As a Gaelic football fan, I get a real kick out of watching this current Dublin team play. Of course, it's Mayo first and foremost as a supporter but I think like most fair-minded supporters we can appreciate other teams - especially the great teams and make no mistake, this Dublin team are now a great side.
To me, it's like watching Barcelona under Guardiola in their pomp and we should appreciate them while they're around. Of course given their immense population pick and access to resources Dublin will remain a competitive force but for sheer raw talent allied with tremendous athleticism we've seldom seen there like - if ever? The skill level and execution of those skills at pace has been taken to another level by this uber professional Dublin team.
Do Dublin now have the capacity and experience to finally win back to back All Irelands? Yes, of course they do! Will they? I sincerely believe they will do it in 2016.
Looking at potential opposition, the Dublin vs. Kerry relationship has become a complete inversion of what it once was. Dublin are clearly now the better balanced team with simply better and more naturally talented footballers holding off a well coached and more artificially manufactured Kerry team squeezing ever ounce out of their less talented resources. Kerry should be in a better place 3 or 4 years down the line but for now Dublin are clearly their master. I think the ship has sailed too for this Mayo team in terms of winning Sam and Mayo enter 2016 under a terrible self imposed pressure to try justify all the autumn hullabaloo. No one will be surprised if it all ends in more tears and recrimination for my poor old Mayo. Tyrone under the wily Mickey Harte are a Croke Park team with the kind of devil may care attitude and tactical flexibiltiy who could yet be Dublin's biggest obstacle in 2016. Getting into that position to challenge will be Tyrone's biggest obstacle. Donegal? Nah, not Sam contenders now. At this juncture, I don't see much else around on the Gaelic football landscape to worry the Dubs.
When all is said and done, I think we will see this Dublin team rising in 2016 to hit the absolute peak of their powers and retain their All Ireland title.
Agree with the Donegal lad above. Even though they wouldnt be ranked as high as Kerry or mayo at the moment, of all the teams in the competition Id give Tyrone the best chance of beating the dubs.