Careful what you wish for as Cork launch #2024 plan

AS much as last week’s launch of Cork GAA’s #2024 - their five-year plan to reboot the fortunes of football and their football teams - was a local matter, it will have, or should have ramifications well beyond the county if it proves successful. That is, after all, the whole point of this root and branch examination of the big ball game in the Rebel county: to get back to being successful and competitive on the national stage and therefore have a big say in the narrative and destination of All-Ireland titles, club and inter-county.

And if and when Cork begin to get some positive kick-back from #2024 the first significant place the ripples are sure to be felt will be here in Kerry.

It was easy for Mick O’Dwyer to pat the Cork lads on the head after a Munster Final and tell them they were the second best team in Ireland at a time Kerry were hoovering up provincial and All-Ireland titles at an unholy rate.

Kerry are in that place now, too, at least at provincial level having won the last six Munster SFC titles, while the Kingdom currently holds every major inter-county, club and schools title in Munster.

It’s also been said that in order for Kerry to be really challenging for All-Ireland titles that it needs Cork to be strong, and perhaps it’s no coincidence that Kerry have only won one All-Ireland SFC title this decade, at a time when the Cork senior footballers have been at their lowest ebb in years.

It could be argued that without a real threat from Cork in Munster, that Kerry are ill-prepared for the steeper slopes of the All-Ireland series beyond the province.

So a strong, well structured Cork football strategy can only be good for Kerry, right? Don’t be so sure about that. Every dog has it’s day and Cork’s fortunes are sure to revolve sooner rather than later, even without #2024. With it the Rebels could become a serious force to be reckoned with. In these times of elusive and hard-earned All-Ireland titles perhaps the less roadblocks the better for Kerry.