The usual suspects of last 4 years, will be undoubted favourites again this year.
Let's just hope blanket defenses and double sweepers aren't the norm again this season.
While I love watching Kerry's traditional style of play, it broke my heart and patience to have to sit through the worst final in SFC history- yes, even worse than Armagh Tyrone 2003, and of course the 2nd half of 2010!
I hope Mayo can unearth a few new forwards and different approaches when things don't go their way. Also a spine when they get to the final would be nice, as their time is well overdue.
3 of the provinces are now very predictable, it is just Ulster where anything can happen, apart from free flowing attacking football. The only guarantee to come out of Ulster is dour blanket football matches/wars of attrition

beansycpn (Down) - Posts: 128 - 07/01/2015 12:12:22    1681163

Beansycpn,
While I agree with you that the final was hard to watch, I would say that kerry won it the way that they had to win it. If they went out and played the open game that the dubs played in the semi finals, the likelihood is that we would have had a great week at the end of september up here in donegal. While I dont agree with everything that Joe Brolly says, his prediction about footbolla could be very true. 2015 is a big year for systems and styles. We wont change ours, at least not a huge amount. The question is if will either Mayo or Dublin tailor their games to play against it.

The real litmus test will be the games that involve Dublin v Mayo, Kerry v Dublin and Mayo v Kerry. The appearance of a defensive set up in any of those 3 fixtures will mean that it is not just a tactic to play against a team that employs the system, but a tactic to employ on its own merits, to win a game. This would not be good. We will see.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 07/01/2015 12:30:56    1681171

Clondalkin,

Ever since we won the All Ireland you haven't stopped about us being lucky etc etc etc.
You might be a young fella I don't know but there is no problem backing your own county but you should show a little more humility.
Kerry Beat - Cork/Mayo/Donegal 3 of the top 5 teams last year.
We also did this without the best footballer of the past 10 years. With the second best player who couldnt play a full game due to knee problems add to that 3 senior retirements, a new goal keeper and a lot of new faces. Yet we where lucky?
It's funny Clondalkin I think most naturals would say Dublin where fortunate in 2011 & didint set the world on fire against Mayo in 13.
You lads are arguably the best panel in Ireland but that won't bother Kerry.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 07/01/2015 12:56:31    1681180

beansycpn
County: Down
Posts: 74

The only guarantee to come out of Ulster is dour blanket football matches/wars of attrition


Yep, all 9 counties in Ulster are at it - shame only a few get berated for it!!

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5018 - 07/01/2015 13:57:04    1681202

My post wasn't anything to do with whatever Brolly said. I haven't even read his article.
But I imagine there is truth in it, surrounded by a lot of the lawyer hot air he somehow gets away with on tv and newspapers.
Anyway, to be a successful football (lesser extent in hurling) intercounty player these days, you have to be over 6", built like a tank, be able to run and handpass all day, and be willing to completely sacrifice your personal life!
A radical approach is needed, I would say ban sports science and all the technology used- there's a recession going on still! Give the lesser populated and weaker counties an even playing field in terms of resources!
Plus the obvious change to limit number of successive handpasses to 4, like the amount of steps club players can take (intercounty players get away with blue murder in this regard)

beansycpn (Down) - Posts: 128 - 07/01/2015 14:47:35    1681218

beansycpn
You are right but I would go further:
Lets have the All Ireland Final in New York new year
Lets remove sponsorship logos from the jersey
Lets reduce the capacity of Croke Park to 40,000
Lets re-introduce air horns at games
Lets ban GAA members from being part of other sports
I can go on but I think you get my drift.

Do you want the GAA to be progressive or regressive. There are certainly flaws in our games at present but the biggest problem we have is the irish trait of begrudgery. Dublin have plenty of sponsorship and I say good luck to them. If they are marketable and can raise funds to promote GAA in Dublin then thats great. Smaller counties will struggle to compete against this but that is natural. We have 34 counties competing for honours, all with different levels of income, numbers of players, state of facilites. If we try to balance all county teams then whats next? Clubs?

