Former Dublin midfielder Ciaran Whelan feels the midfield battle will be crucial for Mayo if they are to tear up the script on Kerry in Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC final.

Andy Moran’s side are bidding to claim their county’s first Sam Maguire Cup crown since 1951 and are 2/1 outsiders against the defending champions (4/11).

Speaking on the RTE GAA podcast this week, Whelan says the Westerners will need “a good read” on Kerry No 1 Shane Murphy’s kickouts at Croke Park to try and edge the battle in the centre of the field.

"It comes back to the old-fashioned scrap in the middle. Dublin did crack the Kerry kickout for periods before half-time and after half-time,” said the two-time All-Star.

"If you've three or four across the middle and there's 30 kickouts for either side, if a midfielder catches six balls, seven balls, he's nearly a man of the match.

"Or, even between the two (midfielders), you've eight or nine (possessions), you've dominated. But it's all that breaking ball and Mayo will have to really, like Dublin did, break it up and get bodies into that break zone.

"(They'll need) a good read on Shane Murphy's kickouts, where his long ones go, whether his preference will be out to the right-hand side and get bodies there. It's going to take a massive effort. It's another one of those things that really has to go for Mayo.

"If they can break 50-50 in the middle, get enough off the Kerry kickout, get a couple of phases where they win three or four in a row, get enough turnovers high up the field that they have the Kerry defence out of shape.

"They're all the aspects that they're hoping will come together."

Tweet

Most Read Stories