So who is No 1? Kerry 1975-’86 or Dublin 2011-2020? The vote as the best All-Ireland football champion of the last 50 years goes to Dublin, albeit by the narrowest margin.
Of course, their story may never be complete as they start next year’s campaign as second favorites after Kingdom. Regardless of what the future holds, they have done enough to outperform Kelly from his 1975 to his ’86.
5 wins in a row followed by 6 wins in a row, not so many good individuals but the judgment of having a better all-around team and the overall standards of the opponents they faced are important was. higher in the long run.
Dublin (until 1978, then rapidly declining) and Offaly (1980-82) were formidable teams, but Ulster and Connacht hardly challenged. Not now.
Modern Dublin also had more games to play. This is mainly due to changes in the 2001 championship format and his 2018 changes where the “Super 8” was introduced.
Dublin have played 73 championship games in 12 seasons, 26 more than Kerry did in the same period in 1975-86. Kerry qualified directly for the All-Ireland semi-final after their win over Munster, while Dublin faced Tyrone (3), Donegal (2), Monaghan (2), Roscommon (2) and Cork (2) in the quarter-finals. .
In terms of individual talent on a combined team, Kelly has the edge in an 8-7 split.
A comparison of the seven headlines looks like this:
goalie
Stephen Claxton kept Dublin in goal with seven wins as captain and eight All-Ireland victories. Podie O’Mahoney was Kerry’s first choice in his 1975 success, but Charlie Nelligan played in seven others, O’Mahony he was named an All-Star in 1975 and Nelligan his 1980 and In 1986 he won his two awards. Although he was a good keeper, he did not have the influence that Claxton had on Dublin.
Six All-Stars and the first goalkeeper to be selected since Martin Furlong in 1982, the 2019 Footballer of the Year award is a monument to his excellence, but his stellar career I have only told part of the story of
Dublin 9 Kerry 8
defense
If All-Star selection was an issue, there was little between defenses.Kerry won 23 in 12 seasons and Dublin won 22 in the same time frame. The similarities end there, as fielding duties have changed significantly over the years.
In the 1970s/80s it was basically man-on-man, but today structure and systems matter, with virtually everyone including full forwards in strict defensive mode when the opponent has the ball. It is becoming
That makes comparisons very difficult. In Kerry’s era, when defenders were judged by how they dealt with their direct opponents, it was all about individual responsibility.
Now it’s all about sticking to a pre-determined shape. It may look easy, but very detailed video analysis shows that defenders are even a yard away from where they were assigned on the drill. If found out, you can expect it to help with post-match inquiries.
Kerry have better defenders than Dublin and certainly did in the full-back line where John O’Keeffe has established himself as one of the all-time great number threes. He was followed by Seany Walsh, who left midfield after 1982.
Paidi-O-Sée also came close to goal and changed from No. 5 to No. 2 at about the same time.
Dublin 9 Kerry 9
midfield
Kerry have the advantage thanks to arguably the greatest midfielder of all time, Jack O’Shea. He was certainly the best soccer player I have ever seen. There may be some doubt as to whether athletes would be effective in another era, but not O’Shea.
In fact, he probably would have been better in the modern game, benefiting from a more scientific approach to training and tactics. , has hardly been matched, and to top it off, he has won six All-Stars in consecutive seasons.
Brian Fenton already has five
An All-Star and still has a long way to go in his career, there’s a good chance he’ll overtake O’Shea in that particular duel. Fenton is a great player, but O’Shea had a special talent.
Podie Lynch, Pat McCarthy, Saney Walsh and Ambrose O’Donovan have earned glory as Kerry’s other midfielders. Michael Dollar-McAuley, Dennis Bastic and James McCarthy got along well in Dublin before and after Fenton’s arrival in 2015.
Dublin 8 Kerry 9
attack
All-Star numbers are not a definitive way to compare teams from different eras, but they are interesting nonetheless. was the position.
