So they’ve pulled together a team after all, Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice naming a starting line-up for Sunday’s semi-final showdown against Dublin who between them have 27 All-Ireland winning medals, with another 15 such medals spread among the substitutes.
Missing through injury, as expected, is centre-back and three-time All-Ireland winner Killian Young, with Mark Griffin coming into the defence instead: Griffin is actually named at full-back, one of three changes from the quarter-final win over Cavan, with Fitzmaurice redesigning his defence in the process.
Centre-back
Peter Crowley will now start at centre-back, switching from the wing, with Marc Ó Sé, who started at full-back the last day, moving into the corner, with Fionn Fitzgerald coming out onto the wing.
A fit again Anthony Maher – who was replaced just prior to the Cavan game – resumes his place at midfield ahead of David Moran, as does James O’Donoghue at corner forward, with Kieran Donaghy thus dropping back down to the bench, alongside fellow three-time All-Ireland winner, Eoin Brosnan. Brosnan was tipped by some to start in place of Young, and yet Fitzmaurice has gone for youth over experience – as the 22-year-old Griffin, from the St Michael’s-Foilmore club in south Kerry, only made his championship debut in the Munster final win over Cork.
Indeed O’Donoghue’s return from a hamstring injury means Kerry will start with the same six forwards as in that Munster final. While Young’s loss remains considerable, Bryan Sheehan and Aidan O’Mahony, both four-time All-Ireland winners, have recovered from their injuries to be included on the bench, too.
Survivors
It all means there are eight survivors from the side that started in the 2011 All-Ireland final defeat to Dublin: goalkeeper Brendan Kealy, Marc Ó Sé, Tomas Ó Sé, Anthony Maher, Darran and Declan O'Sullivan, Donnchadh Walsh and Colm Cooper, while Paul Galvin was introduced as a substitute.
KERRY (SF v Dublin): 1 B Kealy (Kilcummin); 2 M Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht), 3 M Griffin (St Michaels/Foilmore), 4 S Enright (Tarbert); 5 T Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht), 6 P Crowley (Laune Rangers), 7 F Fitzgerald (Dr Crokes); 8 A Maher (Duagh), 9 J Buckley (Dr Crokes); 10 P Galvin (Finuge), 11 C Cooper (Dr Crokes, capt),12 D Walsh (Cromane); 13 Darran O'Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar), 14 Declan O'Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), 15 J O'Donoghue (Killarney Legion). Subs: 16 B Kelly (Killarney Legion), 17 K Donaghy (Austin Stacks), 18 D Moran (Kerins O'Rahillys), 19 E Brosnan (Dr Crokes), 20 K O'Leary (Dr Crokes), 21 J Sherwood (Firies), 22 B Sheehan (St Mary's), 23 P Curtin (Moyvane), 24 A O'Mahony (Rathmore), 25 M Geaney (Dingle), 26 P Geaney (Dingle).