Ban Sports Science is a crazy idea and I honestly don't think you know what you are talking about. Sports science has helped our GAA players to avoid serious injuries, get better quicker if the have injuries, helped with nutrition and mental health.

It seems to me that you want to put the GAA back 30 years ago to the good oul kick and catch days where players belted hell out of each other and when they were finished their playing days had to deal with hip replacements, buckled knees, twisted fingers and all in the name of your club and county.

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 07/01/2015 15:06:31    1681227

West kerry I've said on here a million times that I give 100% credit to that Kerry team for winning last years Sam. Hermit is allowed to say we were lucky in '11 and '13 but i can't say it about Kerry last year??? It's a forum about opinions and every person I talk to from all over Ireland can't believe that Kerry team won Sam and then they say "my god they got some luck on the way"

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 07/01/2015 15:49:28    1681244

beansycpn
County: Down
Posts: 75

1681218
My post wasn't anything to do with whatever Brolly said. I haven't even read his article.
But I imagine there is truth in it, surrounded by a lot of the lawyer hot air he somehow gets away with on tv and newspapers.
Anyway, to be a successful football (lesser extent in hurling) intercounty player these days, you have to be over 6", built like a tank, be able to run and handpass all day, and be willing to completely sacrifice your personal life!
A radical approach is needed, I would say ban sports science and all the technology used- there's a recession going on still! Give the lesser populated and weaker counties an even playing field in terms of resources!
Plus the obvious change to limit number of successive handpasses to 4, like the amount of steps club players can take (intercounty players get away with blue murder in this regard)

Your post may not purposefully be what Brolly said, but it is backing up what he said nonetheless.

I disagree that u have to be over 6 foot. The McHugh lads for us are not over 6 foot, and are both key men. Darrach oconnor is small, and is a flyer too.

How do you ban technology and sports science? how can we go backwards in this regard? If sports science means fitter and mentally sharper players, then it is here to stay, despite the brand of football that is on the table with it. Even if you did ban it, how would u draw the line between old fashioned training and modern training? number of laps? Impossible to define parameters unless you know what you are defining in the first place.

Agree with your point about resources to weaker counties, but this seems to be an issue that is not being addressed, ie the pairc ui caoimh development etc
Consecutive hand pass rule could work and I would say it is worth a try for sure.

Its up to referees to be consistent, and not just consistent in a given game. I would say they need to be consistent over a season, and between different refs. There is nothing more annoying than a ref that inter-prates the rules to his views.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 07/01/2015 17:09:05    1681284

tirconnall totally agree football has got better over the years mostly down sports science galway for instance good footballers but need to buy into the modern game if they do wouldn't be miles away. how can we go backwards the down men getting desperate up there need to toughen up!

thebadbounce (Galway) - Posts: 87 - 07/01/2015 19:42:55    1681330

I've had most of these opinions about football for a few years now. At least he is airing them out in public and getting some media attention on them, for all his faults.
Thanks be to God I'm a hurler or I'd be disillusioned with the way football has gone.
Some ideas I know are radical and unrealistic.
But I think the handpass rule has to be implemented for the good of the game for spectators, as I for one wouldn't dream of paying €80 plus travel costs to watch 2 teams in the final basically say "you come at us and shoot" "no, you come at us and shoot" like what happened in Sept.
Having a ref in each half of the pitch might help matters of consistency and more hard line on the black card debacle, as well as actually blowing the whistle when players over carry

beansycpn (Down) - Posts: 128 - 08/01/2015 10:00:05    1681393

league mayo
connaught mayo
munster kerry
ulster tyrone
lenister dublin
all ireland dublin/kerry/mayo

antoman (Mayo) - Posts: 140 - 08/01/2015 10:50:10    1681407

Hermit is allowed to say we were lucky in '11 and '13 but i can't say it about Kerry last year??? It's a forum about opinions and every person I talk to from all over Ireland can't believe that Kerry team won Sam and then they say "my god they got some luck on the way"

Ah now Clondalkin my friend you know well what you are saying! You said the only reason Kerry won in 2014 was because of luck. I said every team that wins, including Dublin in 2011 and 2013, needs some bit of luck.

