Newly-crowned Footballer of the Year David Clifford says the Tony Griffin influence was critical to Kerry finally breaking their All-Ireland duck.
The former Clare hurler was brought on board by manager Jack O’Connor as a performance coach at the start of the year, with the role seen as a particularly important one given the psychological trauma that the team had suffered in recent years.
In 2019 and ‘21, Kerry were in commanding positions against eventual All-Ireland champions Dublin and Tyrone respectively only to blow it, while in between there was a dramatic defeat to Cork in the winter Championship of 2020 which abruptly ended their year.
That was the only year in which Clifford has failed to win an All Star since breaking into the Kerry senior team; he has now won four in five years and has supplemented it now with the Footballer of the Year award.
But bridging the gap to their last title in 2014 was all-important.
“We had been very close in the past few years,” Clifford acknowledged. “Probably, in fairness, the introduction of Tony Griffin made a big difference.
“Just working on that mental toughness and bringing us a bit closer as a group. I would say that probably did make a big difference throughout out the year, but especially in the latter stages of those big games.”
However, when they finished the All-Ireland final four points clear of Galway, it didn’t quite bring the jolt of ecstasy that might have been expected.
“I suppose there was massive relief straight away. Which is probably wrong in a way. I won't say you don't enjoy it at the time, but you're just so relieved that you can't think of anything else.
“There was probably a bit of pressure building on us. We had lost a lot of big games and a lot of big games in Croke Park. I wouldn't say we were starting to feel the pressure, but we certainly felt it was time for us to go on and win it.
“The core of the team has been together now since 2019. So, we went through a lot of those losses together. I suppose we all just rallied around each other. Tried to stay together as a group throughout those setbacks.
“There was never any negativity coming from the camp in the off-seasons or anything like that. I think it just brought us closer together going through such tough times like that. I think that's probably what allowed us to come through those big moments in matches this year, those past experiences.”
Although they breezed through Munster and were reasonably comfortable against Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final, their mettle was tested by both Dublin and Galway in the semi-final and final respectively, but they found a way this year.
“It was very satisfying to be able to come through it. Especially when it went down to the wire towards the end of the game.
“In fairness we won a lot of those games this year which was brilliant because they were the sort of tight games we haven't been able to get through over the past few years.”
A clutch moment in the final was Clifford’s 67th minute free from the Cusack Stand side of the field, into the Hill 16 end, with the sides locked on 0-16 each. It sailed through the posts and Kerry tagged on three more unanswered thereafter to seal it.
“I can remember just thinking I wanted to start it at the left post and let it drift back,” Clifford recalled.
“I've hit that free so many times. It's funny, where we come out at Fitzgerald Stadium, that's kind of the first angle on the pitch. And it's the last place we'd kick from as well at the end of training.
“So, it's a free I've kicked a lot. You just go back to your routine in a moment like that.”
In the days after last year’s loss to Tyrone, the gloom was lifted by the birth of Clifford and his girlfriend Shauna’s first child, Ogie, and they got to share the moment on the field after the final.
“Ogie has been an unbelievable change for us. He has just brought so much joy to everyone involved. He brought us all closer together in terms of family.
“To have him there was special. Hopefully he'll be able to look back on it in years to come. Yeah, it was very cool, in fairness.”
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