DEFENDERS

BRIAN Ó BEAGLAOICH, TOM O’SULLIVAN, GAVIN WHITE, JASON FOLEY, SHANE ENRIGHT, KILLIAN YOUNG, PETER CROWLEY, PAUL MURPHY, TADHG MORLEY, MARK GRIFFIN, GAVIN CROWLEY, MICHAEL POTTS, GRAHAM O’SULLIVAN, ROBERT WHARTON, JONATHAN LYNE, JACK SHERWOOD

This is the area of the team that needs the most work and that will, as a result, attract the greatest amount of scrutiny – from the fans, from the media, from opposing teams and managers. Simply put if Kerry are to return to the top table – they arguably dropped to fifth or even sixth place in the pecking order in 2018 – they need to up their game at the back and do so in a major way. Given what we’ve seen over the past couple of seasons a complete overhaul is required. That is not to say that the players who featured there during the latter days of the Éamonn Fitzmaurice era should be jettisoned. A lot of quality players lined out for the Kerry defence in the last two or three seasons, but for whatever reason Kerry never formed a coherent defensive unit in that time. Structurally and tactically there were big problems and those will need to be addressed as a priority. Technically too we wonder whether Kerry were as proficient as they needed to be. Contrast Kerry’s tackling during that time with Dublin’s or Mayo’s or Tyrone’s... was it as good? As strong? As effective? You’d find it hard to make the case that it was. We suspect that Tommy Griffin and Donie Buckley are going to have a significant role to play in this depar tment. Buckley did wonders for Mayo’s tackling during his tenure there, while the minor teams Griffin worked with were brilliant in the tackle. Yes senior football is different, physically especially, but those minor teams’ defensive abilities show where Peter Keane’s priorities lie to a large degree. Those minor teams played an attractive brand of football, but they were by no means naive. It will be interesting to see how all this develops and it’ll be interesting to see who Keane and co opt to select in the defence. You’d imagine that maybe three of the established players are pretty much nailed on to retain their jerseys – Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley and Gavin White – but after that there’s going to be a serious battle for places on the team. After his performances last year – and for Dingle in the County Championship – Tom O’Sullivan probably falls into that bracket too, but we suspect he probably won’t have as much license to roam under this new regime. He will have to temper his – brilliant – attacking instincts. Veterans Shane Enright and Killian Young are running out of time and therefore should be supremely motivated to make an impact this season. Jason Foley (above), meanwhile, still has a lot to prove in the number three shir t. That said he put in some very good performances last year – he was one of the few points of light for the Kingdom in Croke Park against Galway in the Super 8s. Then you have players returning after a spell in the wilderness. Interestingly Jonathan Lyne’s (left) best game for Kerry was the last one he played – the semi-final replay in 2017. Jack Sherwood was brilliant for East Kerry in the County Championship and deserves another look. Most attention will focus on the young guns. Graham O’Sullivan will attract a lot of interest – though like his namesake will have to rein in his attacking instincts. Michael Potts is very highly regarded as is young Robert Wharton from Renard. We shouldn’t rule out a changing of the guard with quality like that coming through.