Diarmuid Connolly is a serious specimen.

He’s a big man, he’s a powerful man, he’s a ridiculously talented footballer.

If you were going to create and build a type of species to play modern day football, Connolly would be what everyone would would dream up from a blank canvas.

The game has changed. Whilst Colm Cooper is still a genius who can have a glorious effect on a match, whilst he’ll probably go down as one of the most beautiful footballers possibly of all time, it’s an era now for the Diarmuid Connollys of this world.

It’s a time for guys who can go and win their own ball anywhere, throw two men off them, charge through tackles, shoot from beyond the 45′ and basically play in whatever line of the field they have to.

The old era Gaelic footballer versus the new species#GAA pic.twitter.com/CViRsejPIl

— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) August 29, 2016

The difference in aesthetics is frightening.

Here we have two men that will be remembered as two of the best of a generation and their make-up couldn’t be farther apart.

So let’s break it down.

What is Beast Mode?

According to Urban Dictionary, there are a number definitions for Beast Mode.

One suggests that it is a state of mind – when you go to a wilder place inside.

Another says this: “When in a state of serious training or at a level of high effort.”

But one more encapsulates the term Beast Mode and it encapsulates this photo:

“Superhuman state of being, in which animal instinct takes over mind and body.”

State of mind.

Nostrils flaring, teeth biting, veins bulging.

Diarmuid Connolly has switched into animal mode right here. All he cares about is winning back the ball and eating up whoever the hell dares to stand in his way.

We can’t get inside his mind but what his outward viciousness is showing us is that his head has gone to one place and one place alone: Beast mode.

Colm Cooper’s hasn’t.

His head is tilted away – Cooper doesn’t need this shit anymore. He’s already played in nine All-Ireland finals, what’s another one to him? F**king relax Diarmo.

The eyes are closed – hard to tell if this is a Jesus Christ sigh, he’s terrified of the animal hounding him down, or he’s so far away from Beast Mode that he’s actually about to fall asleep.

His teeth are being bitten in a different manner. Imagine you’re about to be hit across the head with a hammer. That sort of ‘holy shit’ biting of teeth.

Beast Mode level: Gaelic Football has lost its soul.

Superhuman.

Diarmuid Connolly’s hand looks like it would squash Cooper’s head.

It’s covering the Kerry legend’s shoulder and a good bit of his bicep and it just looks freakishly unnatural.

Beast Mode level: Dublin His hand needs to be split in two.

Serious training.

That’s not beach muscles. That’s a proper, solid, ‘I deadlift for fun’ and ‘bench press twice your body weight’ sort of arm.

Connolly’s bicep, his tricep, his forearms are bulging.

Beast Mode level: Are these jerseys player-fit? It doesn’t matter because I’m going to fill it anyway.

Even Colm Cooper couldn’t resist in pulling up Connolly’s shirt to get a look at what was underneath.

A rock-solid, 8-pack. You could do your ironing on that stomach – if it wasn’t covered in so much muscle.

He eats cleanly, his lifting technique is obviously flawless.

Beast Mode level: You don’t get injured with a core like that.

Animal.

Diarmuid Connolly’s legs are frightening.

It’s the one area that any strength and conditioning coach would be hammering into a team. Build up the legs, get a strong lower body. Squat and dead lift like your life depended on it.

From Connolly’s upper thigh, the whole way down to his calves, he is just pure muscle. He’s an athletic dream that is filled with explosive power and it’s obvious that he doesn’t neglect his kicking. Well, the fact that he’s the most skillful player in Ireland would testify to that.

Beast Mode level: I don’t need to pull my socks above my ankles to make my legs look stronger.

Unsure what the exact calculations are but Diarmuid Connolly is an animal and he flicks into Beast Mode whenever the hell he wants. He’s designed that way. He’s perfectly designed.

Check out our GAA Hour All-Ireland preview special live in Dublin with Jack McCaffrey, Paul Galvin, Colm Cooper, Kieran McGeeney, Peter Canavan and so much more. Listen below or subscribe here on iTunes.

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