Ian O'Riordantalks to Kerry's Aidan O'Mahony, who has effectively replaced the near-irreplaceable, at the heart of the Kingdom's defence

Strange how many of these Kerry footballers are walking contradictions - the "player" and the "person" opposites in virtually every respect. On the field they're hard as steel and ruthlessly competitive, whereas off it they're all gentlemanly and innocent-like, as if a lump of Kerrygold wouldn't melt in their mouth.

Aidan O'Mahony certainly fits this paradox: Since breaking into the Kerry team four years ago he's become one of the most hard-hitting, hard-tackling, and hard-boiled players in the country, yet in person, he's all soft-hearted and unfailingly soft-spoken. Essentially he's a raging football machine in an otherwise human body.

These are qualities O'Mahony shares with the former Kerry footballer he's effectively replaced - the near-irreplaceable Séamus Moynihan. With Moynihan retiring last year, O'Mahony has been handed the centre back position to make his own, which he was already well on the road to doing during last year's championship, especially after being named man-of-the-match in the All-Ireland win over Mayo.

"Séamus is near enough to me at home, and of course I still look up to the guy," says O'Mahony. "And we still meet Séamus after every game. He's still a great inspiration, in that everyone looks up to him. He'll still have the quiet word or two, and I know at training we still talk about what Séamus did here or there. He was a great reader of the game, but it's up to players like myself now to give some of that inspiration to the younger players.

"Before this year I was more used to playing on the wing. On the wings there is more space to take the ball down the line, but at centre back you're really holding the house, and that's something you just have to get used to. The one thing I have to do is stay back there, be more conservative. But the job is really the same, to mark your man, and get on the ball as much as you can. And I certainly don't mind the man-marking."

In fact, O'Mahony is the worst nightmare of any forward - the way he hounds every possession, throws his full weight behind every tackle. He doesn't look six-foot tall, probably because he's almost half that size again in shoulder width. And he's central now to this Kerry team - one of only three players to start and finish all their league and championship matches of 2007. Yet his career was a slow-starter, and without any underage success of note, O'Mahony made his senior debut at age 23 partly by necessity. Then manager Jack O'Connor had endured the bewilderment of an opening league defeat to Longford, and down several players for the next date with Cork, looked to the fringe player from Rathmore. For O'Mahony that was the horns of the bull.

"Football is everything to me," he says. "I was going to these Kerry games growing up, and when you get your chance you have to grab it with both hands, and don't let go. The most important thing for me is that I want to live out my dreams playing Kerry football. I want to do everything I can, and be happy then when I retire."

So with two All-Ireland medals in the pocket now comes the chance of a third - and like the rest of the Kerry team, O'Mahony finds the prospect of playing Cork in the final a little unusual. More than any other final it seems the fear of losing is driving them, rather than the thought of winning. "For sure, they don't want to lose to us, and we don't want to lose to them. But the two best teams in the country are in the final, that's the only way of looking at it. We'll certainly be forgetting all about the game in Munster earlier this year.

"Cork were very unlucky on the day, a great chance to win it in the end, and I don't think they'll be much between us again on Sunday.

"We'll be used to playing them as well. My big memory of Cork is losing the Munster final replay last year. We were lucky to beat them earlier this year, but I think they've come on leaps and bounds again. They're ferociously strong down the centre, and very fit. The rivalry has been coming again over the last few years, and again I think the fact that this is our first All-Ireland final no one will want to lose it."

Kerry also seem aware that they've come on a bit themselves in recent weeks, especially given the nail-biting battles against Monaghan and Dublin: "There was a lot of incentive going into the Dublin game. A lot of people had written us off, after the Monaghan game. But then I don't think people gave Monaghan enough credit. They were unbelievable in their quarter final, and very unlucky.

"That was a game we needed, and against Dublin I think we all upped our performance. But I do remember walking past the Canal End, and facing up to the Hill, and thinking what's going on here? With the noise, and everything, the support Dublin have is unbelievable, and when they came back at us in the second half they nearly shook the roof off. But the fact that you're from Kerry means you're used to that, having 31 counties against you.

"The main thing now is getting the win. There are 14 more players around me, and we've six great forwards, and Darragh Ó Sé at midfield. I just feel if the team plays well then everyone plays well. It's been a while, as well, since the All-Ireland was won back-to-back, and that's an added incentive. But it's really just another All-Ireland final for us, and all the incentive was there anyway, like not losing to Cork. We'll go out there prepared to leave everything on the field."

Aidan O'Mahony

Club: Rathmore

Age: 27

Height: 6 ft

Weight: 13 st

Honours: Two All-Ireland senior, Two National League, Four Munster senior, One All Star