They’re in hot pursuit of a third successive Sam Maguire.
Over the last few years, Dublin have had an unrelenting stranglehold over the football world. Their dominance in Leinster has been so pronounced that it’s almost ridiculous to state they would ever be challenged in the province.
In 2015 and 2016, this sheer dominance has extended to the All-Ireland stage.
Marc O’Sé was speaking on The GAA Hour Football Show on Thursday when he revealed why Dublin have been so far ahead of the rest. According to the five-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry, the secret to Dublin’s success is the simplicity with which their players play.
They don’t overcomplicate things, they just do what comes naturally to them.
“They keep it so simple, why is Brian Fenton one of the best footballers in the country? why is Kilkenny one of the best? They keep things simple. They’re not trying this outside of the right boot ball into the right corner forward position,” argued O’Shea.
It’s hard to argue with him, too. In a GAA world where players are constantly seeking that minuscule edge over their opponents, players can get confused with tactics, with over-analyzed approaches to the game. Players think they have to do something out of the ordinary to succeed.
One of the best things a player can do is to play the game simply. It is imperative for a player to perfect the basic aspects of the game, such as the hand pass, the give and go and so on according to O’Sé.
“If there’s a one-two on, they’ll give it and they’ll go again. It’s something that I’ve certainly noticed about Fenton, and I’ve noticed it as well about Kilkenny. it’s actually, It’s a simple game. We try and complicate it, but these lads don’t try and complicate it, they keep it simple. I particularly noticed that and Kilkenny.”
O’Sé then went on to argue that once a player focuses on these fundamental aspects of the game, which the Dublin players have done, they can then focus on doing them at a quicker pace and with a more precise accuracy.
“One thing you have to do is you have to do things at pace, and if you’re going to do things at pace you need to do them accurately. That’s what separates a great player from a good player, doing things at pace, accurately and skilfully,” said the 38-year-old.
That’s what makes Dublin so good.
You can listen to O’Sé’s advice here from 45’00”.
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