Kelly held four of the six positions for four consecutive years (1978-’81). Pat Spillane (9), Mikey Sheehy (7), John Egan (5), Gar Power (4 forwards, 2 wingbacks) and Eoin Liston (4) are all ‘best ever’ is a bonafide candidate for the team of .
Dublin has also had plenty of attacking power for over a decade, but it doesn’t have as much versatility as Kerry.
Dublin 8 Kerry 9
management
Jim Gavin’s five consecutive All-Ireland wins are a record in both football and hurling, and will never be repeated. Will Mick O’Dwyer surpass him in 12 seasons he has four timers and he has achieved eight All-Ireland including two trebles?
It’s a matter of opinion, but O’Dwyer has some evidence to support him being considered the greatest manager of all time. They are wrapped in the colors of Kildare and Laesch which brought ultimate success to Leinster in his 42nd and his 57th years respectively.
He wasn’t done yet but moved on to Wicklow where he achieved his best ever top 12 championship finish in 2009.
O’Dwyer took over for Kerry in 1974 during a period of low morale in the county, but when Gavin replaced Pat Gilroy in October 2012, the atmosphere in Dublin was very different.
They lost to Mayo in the semi-finals, but most of the 2011 title-winning teams still had a long way to go, with a flood of young talent streaming downstream.
Dublin 8 Kerry 9
squad depth
It is here that Dublin enjoys a distinct advantage. With the number of championship games increasing and more subscriptions being allowed, it is an urgent requirement today.
Only three subs were allowed in the 1970s and 80s and were used primarily in injury situations and into the late game. Management was not inclined to move faster for tactical reasons in case a few players were injured and the team fell short.
In the eight All-Ireland finals won by Kerry, only nine subs were used. Forty-four substitutes appeared, in contrast to Dublin’s eight All-Ireland final successes.
Dublin’s extra-deep pool gave them a huge advantage over the rest of the opposition who didn’t have enough resources.Kerry’s starting 15-man was so good that he didn’t need a large panel. can be done, but in the typical 1982 case, that was not always the case. Jimmy Deenihan, who broke his leg, was absent, while Pat Spillane was limited to a sub role due to ongoing knee problems.
After weakening them in defense and attack and having to look to the sub bench, they were not particularly impressive compared to Dublin in the 2013-2019 period.
A comparison of five consecutive bids on the Kelly and Dublin benches shows the point.
KELLY 1982: Gar Lynch, Vincent O’Connor, Mick Spillane, Pat Spillane (injured), John L. McElligott, Podie Mahoney, Johnny Doyle, Humphrey Moynihan, Jimmy Deenihan (resumes training) just did).
Dublin 2019: Evan Comerford, Paddy Andrews, Bernard Brogan, Diarmuid Connolly, Cormac Costello, Eric Lounds, Philly McMahon, Kevin McManamon, Eoin Marchan, Sian O’Sullivan, Paddy Small.
Dublin 9 Kerry 7
opposite quality
There is something of a myth about Cork’s strength from 1975 to 1986 and how unlucky they were to be contemporaries of the great Kerry team.
In fact, apart from when they forced a replay in the Munster final in 1976 and 1982, and a late victory in 1983, they lost 10 times by an average of 9 points. They weren’t a major league force either.
Ulster and Connacht’s championships were subpar, with the champions frequently losing heavily in All-Ireland semi-finals not playing against each other.
Between 1973 and 1996 no Connacht team had beaten Leinster or Munster champions. Between 1968 and 1991 no Ulster team had beaten the Leinster or Munster champions.
Dublin declined after 1977 and was eventually replaced by Offaly, who defeated Kerry. However, it soon lost power after that.
The modern day Dublin team had little to worry about in the Leinster Championship, but beyond that they had strong challenges from the other three provinces. Kelly has been consistently competitive, but there’s no question that Connaught and Ulster at their best were far better than they were in the 1970s and 80s.
It all points to the conclusion that Dublin has had more to contend with in the past decade than Kerry in his glory days.
Dublin 9 Kerry 8
total: Dublin 60 Kerry 59
