Six talking points from Dublin's All-Ireland final win over Kerry
By Robert Mulhern | Twitter: @MulhernRobert |
Last Updated: 21/09/15 1:55pm
Dynamic Dublin, old stagers and the taste of victory feature in our All-Ireland final talking points...
Dynamic Dublin
It was a day to roll up the sleeves no doubt but don't buy the line about Dublin's win coming down to grit.
Their total of 0-12 was shared across nine different scorers and it was defenders Jack McCaffrey and Philly McMahon who banged vital victory nails when the platform was laid in the second quarter.
Dublin's skill in the tackle was a thing of similar hammer-blowing accuracy too and James Horan was all sideline superlatives when describing both teams' movement.
On an afternoon when Diarmuid Connolly and Stephen Cluxton made hard work of the Kryptonite-like weather, Dublin went deep into their skills locker and found a dynamic response.
Three is the magic number
Three championship wins in a row over Kerry. Three All-Ireland championships in the last five years. Dublin have the blueprint for success.
More than once this summer, Jim McGuinness has spoken about the role of resources in Donegal's 2012 win and how money, population and professional attitude are now a critical but finite thing in most counties.
Not in Dublin. Not three times in five years. Against this landscape shifting to professional practice and investment, who can catch them?
Not too long ago you would have backed Kerry to do so at least once in three championship meetings.
The taste of victory and the aftertaste of...
Allegations that Philly McMahon gouged Kieran Donaghy in a battle for the ball. The video is inconclusive because the moment is fleeting and it's difficult to measure intent against enthusiasm when relying on grainy footage from You Tube.
But certainly, McMahon's hand is in the eye-region of Donaghy's face and it's something for officials to look at.
Victory and the desire to be a good sport should not grant any winning team clemency.
The right tool, just too late
Proven less effective than Paul Geaney against Tyrone, the man they call 'Star' shone increasingly yesterday, doing to the Dublin defence what Aidan O'Shea and Mayo couldn't by way of the long diagonal ball tactic.
Kieran Donaghy was one of too few who kept Kerry in it. And his pass to Killian Young might may have offered an opportunity to win it.
Old stagers
What a career Alan Brogan has had. A debutant in 2002, the 33-year old experienced a National League relegation and a host of false dawns before winning his first All-Ireland in 2011.
Then he arrives off the bench to score Dublin's 12th and final point buoyed by other telling introductions this championship. It will go down as a career crowning cameo, if he decides to retire.
And what of Marc O Se? The multi award-winning corner-back of a similar vintage failed to overcome injury and it must have been a great personal disappointment not to start on Sunday.
It would be nice to think the black card he picked up against Tyrone is not be the last play of his stellar inter-county career.
The centre of no controversy
Referee David Coldrick must be a relieved man this morning. Going against the script of this year's championship he'd no match-defining calls to make and his assured performance passed off without major incident.
In testing conditions, we expected to be talking about him plenty this afternoon. It must be the first Monday a referee has had off this football championship.
