One thing I'd really like to stress. The second part involves quotes from players I know personally. Not friends of friends, or so called "pub talk". We need to start listening to these players and their experiences, despite them 'winning.'

Wonderful player and servant for Kerry. Third medal today. He's so two sided off both his hands and feet. Always uses the appropriate side for both hands passes and kick passes. Great example to any kid...and didn't play Kerry minor.

Loved this score. Right hand hop, left foot solo, right hand hop, pivot of his right (two defenders run into each other), over the bar with his right. Something James O'Donoghue often points out, any forward worth their salt has to take on his man if it's one on one.

Paudie's pass yesterday reminded me so much of Colm Cooper's exhibition of same in 2013. Just class acts. No much more to say.

"David words hard at his game, it's no fluke, it's not just raw talent. There's a lot of hard work goes in as well. I don't think that gets acknowledged as much as it should. There's reason he can kick comfortably off both feet." Aodhán McGearailt (Kerry selector) on Clifford.

x.com/KarolDillon8/s… None of these skills were built in a closed drill. For Gooch, it was on the basketball court in impromptu matches with neighbourhood kids and brothers. For the Cliffords, it was two boys kicking and "killing" each other, with a ball, 24/7 - Adaptability.

Messi averaged 3 miles of walking per 90 minutes at the 2022 World Cup. There will be twelve year olds not moving an inch this weekend!

Great chat colm barron & Shane Dawson People haven’t a notion how far we are behind when it comes to infrastructure & resources for elite level football in this country. The people we need to make decisions on investment regarding said infrastructure have less of a clue! 🤷‍♂️

Recently spoke about Ajax deliberately playing academy players out of position. Éamonn Fitzmaurice did the same with Paul Geaney at school - playing him at centre back despite knowing his playing future lay in the forwards. All about building game IQ.

Aside from all of Paudie's possessions, and never giving the ball away, to have had the ball for over five and a half minutes in an All-Ireland final is insane. He had the ball for 8% of the game!

Watched the final again. We can analyse systems and zonal defences, but raw pace is pure gold in field sports. White, Beaglaíoch, David, Paudie, Joe O'Connor… their ability to beat players 1v1 with pace and power is simple, but priceless. We shouldn't complicate that aspect.

Just one example here from Gavin White. If you watch how the much critiqued Donegal defence was set up, they were set up really well in this instance - this is just sheer pace. youtu.be/NrkbfYE17dc?st… Kerry know this well from having to deal with Jack McCaffery over the years.

I love this clip. I think of the kids kicking a ball alone, and the ones in estates playing three games a day. Places like Marian Terrace and St Brendan’s Terrace in Killarney have produced an absurd amount of All-Ireland medals.

Watching Dr. Crokes on Clubber. As previously noted, about 75% of their players hold the ball in the right hand, present the ball for a kick pass, and if it's not on, they hand pass with their left, despite it not being their dominant hand. That's coaching from a young age.

We saw the mayhem of the new rules on the kickout between Kerry and Armagh. However, club championship matches this weekend are carnage in terms of teams securing their own kickout. Coaching this aspect (winning your own kickout) has to be number one priority for all teams.

In 27 years (1998–2024) for Kerry, U20/U21 starters in senior championships averaged ~3 per side (mostly 0–5). Outliers were: 2011 (9) & 2017 (9) - both just before major senior team turnover. Opportunities often hinge on the senior team’s life cycle, not on U20 team success.

This is a big one - best underage player to come out of Kerry since Clifford. It will not go down well with the County Board.

Isolated drills without the game’s perception–action coupling isn’t real training,it’s just rehearsel. True training happens under competitive &dynamic conditions where behaviors emerge as i/t game. In fact,training may be the wrong word, given how it’s often perceived &executed!

Was enjoyable to chat with Colm recently. We talked about the PhD (Shane Walsh did come up!) and the Brainstorm piece exploring the percentage of county minors who play senior.

The best 3 minutes of footage you will watch anywhere today. Or maybe even this year. You are welcome 😂 x.com/teenytinysuz/s…