The call is from heroism, who will accept?

Perhaps if one had been around for the glorious yet curious duopoly between Dublin and Kerry in the 1970s and early 80s, it might be easier to reason with Dublin’s domination for the last decade and a half. Just to be clear, that is not in any way a criticism of those who are currently Dessie Farrell’s charges. Merely a pondering of what happens now that those whose brilliance had turned the ‘chase’ for Sam Maguire into a processional process for so long are now out of the picture.

Not only can they not win it, but the two shades of blue have exited the stage three hurdles from home for the first time in more than a decade. Of course their misfortune presents opportunity for someone. The call is from heroism, who will accept?

In fairness, it’s only right to start with those who usurped the outgoing kingpins. As was said in the previous offering here, when Galway come with a team they are generally earnestly difficult to overcome and if they’re anything as obdurate as was the case on Saturday last, there’s no reason to discount the possibility of them keeping the West Awake with the return of Sam!

The only thing planting the slightest grain of doubt about the possibility of them doing so is the fact that it’s Donegal who stand in their way. Not only that, but the Tir Chonaill men with Messiah McGuinness back in their corner. Because yes, they are a completely different animal with the Glenties gladiator back at the helm.

How or why that is thousands of people with numerous letters after their names have tried to figure out, but the mystique remains. Perhaps even – if not mostly – among the players under his direction.

Liam Hayes has often spoken of Sean Boylan sprinkling magic dust, and there’s little doubt Jimmy has been dusting some sort of glitter over his charges as they have gone about winning matches and more matches and even more matches. Two trophies down, one more to go.

However, ironically, having bigged them up, I honestly am getting hard to see Sam going for the hills this time around. To make my thought stream even more confusing – especially for myself – is the feeling that this version of Jim’s Donegal usurps the original.

Though for all that, from a long way out, it has had the feeling of one of those years for Padraic Joyce’s side. Few, if any, have been beset by as many injury setbacks as have the Tribesmen this season. From Paul Conroy to Sean Kelly to Damien Comer to Rob Finnerty and Shane Walsh.

Just look at that list. Being short of any one of those  therein would be enough to derail the ambitions of most teams. But it is an endorsement of the depth which Joyce has at his disposal that they were able to overcome the setbacks, capture the Connacht SFC for a third consecutive season and currently sit just two steps away from lifting the greatest football trophy in Irish sport.

Naturally, mind you, those on the other side of the draw, Armagh and Kerry, will both have equal notions and the wherewithal to turn them into reality. Of course, their forthcoming dalliance with Kerry presents another conundrum all unto itself. Simply out of it being very difficult to predict which version of Jack O’Connor’s team will show up.

If, for example, Type A get off the bus, with the Cliffords et al playing like they can do, it could be over as a contest very quickly. However, on the other hand, they revert to what has been standard script for a worrying length of time for devotees of the Kingdom, their opponents will be more than capable of giving them the bellies full of it.

For you see, if you offered me a day in the boots of one of the remaining competitors, your hand would summarily be whipped off to link up with the boys from the county Armagh. Right, part of that is down to a long standing admiration of their often maligned manager. The best centre back the one seeing eye here has ever had the pleasure of viewing – though it’s a short head finish with his fellow former Kildare manager Glenn Ryan – his inspirational attributes as a player have obviously followed him into the dugout.

In an often needlessly cutthroat results driven environment, the longevity understandably afforded to Kieran McGeeney underscores the reverence in which he is rightfully held amongst his own kinfolk – and indeed by many outside of the environs of the Orchard.

Now, his detractors – though I’m honestly not sure how he could have any – will labour on the point that his charges have been something of a yoyo team in league terms during his tenure – but that can hardly be all his fault. A tradesman can only work with the material at his disposal. Indeed, over time you can see how he and the other Kieran and Ciaran – Donaghy and McKeever respectively – have gone about remoulding their forces to keep them fresh and competitive.

Witness the infusion of (relative) newcomers like Paddy Burns, Peter McGrane, Ben Creeley, Oisin Conaty and several Mackin brothers. Then, the likes of Jarly Og Burns, Rian and Oisin O’Neill, Andy Murnin, ‘Turbo’, Ross McQuillan and Jason Duffy are hardly auld timers.

Besides all of the above, in my view, the other major advantage Geezer’s gang have on their contemporaries is in the way they play the game. Firstly because their use of the long ball is a lot less taxing on their own fuel reserves. Plus, such is the way Gaelic football has been infected with hyper defencive psycho babble, a lot of teams quite literally don’t know how to deal with in.

Don’t get me wrong, Kerry’s full back line triumvirate of Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley and Tom O’Sullivan are all supremely gifted footballers, but, it would be contended by this corner that they’re actually much better for augmenting the attack than dealing with the rudiments of what is considered to be their primary obligation.

By that yardstick, then, you’d imagine Armagh would be the very outfit those from where the pale moon rises would want to avoid getting dragged into aerial warfare with.

Then again, Jack O’Connor’s men would only vulnerable to such aerial bombardment if their opponents can figure out how to best deploy their resources. From the outside looking in, positioning Rian O’Neill anywhere other than the edge of the square is not doing so.

Conversely however, if the Crossmaglen clubman is stationed closest to Shane Ryan, it could be the ace in the pack which gives the Orchard men a shot at the big one.