The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kerry’s forward power might prove decisive
Kerry v Donegal
Sunday, January 28 Fitzgerald Stadium, 2pm
THE three year plan starts here. The renewal of a team starts here. The future starts here and it starts now. Simply put this is a hugely exciting time for anybody with an interest in the fortunes of the Kerry senior football team.
Just how well will these young guys do? Just what impact will they have on Kerry’s fortunes? Just what impact will they have on the style of play and the quality of the football produced? We’ll be given our first indications on Sunday afternoon in beauty’s home.
And first indications is all they’re going to be. Nothing that happens against Donegal should be regarded as make or break. A certain amount of patience is required and a certain amount of realism too.
The step up from underage to senior inter-county football is not insignificant. That said the time has arrived for youth to be given its head. Give them the experience they need. Let them make their mistakes and learn from them.
Eamonn Fitzmaurice is going to give guys the minutes they need, starting on Sunday afternoon. We know this because he’s indicated as much and we know this because, given injuries and absences, he has little choice.
Kerry are down nineteen players for this weekend’s game. Some of those are of the new generation – Brian Ó Beaghlaoich and Éanna Ó Conchuir are involved with An Ghaeltacht for instance – but most are experienced campaigners.
The Kingdom’s defence is set to be down some of its key performers. There will be no Peter Crowley against the Tír Chonaill men, no Tadhg Morley, no Mark Griffin, no Killian Young and no Fionn Fitzgerald.
That leaves just two regular starters in the defence available to the Finuge man for selection, Paul Murphy and Shane Enright. We can expect both to start. After that every position in the defence is up for grabs.
Jason Foley will surely get another chance to start a National League match – he started the first game against Donegal last year
– while the star of last year’s campaign Ronan Shanahan can be expected to return to the fold.
After that we’re not quite sure what direction Fitzmaurice will take. Had they been available Ó Beaghlaoich, Tom O’Sullivan and Gavin White would have been strong contenders to start (nailed on nearly you’d have to think).
Donegal are also down a number of experienced players for the game in Fitzgerald Stadium. Michael Murphy won’t be available for selection. The Donegal fullback line, meanwhile, is set to be without the services of Neil McGee and Frank McGlynn for the game.
The full-back line new Donegal boss Declan Bonner starts this weekend is all but certain to be inexperienced. It could see Caolan Ward and Stephen McMenamin (at full-back) line out alongside Eoghan Bán Gallagher.
At half-back Bonner has bit more experience to draw upon with Ryan McHugh and the returning Leo McLoone (at centre-back) likely to start the game with the Kingdom. Tony McClenaghan is thought to be in the frame to start at number five.
All that churn in the Donegal defence should give Fitzmaurice a bit more latitude to start some of his more inexperienced players. Seán O’Shea and David Clifford won’t be at a physical disadvantage against players in and around their own age group as Ward and McClenaghan are.
Given that Fitzmaurice will, by necessity, have to start a relatively inexperienced defence, it’s quite likely he’ll start as strong an attack as he can. Paul Geaney, James O’Donoghue and Stephen O’Brien are all available and all will start.
To start those guys alongside younger guys like O’Shea and Clifford – Killian Spillane, Micheál Burns, Dáithí Casey are others who could be in the mix – would seem to be an ideal way to go.
Fitzmaurice will want, as much as possible, to pair his young guys with more experienced performers. That way they can better learn and that way they’re not overburdened by expectation.
Even if David Clifford starts – and as we say against a relatively inexperienced Donegal full-back line is an ideal opportunity – Paul Geaney is still going to be the main man. Even if Seán O’Shea starts, Stephen O’Brien will run the show.
At midfield Fitzmaurice will have Brendan O’Sullivan, Jack Barry and possibly Dáithí Casey to call upon, while Bonner looks set to go with a midfield of Nathan Mullins (son of Dublin great Brian) and captain Hugh McFadden (Jason McGee, an Under 20 player is another option).
The Donegal forward line will probably, much like Kerry’s, be the most experienced sector of the team. Star of the 2012 campaign Mark McHugh stands a good chance of starting at wing-forward alongside the returning Odhran MacNiallais at centre-forward.
Caolan McGonigle is a contender to start at wing-forward also, but should slot in almost as a third midfielder. In the full-forward line Paddy McBrearty will be the key man and should be joined up top by Jamie Brennan (a minor in the 2014 final against Kerry).
It’s an interesting mix of players on both sides, such an interesting mix that it makes this a pretty difficult game to call a winner. The suspicion is that with some of Kerry’s top attacking talent available to Fitzmaurice – Geaney and O’Donoghue – Kerry should have the wherewithal to win through on home soil. It’s by no means a banker, however.
Donegal if we’re to judge by the McKenna Cup – and we’ve little else to judge it on – are moving quite nicely at the moment. Under Bonner they’re playing a somewhat more expansive gameplan to the Gallagher / McGuinness sides. On the weekend they despatched Armagh by seven points, scoring twenty points along the way to reach the final of the competition. Those games have to benefit them. Kerry surely have games played too, challenge games behind doors or intra-squad contests.
Are those games as valuable as a pre-season competition? Time will tell.
Verdict: Kerry