Head to head: Sean Cavanagh v Daragh O Se

September 23, 2005

Dara O Se
Arguably the two best midfielders in the business come face to face on All-Ireland final day in what is a fascinating duel. Apart from being superb footballers and athletes, both men bring tremendous leadership to their respective teams. A member of Kerry's most famous football dynasty, O Se sees this game as an opportunity to make amends for last year when an ankle injury sustained in the semi-final win over Derry ruled him out of the final against Mayo. Darragh has been a mainstay of the Kerry team since making his debut 10 years ago. He was one of the stars of the Kerry under 21 team that won an All-Ireland title in 1996 and garnered the first of three senior All-Ireland medals the following year when Kerry defeated Mayo. By the turn of the Millennium, O Se had established himself as the top midfielder in the game and was central to Kerry's All-Ireland win in 2000. And despite missing last year's decider, he played no small part in the success. Many Kerry supporters regard the goal-line catches he made in the drawn Munster final, which denied Limerick certain points, as the defining moments of the season. Now fully recovered from injury, the An Ghaeltacht colossus has once again been to the fore as Kerry close in on a 34th All-Ireland success. His importance to the team was underlined in the All-Ireland quarter-final when his goal dealt a crushing blow to Mayo's hopes of avenging last year's final defeat. At just 22, Cavanagh is several years younger than his Kerry counterpart but is equally as important to Tyrone. Described by Mick O'Dwyer as the Jack O'Shea of his generation, the Moy clubman is as close to the complete footballer as you are likely to get. A strong runner who has been the inspiration behind many a Tyrone victory over the past few years, he has contributed several vital scores in this year's marathon campaign and looks destined to be pick up his third All-Star on the trot later in the year. Cavanagh first came to prominence in 2001 when he starred in Tyrone's All-Ireland minor victory and he partnered Kevin Hughes at midfield when the Red Hands captured their first senior title two years ago. Even without a recognised midfield partner this year, Sean has maintained his incredibly high standards and has attracted the interest of Australian Rules outfit, Brisbane Lions. He put in a tremendous final 10 minutes in the dramatic semi-final win and, like a lot of Tyrone supporters living on the Armagh border, shed tears of joy at the final whistle. Both players have huge engines and will cover every blade of grass in the decider. O Se is arguably a better fielder, but Cavanagh makes up for this with his electrifying pace and ball carrying ability. Midfield is expected to be a congested area, but both men are still capable of imposing themselves.

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