The motivational words hanging in the warm-up room that inspired Dublin to glory

Natural selection.

There's no big secret to Dublin's success. It's not incomprehensible and it's certainly not paranormal or anything like that. In fact, it's entirely logical and that logic is what their whole ethos is founded upon. Natural selection. Charles Darwin's idea that organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive - and then continue by producing offspring - can sum up Dublin's undefeated two years just past. Survival of the fittest, basically. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/782844640730943488 But Jim Gavin would never allow that theory to corrupt the All-Ireland champions. Yes, they have some of the finest individuals this game has ever seen but this is not an individual sport and that individualism promises them nothing in this environment. No, it's about the collective. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts - that's not just a cliche, that's bloody critical in this unforgivable team game. And that's what has been drilled into Dublin and that's what keeps them focused. https://twitter.com/dermoc123/status/782290965369352192 Behind them in their warm-up area as they posed with their battle trophy, read Darwin's words from The Descent of Man.

"There can be no doubt that a tribe including many members who, from possessing in a high degree the spirit of patriotism, fidelity, obedience, courage, and sympathy, were always ready to give aid to each other and to sacrifice themselves for the common good, would be victorious over most other tribes; and this would be natural selection."

When most think of natural selection, they think of the survival of individuals but, by this theory, fitter groups could outlast other groups. For Dublin, it is about the team. It is exactly that, sacrificing yourself for the common good and it doesn't really matter if you're the best or the worst individual, when all the pieces are added up, it's about how strong the unit is. This keeps them grounded. This is why they go out as blood-thirsty every single week and this is why the so-called superstars are back in their own 45' helping out. It's not about the man. It's about the team. It's about natural selection. The GAA Hour podcast is out every Monday and Thursday. Subscribe here on iTunes or listen on Soundcloud (if you want to).