Kerry GAA Discussion Thread Mod Warning Post #4167

homerjay2005 wrote: »

so lads, confident of a final place now that our path to the final is relatively well known?

Stall the ball there HJ. We SHOULD beat Galway/Tipp but after that it's likely Mayo who have narrowly lost last 2 finals and are hugely motivated to go 1 better AND have a Kerry man (and best coach in the game IMHO) in their ranks..so most certainly not looking beyond that.

The_Honeybadger

As above, would be confident we can make the semi final to likely face mayo, who should be chomping at the bit to get at us and won't capitulate the way cork did. It is easy to get carried away with our Munster final performance but words cannot express how poor the opposition was. Not saying we can't beat mayo, but it's a hard one to call. They are after two difficult final losses so it depends how they pick themselves up. Cork could also spring a surprise and beat them, doubtful though if their shambolic Munster final day is anything to go by.

In fairness if you had offered any Kerry supported a semi spot vs mayo or cork at the start of the championship they'd have been delighted. I was very downbeat about our chances earlier in the year, especially after coopers injury, but some of the young lads like Geaney seem to have really settled and our squad is probably near as good as anybody's with the exception of Dublin. Can't wait to see how the summer shakes out.

D'Agger

I think alot of teams will see how Kerry played against Cork and will work on ways to stifle JOD & Geaney who caused Cork serious problems.

Cork gave far too much room in front of the full forward line which we won't get from other teams. Somebody will probably follow Declan and man mark him with a sweeper to hold the centre position and pull back in front of the full forward line I'd imagine might be tried.

I think we can get to the semi, but Mayo pose a big challenge and as has already been mentioned, Horan is a very astute tactician & Mayo won't roll over like Cork

homerjay2005

ciarriaithuaidh wrote: »

Stall the ball there HJ. We SHOULD beat Galway/Tipp but after that it's likely Mayo who have narrowly lost last 2 finals and are hugely motivated to go 1 better AND have a Kerry man (and best coach in the game IMHO) in their ranks..so most certainly not looking beyond that.

you obviously didnt read my post correctly.

homerjay2005 wrote: »

you obviously didnt read my post correctly.

I definitely wouldnt be getting carried away on the Cork performance. Also I could see a lot of people thinking that we gave Cork a serious beating and marking us up based on that.

I think Cork are haunted they ended up with Sligo in the next round. Sligo lost at home to Galway by 5 points in their first championship game. In the qualifiers they scraped past Wicklow by 2 points. They played 7 league games winning 3. All 3 were at home and the teams they beat were Limerick by 2 points, Offaly by 3 and Longford by 1 point. Also worth remembering that they were one of the teams that lost to London last year. Basically it's fair to say that Sligo are really not in good shape.

First Croker outing of the year looming. Galway were a mixed bag at the weekend..some good attacking play and scores, but some awful slack defending. Can see them attempting some sort of defensive system but haven't honed it enough one would think. Would fancy Kerry to have a couple of points to spare at the end, barring a complete collapse in form.

Don't know if we'll have a similar score to the sides last championship meeting, but I sure as hell hope it's a bit drier!

Prop Joe

Would expect this team to line out and Fitzy to go gung ho and man for man

Kelly

Murphy
O Sé
Enright

Crowley
Fionn
Young

Maher
Sheehan

Moran
Declan
Donnacha

Stephen O B
Geaney
James O D

Would hope to get Star,Darran,AOM,Buckley and Griffin get some substantial game time also

D'Agger

Don't think Moran will displace Buckley at half forward given how well Johnny played against Cork

That said, if Moran is kicking on in training then you never know

Prop Joe

D'Agger wrote: »

Don't think Moran will displace Buckley at half forward given how well Johnny played against Cork

That said, if Moran is kicking on in training then you never know

Buckley i though was super v Cork and i would actually start him but i think Moran needs game time as well..Maybe Donnacha to drop out?

Prop, you can't seriously suggest dropping Buckley after his best game in a Kerry jersey in Munster final??

I wouldn't expect many changes although one starter from Cork game is a serious doubt I've been told. Team being named later so we'll see anyway.

DDC1990

No changes with any luck.

This Kerry side needs games playing together, and the likes of Buckley need to be playing in Croke Park to get their confidence up.

Bring on, Crowley, Griffin, Star, Moran, DOS and either BJK or O'Leary from the bench.

homerjay2005

wouldnt expect any changes at all...nobody deserves to be "dropped" from the last day.

homerjay2005 wrote: »

wouldnt expect any changes at all...nobody deserves to be "dropped" from the last day.

How poorly would a player have had to have been to be deemed deserving of a dropping against that shambles of a Cork team?

The team should be selected on the basis of the best 15 - you can't simply say, same 15 again on the basis of beating a woeful Cork.

