking Galway lightly as a consequence.

Another factor is Kerry’s most recent AI final was 2019. Whereas Galway’s was a few generations ago. So it will be a new pressure for the Galway lads. More of the Kerry lads know what to expect in that sense.

So if Galway do win, it will be one of the biggest shocks in the recent history of the GAA. It is 20 years since a div2 side won an all Ireland. When Armagh beat…. Kerry….