Dublin are champions.

They are worthy champions.

Jim Gavin’s men reclaimed the All-Ireland with a 0-12 to 0-9 victory over Kerry and here’s how the players performed.

DUBLIN

Stephen Cluxton 6
Kept his composure to nail his first score of the championship and what a score it was. His kickouts were pressured early on but when he got runners, he found them. Missed the rest of his frees though, wasn’t called upon for any saves.

Jonny Cooper 8
Picked up James O’Donoghue and started off by eating him up. O’Donoghue is O’Donoghue though and he wriggled free for a couple of scores but Cooper’s shift was tenacious and he bombed forward when he could. Won ball aplenty with some fine tackles before Gavin made the switch to change his corner backs again.

Rory O’Carroll 8
Struggled with Geaney in the initial exchanges but began to overshadow his man and got well on top by the time Geaney was whipped off. Dealt brilliantly with Donaghy

Philly McMahon 8
Gave Colm Cooper the same treatment he gave the Mayo tactics when he pushed right up on the dropping forwards and got on the scoresheet again.

James McCarthy 8
Usual, scrappy display. A brilliant display, especially for the conditions. Always seemed to be in and around breaks, tackling, and nicking in for ball. Linked a lot of play in the forward line too. Of course he won the very last ball in defence when Kerry huffed for a goal.

Cian O’Sullivan 8
Back in the heart of defence and back pinging long passes to his attackers. It was important that he played.

Jack McCaffrey 7
Seemed to spend more time in offence, driving forward when he could and kicking a great score. His game ended prematurely though when Dublin really needed his spark.

Brian Fenton 8
Opened the scoring with a composed effort and did not let the Kerry midfield dominate. Ran the show in the first period. Hit the post with a goal chance he carved himself but had some game as he constantly picked holes in the opposition.

Denis Bastick 5
Was game as anything and challenged in the air but he was second best in the middle to the Kerry midfield and came off early in the second half.

Paul Flynn 7
Couldn’t seem to do anything right this season and he gave a few away early on and had a really bad wide in the second period. But all that to bed in perfect time when he nailed one off his left before a screamer of a point reeled back his four All-Star years.

Diarmuid Connolly 8
Always involved. Made a superbly-timed tackle in the first half to deny Kerry a sure score and was carrying ball through three and four challenges when he could. Began to dominate around the middle after the break

Ciaran Kilkenny 7
Had a quiet enough game by his own ridiculous standards this season but won some important breaks and started the supply line for Dublin when they were in danger of waning. Came out with ball time and time again

Paddy Andrews 6
Won ball, moved well, but nowhere near affecting the scoreboard like he did against Mayo.

Dean Rock 4
Missed a big goal chance early on and had a bad wide in the first period too. His free kicks were on the money but he was subbed at half time.

Bernard Brogan 7
Dropped the first four balls in tough conditions but his movement was vertig0-inducing. When he finally got to grips with the ball, he nailed a score almost immediately with virtually no space. Lost some ball but he was ever-present on the inside line. A constant pest.

Subs

Kevin McManamon 6
Didn’t have the Kevin McManamon effect but he ran and ran and then ran some more.

Michael Darragh MacAuley 7
Started by just gliding forward. Didn’t really affect the midfield exchanges but he was typically integral in open play. Batted the final high ball away with conviction.

Michael Fitzsimmons 6
Lost O’Donoghue with the very first play when he was brought on but he soon got to grips with the game and slotted in seamlessly.

John Small 6
Provided more physicality to deal with the late aerial bombardment.

Darren Daly 5
Just needed to sow up the lead.

Alan Brogan 7
Came on, glided through the defence. Scored.

KERRY

Brendan Kealy 6
Good stop on Rock but it should have been scored. Put the side under pressure with a couple of fluffed kickouts that invited Dublin to run on to.

Fionn Fitzgerald 7
Did a job on Andrews and was hardly noticed all afternoon. That’s good.

Aidan O’Mahony 7
Aggressive, tight, strong. An Aidan O’Mahony performance.

Shane Enright 6
Was caught behind for a lot of the play but never left hanging to dry.

Jonathan Lyne 7
Curled over an absolute beauty at the start of the second half. Did well to limit Kilkenny’s attacking threat.

Peter Crowley 6
Kept Connolly off the scoresheet but he didn’t keep him from having an effect on the game.

Killian Young 6
Had a good game but he had THE chance with four minutes to go to hit the net and level the game. He dropped the ball – literally.

Anthony Maher 8
When Kerry got momentum in the second half, it was because Maher got going.

David Moran 6
He’s had better games. Was left tracking too much trying to stop the flow of Dublin waves coming forward.

Stephen O’Brien 4
Worked very hard but failed to really impress himself on the game and he was withdrawn at the break.

Johnny Buckley 5
Linked the play well and got through a mountain of work in the middle but another victim of an early sub.

Donnchadh Walsh 5
Worked hard. Saying that too much about Kerry’s forwards.

Colm Cooper 5
Found himself in defence far too much. Played one gorgeous pass but wasn’t impacting the game as the attacking threat we know he is.

Paul Geaney 6
Two good scores early on but his presence waned.

James O’Donoghue 7
Had a ding-dong battle with Cooper. It’s a measure of how good last year’s Footballer of the Year is that the defence probably got the better overall of him, and he still notched three from play.

Subs

Darran O’Sullivan 7
Announced himself brilliant with a fine score straight after the break and pinged another beauty. Tireless tracking back to stop the Dubs’ deep runs.

Bryan Sheehan 5
Was uncharacteristically off with his frees and didn’t really get involved much in open play.

Kieran Donaghy 6
Caused Dublin problems but not enough for the amount of ball that came his way.

Paul Galvin 5
Came on to rapturous applause. Didn’t live up to the billing.

Paul Murphy 5
Brought in to replace O’Mahony. Didn’t have much to do.

Barry John Keane 5
Wasn’t given enough time.