Galway will surely have looked at the video of the Cork game countless times, so there is no way you can adopt a carbon copy approach. Doing the same thing again just plays right into Galway's hands. You pick the same 15 in the same places again the next day and you make it a lot easier for Galway from the get-go.

Would be very shocked if Eamonn and co don't make some tweaks.

What sort of tweaks you hoping for Boom_boom?

A bit worried that we've shown out hand with Declan O'Sullivan's uber deep role against Cork, hopefully we have some other tricks up our sleeve too

keane2097 wrote: »

What sort of tweaks you hoping for Boom_boom?

Obviously I'm not looking for massive changes; would be more than happy with a 10 point win the next day

I'd like to see far more intensity & pace - if we are going to compete with the big boys we are going to have to step it up considerably from the Clare and Cork games. Watching Dublin this year the intensity and the pace has been breathtaking - their constant tsunami of constant waves upon waves upon waves of attacks -I'd love to see similar insane levels of intensity - I want to see the opposition struggling for breathe after 20 minutes, just to be mentally fatigued by the effort of trying to stop the Kerry attacks. If you want to be competing with Dublin's approach it's not enough to be playing well in patches of 5/10/15 minutes. You need 70+ minutes of the foot to the floor. Looking back at the Cork game I can't help but think that we beat Cork by 8 points in the first half, but only by 4 points in the second half. If it had been Dublin the odds are they would have won the second half by something of the order of 10/12 points, when the brought their subs on. Someone on the Kerry GAA forum pointed out our subs scored nothing in the game and that our subs bench has been very poor in the league in terms of contributing on the scoreboard. Would love to see the subs that come on really have a drive for home impact as opposed to simply seeing the game out.

Also I'd really like to see the defence step it up a bit and be a bit more miserly - a miserable beaten docket of a Cork team still managed to score 0-12 points while Clare managed a very respectable 1-13. If our defence kept the opposition to less than 10 points (a big ask) it would be a great marker to put down.

Not asking for much I know:D

DDC1990

Kerry Senior Football Team V Galway

The Kerry Senior Football Team to play Galway in the All Ireland Football Championship Quarter Final in Croke Park on Sunday shows one change in personnel from the side that defeated Cork in the Munster final – Dingle’s Michael Geaney comes into the side in place of Stephen O’Brien who is sidelined with a quad muscle injury.

The team, captained by Fionn Fitzgerald lines out as follows:
1. Brian Kelly Killarney Legion
2. Marc Ó Sé An Ghaeltacht
3. Aidan O’Mahony Rathmore
4. Shane Enright Tarbert
5. Paul Murphy Rathmore
6. Killian Young Renard
7. Fionn Fitzgerald (Capt) Dr Crokes
8. Anthony Maher Duagh
9. Bryan Sheehan St Marys
10. Michael Geaney Dingle
11. Johnny Buckley Dr Crokes
12. Donnchadh Walsh Cromane
13. Paul Geaney Dingle
14. Declan O’Sullivan Dromid Pearses
15. James O’Donoghue Killarney Legion
Fir Ionaid
16. Brendan Kealy Kilcummin
17. Peter Crowley Laune Rangers
18. Darran O’Sullivan Glenbeigh-Glencar
19. David Moran Kerins O’Rahillys
20. Kieran O’Leary Dr Crokes
21. Barry John Keane Kerins O’Rahillys
22. Jonathan Lyne Killarney Legion
23. Kieran Donaghy Austin Stacks
24. Mark Griffin St Michaels/Foilmore
25. Pa Kilkenny Glenbeigh/Glencar
26. Alan Fitzgerald Castlegregory

Bainisteóir: Eamonn Fitzmaurice (Finuge)
Traenálaí: Cian O’Neill (Moorefield, Kildare)
Róghnóirí: Diarmuid Murphy (Dingle), Mikey Sheehy (Austin Stacks).

Rehabbing from Injury
Stephen O’Brien Kenmare (Quad)
Daithí Casey Dr Crokes (Knee)
Paul O’Donoghue St Marys (Ankle)
Jack Sherwood Firies (Hamstring)
Colm Cooper Dr Crokes (Knee Ligaments)
Additional Panel Players
Marcus Mangan Milltown-Castlemaine
Shane O’Callaghan Austin Stacks
Fearghal McNamara Austin Stacks
• Paul Murphy (Rathmore) Played with the Kerry Under 21s in 2012 and played Sigerson Cup with UCC last year. He won a Kerry Club Championship (senior) medal with Rathmore in 2011. He made his AFL debut in the opening Round against Dublin this year, played in all rounds and made his Championship debut against Clare in the Munster semi final.

