Peter Canavan: Time for this Kerry team to stand up and be counted against Dublin

Jack O'Connor said after Kerry's win over Mayo that his players "have been yearning to get a cut" at Dublin since 2019.

But this Kerry team have played in enough big games to know they cannot get carried away with thinking about the Dubs.

The memory of last year's All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tyrone will still be raw. Forget about getting revenge on Dublin, reaching an All-Ireland final is key here.

Regardless, the Munster champions shouldn't need to be looking for extra motivation to begin with. An All-Ireland semi-final speaks for itself.

Given the players in this Kerry panel, we have been waiting for them to deliver. For me, it's now or never for this group of players.

Given their age profile, the quality they possess in defence and attack, it's time to stand up and be counted. And they're good enough to do it.

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Can the Kingdom deal with the pressure?

In Kerry, there is always pressure to perform. There are always high expectations in the county.

It is no different this weekend.

Of course they are under pressure, but it is something that they should be well used to.

This group know that they have the players that are good enough to win it. Nobody is putting them under more pressure than themselves.

If you are a Kerry player and you know you are good enough, you don't need anyone else telling you that.

I expect that O'Connor's charges will be well able to deal with the hype.

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Battle of the forwards will be key

I felt after the Leinster final that the Dublin forward division had been playing really well in the championship, with Con O'Callaghan at the heart of it.

With the Cuala forward missing against Cork, I thought they made hard work out of it to make opportunities, considering the amount of ball they had.

In O'Callaghan and David Clifford, you have two of the best players in the country, in terms of target men, firepower and what they bring to both sides.

The two are match-winners in their own right.

The quality of ball going in is going to be key. The defences will need to be organised, because both of them are unmarkable if they get one-on-one and quality ball.

I would take it for granted that Con O'Callaghan will be fit and will have a positive influence on the game. I would say the same about Clifford.

It will depend on the supporting casts. Who will stand up and make a difference outside of those two players?

If you are looking at attacking options, I would have to edge towards Kerry.

David Moran looks to be in great shape. If they can win enough ball in the middle sector, there is no reason why Seán O'Shea, Paudie Clifford and Paul Geaney cannot hurt Dublin.

Due to their firepower up front, I think Kerry will shade a titanic struggle.

Watch Derry vs Galway from 5pm Saturday and Dublin vs Kerry from 3pm Sunday in the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals live on Sky Sports Arena.