You are implying that Kerry's All Ireland had nothing to do with skill, cunning, teamwork, belief, superb management, composure etc etc. You said it was down to poor referee decisions and the Gods being against everyone else.

Now you come across as far too intelligent a fella not to realise that by claiming Kerry's victory is solely down to luck, you are having a pot shot at their achievement.

Can I also ask you a more serious question. You've back pleaded from saying Kerry are 'average' to saying the 2014 model is 'average' compared to the great Kerry side of 2004-2009. That may well be the case in the grand scheme of Kerry teams (although how many people in 2004 would have considered that Kerry side great already is open to question). But honestly, I'd like to know if you think this Kerry side is 'average' compared to the Dublin, Mayo or Donegal sides of the last 2 years.

I'd honestly like to know your opinion on that and the reasons for it.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 08/01/2015 12:50:54    1681455

listen same old arguments football this football that each to their own seems to me most people moaning need to take a good look at their own counties development.Its all about winning nowadays whatever way possible or which ever way suits your group end of story take a look back at 70s 80s and tell me football has got worse.

thebadbounce (Galway) - Posts: 87 - 08/01/2015 13:13:37    1681464

This Kerry team,with quite a few new players,are going to be around for many years to come.To win last years All Ire without T O Se,P Galvin,B Sheehan(for most of it)and the Gooch was a fantastic achievement.This is a fairly fresh,new looking team.I wonder in 5-7 years time will some people still be saying their average.I have a feeling they wont.A terrible beauty may have been born.We could all be in trouble as the men from the deep south get a taste for blood once again.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 08/01/2015 13:59:18    1681490

cuederocket
County: Dublin
Posts: 1613

1681490
This Kerry team,with quite a few new players,are going to be around for many years to come.To win last years All Ire without T O Se,P Galvin,B Sheehan(for most of it)and the Gooch was a fantastic achievement.This is a fairly fresh,new looking team.I wonder in 5-7 years time will some people still be saying their average.I have a feeling they wont.A terrible beauty may have been born.We could all be in trouble as the men from the deep south get a taste for blood once again.

I agree.

They look a little like the Kerry team of 1997 in some ways. They were 'average' as well apparently, just had the likes of Darragh Ó Sé, Mike Frank Russell, Séamus Moynihan etc getting their 1st taste of All-Ireland victory and then went on to dominate the next 12 years or so.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 08/01/2015 14:44:24    1681506

I'm back peddling from nothing that kerry team was lucky and average, Great achievement to win with such an average side but come on every break went your way a blind man can see that.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 08/01/2015 15:11:21    1681516

Can't see the wood from the trees eh....

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 08/01/2015 15:38:00    1681527

But your still not telling me why you think they are average or who you consider them average as compared to, the great Kerry sides of the past? The current Dublin team? The current Mayo team? Donegal of 2012??

If you think luck is all it takes to win, fair enough, I disagree but fair enough. I think Kerry rode their luck at times in 2014 but no more so than any other team that win does.

Luck alone was not what brought them up the steps of the Hogan, skill, determination, inner belief, training, great management, teamwork, pride and a sense of purpose are what won them the All Ireland. Just as all those factors helped Dublin to win in 2013, Donegal in 2012 etc etc.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 08/01/2015 15:47:40    1681529

I have rethought the 2015 list of front runners for Sam. I have concluded without a doubt that Dublin are the team to beat. They will be on top for quite a while as well. The pool of players they have allows their panel to have serious depth for the Championship. How can this be argued, Dublin will walk Leinster, but they will not be caught in a mind trap this year when the serious opponents beckon come the summer.

lostintime (USA) - Posts: 533 - 09/01/2015 11:00:57    1681702

Kerry proved themselves last year to be worthy winners. The only team they didnt beat was Dublin. It is all ifs and buts re if they would have beaten them in the final. The great thing about sport is that you have a new slate to work with this year. I think it will be an interesting year. It is imo between Dublin, Kerry and Mayo. We wont figure, we might beat a pretender in the quarters. But I am not optimistic, the more I look at our draw, the more I feel it is impossible to keep the challenge going all summer, unless we tour the country via the back door. We will see.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 09/01/2015 12:03:22    1681719