Men against boys.
When looking at David Clifford represent Kerry, it really does make you question whether you’re watching a minor match, or a senior one.
The Fossa club man, despite being only 18-years-old, fills out his jersey like a fully-fledged senior star. He is tall, he has a lean but muscular frame and he has the speed, he has the power and he has every skill in the book.
Clifford is now in his third year as a Kerry minor, and he has unfailingly wowed those from the Kingdom and further beyond with each passing one.
The Kerry minors were in action against Cavan in the All-Ireland minor semi-final on Sunday, and much of the build-up to the game focused around the king of the kingdom.
The hype didn’t get to his head. It never gets to his head, Clifford nearly always delivers. By the time the clock had stuck the twentieth minute, he had struck four casual points from play as he elusively strode past his opponents with frightening ease.
When his day was over, he had notched 1-10 as Kerry marched to next month’s All-Ireland final with a 2-22 to 2-10 win.
The man seems to never have to get out of first gear, he plays the game at his own pace and his own pace is just so far ahead of everybody else’s.
This boy is going places, and we are just hoping that those places don’t involve Australia.
There is no point in hiding from it, this fella is on the radar of all AFL clubs and they will be doing their best to get their hands on him.
The better he gets, the more Kerry fans will worry, and even assertions from Aussies’ International Head of Recruitment, Tadhg Kennelly, that Clifford isn’t heading Down Under won’t give them the peace of need they need.
Former Dublin star Mossy Quinn’s thoughts won’t quash these thoughts.
Watching David Clifford so far here in Croke Park just reaffirms my hope he has a long & successful Aussie Rules career…#GAA
— Tomás Quinn (@mossyquinn) August 20, 2017
Kerry legend Bomber Liston said what we were all thinking.
Think David Clifford must be overage
— Eoin Liston (@EoinListon) August 20, 2017
Appearance is very deceiving at times with Clifford.
David Clifford is one of those wonderfully talented sportsmen who always looked wrecked, from minute 1. A Gaelic Damien Duff or Rafa Nadal.
— Mikey Stafford (@me_stafford) August 20, 2017
Tyrone AFL star Conor McKenna was impressed.
David Clifford class act👌👌
— Conor Mckenna (@CMckenna7) August 20, 2017
The Cavan men did their very best to stifle the influence of the boy wonder, putting two and sometimes three men in marking him, but they still just couldn’t lay a finger on him.
The Cavan man who started the game marking Clifford in Evaan Fortune from the Cavan Gaels club, did his best, and made some brave blocks and tackles on Clifford, but the size difference between the two players just shows the different league in which he is operating.
Fortune is probably your average sized minor player.
Beside Clifford, it really is a man against a boy.
The man is an animal, and he would make almost every minor in the country look small.
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