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Dublin great claims David Clifford has big weakness defenders can exploit

Published 10:46 30 May 2026 BST

Updated 11:00 30 May 2026 BST

Colman Stanley
Dublin great claims David Clifford has big weakness defenders can exploit

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Big claims!

All-Ireland champions Kerry are no longer favourites to regain their title, after two big defeats to Donegal in their last two matches.

The latest came last weekend, and while their talisman David Clifford wasn't at his very best, he was still his side's joint top scorer with 0-04.

His brother, Paudie, was far from the level we know he can produce, but a large part of this was down to the defending from Donegal's Finnbar Roarty, who kept him to 0-01.

Dublin great Philly McMahon has argued that defenders should be employing some of Roarty's tactics on Clifford, to exploit a weakness in his game.

Speaking on the Indo Sport podcast, McMahon stated: "You can challenge him in regard how he reacts to certain things.

"And we saw it against Tyrone, he got two yellows, we saw it in different incidences.

"I remember in my last season, I remember contacting Dessie (Farrell) and saying to him 'stick me on Clifford, he's going be a player that we're going to have to lock down, I want to lock down.'

"And I said 'I'm going to throw a few verbals here', just to see would he bite, and he did.

"And I knew then he doesn't necessarily need the fastest player marking him or the tightest player marking him, he just needs someone to be taking him off his focus.

"So that when every time that ball comes up, he's thinking this fella is hanging out of me, like Roarty was doing with Paudie."