It would matter a lot to Mayo I agree, if they could do that they would be unstoppable!

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 30/04/2016 18:05:52    1850955

Looking at the top 4 sides as past 5 years, I was shocked to find that Kerry have the oldest panel in every regard, whether looking at starting 15 or average squad age. Listening to RTE pundits, I had half expected Donegal to top the list, but was shocked that they are lowest.
The numbers are determined by starting 15's in National League 2016, referencing 2015 Championship starting line-ups.

KERRY
Average Age starting 15 = 29.93
Average Squad age = 29.15
Age profile 25 - 36.

MAYO
Average Age starting 15 = 28.0
Squad age = 28.14
Age Profile = 21 - 33

DUBLIN
Average Age starting 15 = 28.2
Average Squad age = 27.65
Age profile 21 - 35

DONEGAL
Average Age Starting 15 = 26.33
Average Squad Age = 25.92
Age Profile = 20 - 34

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3024 - 30/04/2016 19:41:58    1850998

Kerry are the equal of Dublin on paper but on the pitch it's a very different story. I think Kerry will struggle to get out of munster this year.

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 30/04/2016 19:44:52    1850999

Kerry are the equal of Dublin on paper? No there not unless your still judging the Gooch, Donaghy, Marc, O Mahoney etc on their form of ten years ago? I keep laughing everything I've been saying the last two years all the experts are saying now and I post for free ha.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 30/04/2016 19:52:57    1851003

Great post neveright. Must admit I didn't think Dublin's age average was anything like as high but on the other hand they have some serious talent among the youngsters on the fringe.

ponga (Mayo) - Posts: 658 - 30/04/2016 19:56:48    1851005

Great post neveright. Must admit I didn't think Dublin's age average was anything like as high but on the other hand they have some serious talent among the youngsters on the fringe.

ponga (Mayo) - Posts:305 - 30/04/2016 19:56:48 18

The Dublin average is actually perfectly balanced, they have a nice blend of talent which is similar to most premiership football teams.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3024 - 30/04/2016 20:37:17    1851020

Kerry are miles behind Dublin on paper and off it. Not to say they can't beat Dublin in a given dat but I can't see anyone beating Dublin at this present time.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11524 - 01/05/2016 09:21:08    1851064

My bet is on a Dublin vs Tyrone final.

JamesH (Mayo) - Posts: 465 - 01/05/2016 12:57:14    1851096

Mayo posters are gas playing down Mayo getting to the final , lads give it over you's are very confident of getting to this years final now stop with the Kerry yerra lark, Mayo will be in this years final and it should be against Dublin and anything can happen on the day.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 01/05/2016 13:10:28    1851100

Kerry are miles behind Dublin on paper and off it. Not to say they can't beat Dublin in a given dat but I can't see anyone beating Dublin at this present time.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts:7295 - 01/05/2016 09:21:08

I don't think Dublin are unbeatable, I do think they have quite a few top drawer attacking players, with the likes of Brogan, Connolly, Andrews, Rock, McManamon, Flynn, Kilkenny etc giving them a wider range of pacey players who are all comfortable scoring.
This means they will normally score a higher percentage of their chances than the opposition, who normally have lower number of players who are comfortable scoring.

Teams with a smaller variety of scorers will need to score goals against Dublin to compensate for lower scoring ratio, however this doesn't happen much as they are all reluctant to commit too many players forward. When you have a large talent pool like Dublin, with a strong well funded development structure in place, you will see marginally stronger players emerge over time.

Dublin's defence operate tighter during the National League than many others, giving them the allure of being masters of all forms of football. I think any of the other top 3 or 4 sides can beat Dublin if they plan for what the Dubs will bring, and set up accordingly.
Long kick-outs by opposition teams are something that leave Dublin vulnerable, but few teams this year have set up to capitalize on this. The core of this Dublin team hasn't changed that much over since 2011 or 2012, but the players they have brought in are brilliant.

Dublin are the benchmark in Gaelic Football, and you won't beat them with a half arsed attempt. It takes weeks and months of analysis, it requires hard repetitive training, and focus and discipline. Sitting back won't be enough, you need to hurt them on the score board, and as Donegal showed in 2014, if you bring war to them, they can get rattled like anybody else and start missing shots.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3024 - 01/05/2016 14:23:35    1851109

Westkerry: i was just pointing out the fact that the likes of marc o se and aidan o mahony have been around donkeys years. The likes of aidan o shea and cillian o connor havnt. So really not a contadiction. It must be hard to be a kerry man these days to realise your days at the top are gone. Dublin are now the team to be feared and will dominate football for the forseeable future. No need to be bitter. Kerry were terrible in the league final. Id rank tyrone and mayo ahead of them

Lyreenside (Carlow) - Posts: 21 - 01/05/2016 14:53:23    1851116

Great post GaryMc82

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 01/05/2016 15:00:20    1851119