• Michael (Mikey) Geaney (first cousin of Paul Geaney) made his Allianz League debut for Kerry against Down in 2012 and made his Championship debut in last year’s campaign when coming on as a substitute against Cavan and made his full championship debut against Clare in the Munster semi final earlier this year. A Kerry Under 21 player in 2010, the 25 year old holds Kerry Minor and Under 21 County Championship medals.

* Paul Geaney made his Allianz League debut for Kerry against Cork in 2011 and his Championship debut as a substitute against Cavan in last year’s campaign. The 23 year old student has a Munster Minor Medal from 2008 and played Under 21 in 2010. Holder of a Cork Senior Football Championship medal and a Sigerson Cup medal with UCC.

* Brian Kelly won a Munster Minor medal with Kerry in 2008 and played for 3 years on the Under 21 team (2009 – 2011). He made his Allianz League debut for Kerry against Mayo in 2012 and hails from a Club that has produced goalkeepers of the calibre of Johnny Culloty and Peter O’Leary to the Kerry team in the past. Made his Championship debut against Clare in this year’s Munster semi-final

* Aidan O’Mahony made his League and Championship debuts as far back as 2004 and holds 4 All Ireland Senior medals, 3 NFL medals and 3 All Star awards. He played in the opening rounds of the Championship against Tipperary and Waterford in 2013 before getting injured ahead of the Munster Final against Cork and subsequently losing his place. He will play in his 59th Championship game on Sunday.

* Bryan Sheehan began his Kerry career as a Goalkeper with the Minor team (2001 & 2002) before moving to full forward in 2003, his final year in the grade. He made his Allianz League debut in 2005 against Offaly and his championship debut the same year against Tipperary. He played his 50th Championship game against Cork in the Munster Final and has scored 6-136 in championship action. He holds 4 All Ireland Senior, 1 All Ireland Junior Club, 2 Football League medals, an All Star and 4 County Championship medals.

So one change. Mikey Geaney in for the injured Stephen O'Brien. Geaney gets another chance, despite being pretty poor against Clare.

DDC1990 wrote: »

So one change. Mikey Geaney in for the injured Stephen O'Brien. Geaney gets another chance, despite being pretty poor against Clare.

:rolleyes: I don't get it..I just don't get it. I mean the man is so clearly NOT up to this level of football..it's baffling.

Fitz even dropped him off the panel towards the end of the league and I thought he'd finally seen the light on him. He then starts him v Clare, he is poor, dropped for Cork and not brought on (another tacit admission that he's not good enough) and then he starts the 1/4 final??

It just annoys the hell out of me because we know he won't start, ever, in a major game, so why not use BJK or Darran (he must be fit to do at least 40 mins if on the bench) for example.

DDC1990

ciarriaithuaidh wrote: »

:rolleyes: I don't get it..I just don't get it. I mean the man is so clearly NOT up to this level of football..it's baffling.

Fitz even dropped him off the panel towards the end of the league and I thought he'd finally seen the light on him. He then starts him v Clare, he is poor, dropped for Cork and not brought on (another tacit admission that he's not good enough) and then he starts the 1/4 final??

It just annoys the hell out of me because we know he won't start, ever, in a major game, so why not use BJK or Darran (he must be fit to do at least 40 mins if on the bench) for example.

I trust Fitzy.

He has his reasons.

As I noted from the Dingle v St. Brendans game, Geaney played at Centre Back, maybe he's being groomed for a defensive Wing Forward position for one of the bigger games.

Anyway, I'm in no position to judge a guy from here in front of my computer, he's worked his bollox off for Kerry, and I hope he has a great game.

DDC1990 wrote: »

I trust Fitzy.

He has his reasons.

As I noted from the Dingle v St. Brendans game, Geaney played at Centre Back, maybe he's being groomed for a defensive Wing Forward position for one of the bigger games.

Anyway, I'm in no position to judge a guy from here in front of my computer, he's worked his bollox off for Kerry, and I hope he has a great game.

I feel like going into rant mode, but I'll just say I've seen the lad play multiple times for Kerry, Dingle, UL etc..I hate criticising a player making it sound personal..it's not. He's a better player than I ever was, but he's a grand club player, that's it. Has never excelled at any level beyond that. It just baffles and annoys me.

Even if you tried to justify it with the "oh he wants to go more defensive and prepare for Mayo" line..it doesn't cut it. He was dropped off the panel not so long ago so clearly this wasn't part of some grand plan.

Anyway, hopefully we have enough to get over the line and we can go from there.

DDC1990 wrote: »

So one change. Mikey Geaney in for the injured Stephen O'Brien. Geaney gets another chance, despite being pretty poor against Clare.

It's worth remembering that the Clare game was Geaney's 2nd ever championship game (his first ever championship start) and that was off the back of no league time this year

His previous championship appearance was something like 2 minutes in the game against Cavan.

