Completing All-Ireland history: Keane can’t advance his case any further
So let’s get the semantics out of the way first. The Kerry minor footballers who triumphed at Croke Park today looked and played like a more callow team than their winning predecessors since 2014.
Allowances must be made. Football will have to redefine how it appraises inter-county minors now that the age eligibility has changed to 16 at the beginning of the calendar year. Many of the side that completed an historic five All-Irelands in succession for the Kingdom yesterday were 12 in 2014, when this extraordinary 30-match winning run started for Kerry. Additionally, David Clifford has played wicked tricks with everyone’s perception of what constitutes ‘a talented minor’ over the past few summers.
His first cousin, Paul O’Shea - whose father Tom is a brother to Clifford’s mum, Ellen – was the standout player in today’s final, in that he was the most mature player on view. Moved to midfield to turn the tide back in Kerry’s favour after half-time, his languid style and clever use of his body, allied to a delicious passing game, suggested the cousins had a few back garden tussles in Kilcummin in recent years.
Oddly he didn’t score in the second half, but the amount of possession O’Shea gathered – and as importantly, the amount he broke away from Galway’s midfield – was the basis of Kerry’s turnaround after the interval.
In passing, they could hardly argue either with the second-half refereeing of Sean Hurson who awarded 15 frees to Kerry, against five for Galway.
Things looked bleak before half-time, not just because Galway racked up 1-7 without reply but for the fact that it seemed to completely drain Kerry of any strands of belief. Defensively they lost their poise and shape.
Suddenly they looked 16 and a little overawed by this history stuff. Half-time came at a good moment, with a couple of points from Paul Walsh and Killian Falvey reducing the gap to four points (1-9 to 0-8).
The sides were level with five minutes remaining of the regulation 60, but Kerry got a four-point boost off the bench, three of which came from the tidy Ruaidhri Ó Beaglaoich, the younger brother of Briain.
Kudos for that to the Kerry management team, which was completing three titles on the bounce. At its head is Peter Keane who has certainly done all he can to advance his claims to be Éamonn Fitzmaurice’s replacement in the senior set-up.
Whether yesterday’s success strengthens his hand is arguable, but had Kerry lost it would have been a stick to beat him with, just as the U20s’ loss to Kildare was, in the eyes of some, a poke in the chest for Jack O’Connor.
The select committee charged with coming up with a senior ticket was keen to let the minors’ run at history take its course before accelerating the process. I understand there are three realistic candidates for the post at this stage – Jack O’Connor, Diarmuid Murphy and Keane.
What may prove important in the process is which candidate secures the agreement of Donie Buckley to come in as coach. That is less likely with Jack O’Connor than the other two, but the Dromid man has also worked with highly regarded coaches such as Pat Flanagan and Alan O’Sullivan anyway.
Buckley’s position as a potential kingmaker – one he would be utterly uncomfortable with – is based on the fact that he is the non pareil expert in the areas of tackling, turnovers and set-ups without the ball. It would be fair to say Kerry could improve in all three areas.
It would be ludicrous to examine Keane’s potential in that area on the basis of his work with a group of 16-year-olds, but it’s not irrelevant either that his experience at senior level is limited. Kerry GAA chairman Tim Murphy will be aware that if the executive is to continue its coaching progression pathway, the selection should be O’Connor or Keane. But there is also now the crucial element of continuity.
Whatever about yesterday, there is a quick flow of winning talent coming through the underage system in the county, and Kerry may also have to look at the managerial possibilities after this one in making its decision.
At that stage the likes of Declan O’Sullivan, Tommy Griffin and Seamus Moynihan might come into consideration as coaches or selectors.
By then we should know how many of yesterday’s All-Ireland winners have graduated through Under 20 and onto senior consideration. Midfielder Darragh Rahilly, wing forward Killian Falvey, Dingle’s Dylan Geaney and his West Kerry neighbour Ó Beaglaoich caught the eye, but there are several others who may develop even quicker than those mentioned.
Winning big games in front of large crowds, sometimes against the odds as Kerry did in the semi against Monaghan, is invaluable experience behind the wheel for lads who’ve scarcely started shaving.
Whatever happens with the race to replace Fitzmaurice, yesterday was a good day for Peter Keane and Kerry football. Even a county as storied as the Kingdom doesn’t create history every September Sunday.