I don't think Sublin are unbeatable either....no team is. All I am saying is as it stands it now....it's hard to see anyone beating them. That can change though.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11524 - 01/05/2016 15:16:39    1851124

Lyreenside - You took two of our older players and compared them with two of Mayo's youngest! Haha.... You could have mentioned Andy Moran or Keith Higgins or a few more but that wouldn't fit your argument.
It's not hard to accept Dublin are at the top table that's sport and we will come back like we have over the history of the GAA.
You can put any team you like ahead of us that's grand we will see come the summer where we all finish up.
It would be easy to make smart comments about your own county but that would be to easy and not my style.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 01/05/2016 17:10:19    1851148

WestKerry: look im just merely pointing out the fact that kerry went with with the likes of o se, aidan o mahony, donaghy, sheehan, darren o sullivan and gooch for the final. A lot of experience but perhaps lack freshness for the dublin machine. Did not mean to cause offence just here to state my opinion. Look you can slag carlow all you want not my home county.

Lyreenside (Carlow) - Posts: 21 - 01/05/2016 17:32:36    1851155

I won't get into slagging counties not my style we don't have an inferiority complex down here so no need to put others down.
I find it funny that the ageism is creeping into the GAA and is often used against Kerry and it's creeping into the GAA that your finished when you reach a certain age.
Alan Brogan , Andy Moran, Karl Lacy , Benny Coulter all these guys never let age stop them.
Dublin are the bench mark now that won't last forever same as our 2000s team couldn't last forever.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 01/05/2016 17:54:26    1851162

Westkerry two of them have retired and the other two should as well , listen your one of the good guys so I'm not having a go I'm just pointing out what I think. It's not about age it's about wether your legs are gone or not , for me Alan Brogan still had his legs and could still make a big impact for Dublin but he was right to go out like he did, the Kerry older boys in hindsight should of called it a day after '14.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 01/05/2016 18:32:58    1851170

WestKerry: Look it all depends on the player with regard to age and whether they can add value. Padraig Joyce was one of the finest footballers i have ever seen and almost carried a Galway team on his shoulders towards the latter end of his career. He still had tremendous hunger after all he had achieved in the game. But I think football has moved on even in that short space of time since the likes of Joyce, Coulter, Fay, Geraghty were playing in the noughties. You heard Bernard Brogan on the saturday night show talking about some of the distances dublin players covered in the league final. Age is becoming a factor now.

Lyreenside (Carlow) - Posts: 21 - 01/05/2016 19:35:54    1851186

WestKerry: look im just merely pointing out the fact that kerry went with with the likes of o se, aidan o mahony, donaghy, sheehan, darren o sullivan and gooch for the final. A lot of experience but perhaps lack freshness for the dublin machine. Did not mean to cause offence just here to state my opinion. Look you can slag carlow all you want not my home county.

Lyreenside (Carlow) - Posts:10 - 01/05/2016 17:32:36

You make a fair point, regardless of where you come from.

Kerry currently have by far the oldest panel of all the current big guns, with many of their key talent are on the wrong side of 30. Certain players can play into their 30's, but when you have too many players in that bracket, then the small margins in every position collectively begin to show.
I've listed the Kerry National League final panel, adding James O'Donaghue, as he would normally be in the starting line-up, stating their ages by time of this years All Ireland final.

KERRY
James O'Donaghue (June 90) - 26
Colm Cooper (June 83) - 33
Darren O'Sullivan (May 86) - 30
Donnacha Walsh (July 84) - 32
Paul Murphy ( Aug 91 ) - 25
Brian Sheehan ( Aug 85) - 31
David Moran (June 88) - 28
Kieran Donaghy ( Mar 83) - 33
Fionn Fitzgerald (Apr 90) - 26
Aidan O'Mahony (June 80) - 36
Peter Crowley (May 90) - 26
Shane Enright (June 88) - 28
Mark O'Se (Apr 80) - 36
Killian Young (Jan 87 ) - 29
---------------------------
GK: Brendan Kealy (Jan 86) - 30
----------------------------
Johnny Buckley (July 89) - 27
Barry John Keane (May 90) - 26
Kieran O'Leary (July 87) - 29
Michael Geaney (Oct 89) - 27
Stephen O'Brien (Feb 91) - 25

Average Age starting 15 = 29.93
Average Squad age = 29.15
Squad Age profile 25 - 36.

Eamon Fitzmaurice must be slightly worried by this, as 8 of his starting 15 are aged 30 or older, with a lot of miles on those legs.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3024 - 01/05/2016 20:09:01    1851192

Kerry are going to have to get used to playing second or even third fiddle after this year is out I fear. They will persist with their 'warriors' at this stage. They will begin rebuilding next year and it will take time, a couple of years maybe.

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 01/05/2016 21:23:18    1851200