Paul Geaney reckons this year's Munster SFC final saw Kerry peak psychologically ahead of entering the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.
After dethroning Dublin in April's National League final, the Kingdom defeated Clare in June before scoring a 1-23 to 0-15 victory over Cork to claim the county's 79th Munster crown.
Geaney feels things went downhill from there with an All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Mayo (after a replay) following up an unconvincing win over Galway in the last eight.
"Psychologically, I think we may have peaked in the Munster final. It was a longer year after having the high of winning the league and though we did not show too much emotion after the league, it was an important win for us," the Dingle attacker told the Irish Examiner.
"I think we may have tired a small bit there at the end. But I think it's nothing major and nothing that cannot be fixed. It's just a case of keeping guys fresh upstairs and keeping guys fresh as well in the legs.
"I think that this coming year the new format will help because it will be game after game rather than training for three weeks and having internal games and fellows beating each other to try and get on a team."
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