CLIFFS OF MORE

With the deadliest brothers in arms backed up by top guns elsewhere it looks certain future glory will be coming way of the Kingdom

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KERRY turned up at Croke Park for four big games this year and ended up winning them by an average of 7.5 points.

They didn't edge their way to an All-Ireland. They smashed everything in front of them.

Their rivals should be very afraid.

It's likely Kerry will go on to win three out of the first five All-Irelands under the new rules, now that they have their first one safely tucked away.

That may even be on the low side given that this column predicted Dublin would win five out of 10 Sam Maguires after their 2011 All-Ireland triumph. That figure actually turned out to be eight.

Kerry don't have the depth of that Dublin squad, but they aren't short either as they showed by winning the All-Ireland without Tom O'Sullivan, Paul Geaney and Diarmuid O'Connor - bar a cameo in the final, Tony Brosnan and Barry Dan O'Sullivan picked up injuries along the way too.

They were also missing Paudie Clifford, Sean O'Shea and Mike Breen for spells at the business end of the Championship.

It wasn't even the winning margins - six (Mayo, League Final), eight (Armagh), six (Tyrone) and ten (Donegal) - it was the fact that all four games were over long before the final whistle.

A devastating 14-point salvo in 15 minutes early in the second half killed off the Armagh game.

Kerry should have had two or three more goals against Tyrone.

And in the final 15 minutes against Donegal last Sunday, Jim McGuinness' side managed just one point to Kerry's 1-3 in a game where the margin only fell to four points once in the second half.