Kerry needs to re-group after events in Killarney

It appears that Donegal football manager Jim McGuinness has absolutely nothing to worry about despite what happened at half-time in the Kerry-Donegal championship match in Killarney on Saturday.

You’d want to be living under a rock not to know that things got, well, a little tetchy and spilled over at half-time.

Then, before the game resumed for the second half the referee gave a straight red card to Kerry’s Micheál Burns, a decision that had a major influence on the way things went afterwards and effectively handed Donegal a big victory.

This was not a good day for Kerry football. And the team’s management and players will now have to re-group, consider, plan and re-kindle that flame that lies at the heart of Kerry football.

We need have no worries in that regard. Kerry football hasn’t survived the centuries (small exaggeration!) to be thrown off course by a bit of a schemozzle at Fitzgerald Stadium.

It’s a gross understatement to say that there’s a deep and passionate rivalry between Kerry and Donegal at this stage, got to do with personalities and style of play.

That Northern crowd are tough, while Kerry players – who aren’t exactly shrinking violets either – would, in fairness, be regarded traditionally as occupying a higher rung on the skills ladder.

It takes that magic mix of skill and aggression to win an All-Ireland and that’s precisely what Kerry put on full display last year when they rolled over Donegal in the final at Croke Park.

The depth of rivalry between the counties made that All-Ireland success all the sweeter. ‘Course it did.

So, while events in Killarney were unwelcome they were hardly a surprise. What was a surprise was Jim McGuinness’ interaction with a Kerry player during those half-time incidents.

It appears that McGuinness came into contact with the Kerry player and in an interview afterwards he betrayed a distinct prickliness when asked about this by a journalist.

We all recall how Dublin manager Ger Brennan was banned for 12 weeks for getting involved in a fracas with a Galway conditioning coach during a league match.

Dublin have been in rag order ever since.

The difference between Jim McGuinness and Ger Brennan is that Brennan received a red card at the time. On the other hand, McGuinness received no notice whatsoever from the referee at Fitzgerald Stadium.

The GAA competitions authorities have the power to review what Jim McGuinness did nor did not do. And take it from there.

It’s now clear that the GAA has no stomach for any kind of lookback. They’ve drawn a line across Saturday’s events and that’s kind of understandable despite what it might say about rules that should apply to all equally, without fear or favour.

Kerry’s defeat on Saturday, on home ground, was hard. It’ll now take a little time to recover.

But for Kerry footballers recovery is a practiced art.

Remember, this championship isn’t over yet. And Sam Maguire hasn’t gone anywhere.