Ex-Kerry star Darran O'Sullivan says all the pressure is on Dublin

With Dublin considered hot favourites to scoop a fifth All-Ireland title on Sunday, there have been mutterings that Kerry have a free pass.

This young Kingdom side have a shot-to-nothing, with so little expected of them. But that will suit them down to the ground.

Ex-Kerry star Darran O'Sullivan feels his former team-mates are heading to Croke Park from an unfamiliar vantage point.

"I genuinely think that Kerry are in a great position. I can't think about them being in a better position," said the four-time All-Ireland winner.

"They are going to this final as no-hopers. I genuinely think all the pressure is on Dublin, just because when you look at the great Kerry teams, Jacko's team, Micko, Ogie, all you talk about is Offaly. It's gas like, they are still talking about it, 'They lost five-in-a-row'.

"The big thing is that this game will not define the Kerry lads, but it could define a few Dubs.

"A final, it's there to be won. You just don't know, this Dublin team for a long time has been incredible. They still are, no matter what happens on Sunday. You just don't know how the pressure of the five in a row is going to go.

"These are all human beings, and everyone has an off-day. If the pressure gets to a lot of people. We don't know what's going on with players off the field as well. So you just don't know."

The big thing is that this game will not define the Kerry lads, but it could define a few Dubs.

The common consensus is it has been a year of change of Kerry football. Following the retirement of four experienced stars last winter, new manager Peter Keane blooded in a host of new talent throughout the National League.

Out with the old, in with the new, it would appear.

But with the All-Ireland semi-final in the melting pot as Kerry trailed Tyrone by four points at the break, Keane turned to the older guard to steer them home.

Jack Sherwood, Tommy Walsh and Jonathan Lyne were among those to be introduced and it swung the tie in the Kingdom's favour, having been deemed surplus to requirements earlier this year.

"Most supporters in Kerry probably thought they were done," ex-Kerry star Darran O'Sullivan said of his former team-mates.

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"I think credit has to go to Peter Keane there. He got rid of a certain amount of experience, got rid of other lads who probably have a point to prove. The players themselves, it was just a big call. They could have said, 'No, do you know what? I've had my time, didn't end the way I wanted it to end, I'm not putting my life on hold for that'. It's a big call to come back and put the head down and work hard. When Kerry needed that bit of experience, they were the boys that delivered."

In particular, Walsh's contributions this year have impressed O'Sullivan.

"I actually felt Tommy would be better this year in championship than league," he said. "I was surprised that he didn't get more game-time. During the league, everyone went 'oh with the mark, he'll be brilliant'. And he was. He was winning ball out in front.

"As a forward, if I saw the ball going into Tommy, I'd be trying to run off his shoulder every second, because he will give it to you. He's not one of these fellas [thinking] 'I gave him the last two, I need to do my own thing'. He's very unselfish, he will run and run, and show, and give it to you, and pop it. He's a dream for the likes of me, someone trying to come off the full-forward line.

"He's just so good out in front. He's obviously very sharp. He's well able to take his scores. But like that, he has great vision as well.

"I actually felt after the league that Tommy could be some option over the championship.

"That hasn't happened up to the semi-final. So hopefully now he will get game-time in the final, and we can get a bit of joy out of it."

However, O'Sullivan does not see the former Aussie Rules star being handed a starting berth for Sunday.

He said: "I just don't think they'll change the whole direction and style of play for one game. I just think with his experience and the impact he can have, it would probably be too big a risk to start him because if things aren't going right or you want to change things up, he's an ideal man to come on and mix it up a bit."

Watch Dublin vs Kerry in the All-Ireland final live on Sky Sports Arena from 2.30pm on Sunday.

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