We don't really know what sort of shape Darran is in (maybe he doesn't have 70 minutes in him and the management believe he might be more effective coming on for 20 minutes (or half-time if things are really bad) and we're not exactly overflowing with other options - Lyne hasnt exactly made a huge impression at this level and both O'Brien and Casey are injured.

I think Eamonn and the lads have more than earned the right to make their decisions.

ciarriaithuaidh wrote: »

It just annoys the hell out of me because we know he won't start, ever, in a major game, so why not use BJK or Darran (he must be fit to do at least 40 mins if on the bench) for example.

BJK isnt a wing forward at intercounty level - he's a clear case of a player who is a corner-forward. I think it would be unfair on the lad to start him in the half-forward line and ask him to perform a role that is clearly not his strongest position.

Boom__Boom wrote: »

BJK isnt a wing forward at intercounty level - he's a clear case of a player who is a corner-forward. I think it would be unfair on the lad to start him in the half-forward line and ask him to perform a role that is clearly not his strongest position.

BJK has done very well at half forward on several occasions. Against Dublin in the league on more than 1 occasion, he scored 4 or 5 against Down 2/3 years ago and a few others. He even did well in the 2011 AI Final at half forward.
I'd love someone to point out what Geaney has done in his dozen or so appearances for Kerry at this stage to justify selection..cos having being present for almost all of them, I can't see it.

ciarriaithuaidh wrote: »

BJK has done very well at half forward on several occasions. Against Dublin in the league on more than 1 occasion, he scored 4 or 5 against Down 2/3 years ago and a few others. He even did well in the 2011 AI Final at half forward.
I'd love someone to point out what Geaney has done in his dozen or so appearances for Kerry at this stage to justify selection..cos having being present for almost all of them, I can't see it.

I'm not saying that BJK can't play half-forward I just think he's far better inside, especially when you look at the fact that it's far more likely to be more of a ground-covering ball-carrying role with tracking back defensive duties that Geaney is likely to be brought in for as opposed to being an attacking half-forward so I can see why he wasnt selected there.

The_Honeybadger

ciarriaithuaidh wrote: »

BJK has done very well at half forward on several occasions. Against Dublin in the league on more than 1 occasion, he scored 4 or 5 against Down 2/3 years ago and a few others. He even did well in the 2011 AI Final at half forward.
I'd love someone to point out what Geaney has done in his dozen or so appearances for Kerry at this stage to justify selection..cos having being present for almost all of them, I can't see it.

Have also seen Geaney many times and would never put him down as a championship starter for Kerry. That said, fitzmaurice obviously thinks he's good enough and trusts him enough to put him in v Galway so let's see how he does. As stated above we are not blessed with many other options and maybe the management are trying something new. I wouldn't get too worried about it.

I always say I think BJK is more suited to half forward than full forward line at county level but not many tend to agree. One thing he's possibly underrated at is ability to pick a pass with the foot.

keane2097 wrote: »

I always say I think BJK is more suited to half forward than full forward line at county level but not many tend to agree. One thing he's possibly underrated at is ability to pick a pass with the foot.

If you compare him and Geaney in any facet of play I can't see Geaney having an advantage. BJK has been patchy at times, call a spade a spade, but he's been f*cked around a lot aswell. I think it was 2012 when he was outstanding in the league in Down, got 0-4 from play from wing forward I think...then a few weeks later, Jack played him out of position at centre forward, whipped him off at half time and hardly used him for the rest of the year!

Gary Neville

keane2097 wrote: »

A bit worried that we've shown out hand with Declan O'Sullivan's uber deep role against Cork, hopefully we have some other tricks up our sleeve too

FitzM & O Neill showed v Cork and Dublin last year that they can plan and execute a game plan very effectively.

However, even they could not have hoped for the mind-boggling levels of naivety and incompetence displayed by Cork Management in the Munster Final. It was Junior B stuff.

Cork had no answers to Dublin, Tipp and Monaghan (challenge) and the players went into the MF with no belief in management's tactics. Their worst fears were confirmed inside 15 minutes when the exposed FB line and freedom afforded to O Sullivan started to bite and Kerry spotted the inflexability of the Cork Kick-out and targeted this, securing most breaks. Panic set in on the Cork Sideline and this spead to the players resulting in an incoherent rabble unable to offer a semblance of resistence.

Galway Supporters don't seem to rate Mulholland but he'll present a much firmer test that the Cork Management.

Kerry performed with massive intensity and efficiency in the Munster Final but are not as good as they were allowed look against probably the most naieve management that thet've encountered for years. Galway are still only at the early stages of development but have serious quality coming through - Kerry should have too much for them at this stage and have a great chance of then taking Mayo and then let the tactical battles commence.