Kerry great Pat Spillane feels the Kingdom’s gameplan “didn't have any high tempo” against Mayo and ultimately cost them at Croke Park.

The Westerners came from seven points down against the defending champions to win by 1-20 to 1-17, tearing up the script to claim their county’s first All-Ireland SFC crown in 75 long years.

Speaking on the Indo GAA Podcast, Spillane said the difference for him was that Mayo stuck to their gameplan while Kerry abandoned theirs.

“Kerry's best performance was against Armagh down in Killarney. I thought that was Kerry football at its best. Quick tempo football, kicking the ball in,” said the eight-time All-Ireland winner.

“Kieran Donaghy was on the sideline in Killarney that day and all he kept shouting was 'quick, kick the ball in, get it in fast'. Funnily enough he was doing that all during the league and even the McGrath Cup. There was a huge emphasis on kicking and getting the ball into the three-man full forward line quick.

“Whatever happened, when they came to Croke Park this year against Tyrone, against Dublin, and against last Sunday, they came with a different attacking game plan.

“Their gameplan didn't have any high tempo, it didn't have as much kicking as they had. Their game plan seemed to be all about slow build up, too conservative, too safe, and not getting shots off...

“During the Tyrone or Dublin game, Donaghy was shouting 'slow it down, keep possession, don't carry it into contact'.

“Whatever it was about it, those three performances were not Kerry playing at their best. I thought their attacking play, particularly last Sunday, was too choreographed, too rehearsed, too structured.

“It lacked the chaos, quick play, and kicking that Kerry excel at.”

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