Kerry's Johnny Buckley is relishing the rare opportunity of getting a full league campaign under his belt.

Whereas in previous years, the Dr Crokes clubman has missed out on large portions of the league due to the Kallarney club's Munster successes of 2011, '12 and '13, this year he has been available to the Kingdom for the entire season:

"I am really enjoying an extended league this year," he notes in The Irish Examiner. "In the last three or four years we would have been involved with Crokes up to the All-Ireland semi-final stage.

"You are coming back in to the Kerry fold then and it is difficult to totally refocus the mind when the other players have been training since the start of the year. Personally, I have really enjoyed being there since the start, since last December, and working along with the team.

"In previous years, you are coming back in to a team that have been training solidly, have played their McGrath Cup matches and a couple of national league games. It is only natural that you are going to be a bit behind in trying to get a place. You are going to be fighting for positions. No more than this year, fellas are trying to hold onto jerseys when others rejoin the panel."

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