Result irrelevant in Killarney as rivals look to summer

It's just shy of 13 years since Jim McGuinness and Jack O’Connor crossed paths on an inter-county sideline for the first time and Saturday’s Division 1 encounter between Kerry and Donegal in Killarney will actually only be the third time they have been in opposition.

McGuinness’s battles against the Kingdom have brought with them a few moments that have stood the test of time, not least 'what do you think of that Joe Brolly?’ and less so, the release of Boris O’Kane’s song ‘The Spy from Donegal’ after a Tir Chonaill native, McGuinness’s best man a number of years earlier, was caught in a tree watching a Kerry closed-doors training session ahead of the 2014 All-Ireland final.

‘Oh me arse is sore but I’ll do much more, I’m the Spy from Donegal'

For the record, the current score for McGuinness against Kerry is 2-2 with 15 points - through a combination of goals and points - proving enough for the victors on the last three occasions. The exception was that first meeting back in the 2012 league where at the same venue as this weekend’s rescheduled encounter, O’Connor’s side strolled to a 2-16 to 1-08 win.

If the early stages of the league tell us anything, it’s that 15 points is likely no longer enough to win a game of football.

Of the Division 1 games played to date, the losing side has managed to beat that target five times out of seven.

Kerry’s opening win against Derry saw the Oakleaf County finish with 1-24. Dublin hit 16 points in their loss to Donegal and frankly, only for some ridiculous third-quarter shooting, should have been looking at 20-points plus.

Jim McGuinness's first test against Kerry was a league defeat in 2012

Even with the two points tucked away, McGuinness wasn’t totally immune from criticism in the aftermath of that win over Dessie Farrell's side.

Love or loath his influence on Gaelic football, one thing that can’t be denied is his innovation. So people tuned into Ballybofey and expected to see a rabbit pulled from a hat and instead got 2024 football.

The aforementioned Brolly, in a Gaelic Life column, was waxing lyrical about last weekend’s action with one exception.

"If we speculated that Jimmy would embrace the new rules and create something full of imagination and excitement, the early signs are not good. Once a dictator, always a dictator?"

It seems McGuinness hasn’t been afforded the same luxuries other teams were in Round 1 when there was understandable uncertainty. The difference in application of rules between the first two weeks was evident – how many ‘three up’ violations do you remember hearing about last weekend? - so it’s only fair Donegal and Kerry get the week’s grace too. And plus, they both won.

And that’s what still trumps all in this elite arena - winning. The new rules, enhancements as Jim Gavin prefers them to be called, are free to be interpreted any way a manager likes.

McGuinness, and O’Connor, know that silverware is still the currency of champions, not free-flowing football. Both suffered two-point All-Ireland semi-final defeats last season, and making up that ground is all that matters, not how they do it.

That means we can expect plenty of experimentation at Fitzgerald Stadium. Don’t expect Michael Murphy in goals for the away side – that's not going to happen – but there will be subtle tweaks from the Dublin game. Runners tried in different positions to see how they can impact that physically-sapping middle eight.

Murphy’s hamstring issue may again keep his return on ice, likewise fellow returnees Eoghan McGettigan and Odhran McFadden Ferry are being eased back in. Finbarr Roarty was, however, thrust straight back into it for his league debut following last year’s eligibility row and it’s a long time since Donegal have been as excited about a defender – and his fine performance on Colm Basquel only enhanced the recently turned 19-year-old's reputation. His manager may opt to test his boundaries with a man-marking job on Paudie Clifford here.

Conor Geaney scores the first of Kerry's five goals against Derry

The Fossa man was one of seven players from July's last-four loss to Armagh to start at Celtic Park last week but one of only two forwards along with Seán O'Shea.

O’Connor is also in experimental mode and it’s already clear that he sees room for improvement in attack as he tries to bolster his scoring options. Last season they hit 0-15 in the All-Ireland quarter-final against Derry and 1-16 in that loss to the Orchard County – although the latter came over 90 minutes following extra-time. Good, but ultimately not good enough.

David Clifford won’t be about, but Micheál Burns may be.

The Dr Crokes man was seemingly deemed surplus to requirements by O’Connor but 0-30 in nine club championship games was too much to ignore, his recall no doubt sealed by a superb All-Ireland semi-final display in the loss to Errigal Ciaran.

By the time that 2014 All-Ireland final came about, where Donaghy memorably name-checked Brolly, O’Connor was managing the county minors and Burns was kicking three points in a player of the match performance as they defeated Donegal to lift the Tom Markham for the first time in 20 years. It’s not Croke Park, yet anyway, but this weekend could rekindle something between the pair.

That’s for further down the line. When McGuinness lost to Kerry in the 2012 league, they lifted Sam a few months later. When they beat them in Division 1 the following season, Mayo hammered them in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Killarney will be a scene of further experimentation for both in this one, don’t expect any ballads to be penned in the aftermath.

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