Moran and Bradley and Cooke show that it’s hard as ever to beat the big man in midfield

Kerins O'Rahillys manager William Harmon has encouraged David Moran to play on for one more year with Kerry.

Like the rest of us, Harmon had just watched the 34-year-old midfielder put on an exhibition in Croke Park so, in that sense, you'd imagine Jack O'Connor is thinking the exact same way. The Strand Road side were narrowly beaten by Kilmacud Crokes in the All-Ireland club semi-final but Moran couldn't be faulted. The veteran midfielder was faultless from start to finish. From early doors, you couldn't but notice his sheer strength and size. Maybe it's that it was a club game and not an inter-county game that Moran's physicality was so apparent but whatever it was, it was impossible to ignore. The Kilmacud Crokes players certainly knew all about it because every time they tried to tackle him, and this happened so many times in the game, they just bounced straight back off him while he moved forward in that languid, elegant style of his. It's true that his mix of strength and composure is as good as it gets. Moran dominated the game for large periods but it was in the last ten, when he caught two kick-outs, including a late crucial one, when he stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Tell me if there is a better midfielder in Kerry,” Harmon said after the game.

"He’s a phenomenal man, a phenomenal person, a phenomenal player too.

“I think he has (another year in him for Kerry) but I suppose the only man that can answer that is David Moran. He was phenomenal all year I thought. If you watch all the games, against Templenoe in the county final he was brilliant. David Moran will take time out, reflect, it’s been a long two years. We’ve had not much break over two years, so I think David is the only man to answer that.”

"Today out there, I’m looking forward to watching back – I think some of the fielding was top of the range stuff and I think he gave a real exhibition of high-fielding and catching."

There's no doubt about that. Indeed, it would have been the perfect ending if that late fisted effort of his snatched the draw for the Kerry side. It didn't, Dara Mullin stopped it on the line, but it goes to show one thing. On a day when Emmett Bradley, Glen's 6 foot 4 inch bulwark of a midfielder, played a blinder. On a day when, around the middle, Moycullen's 6 ft plus machine Peter Cooke was their best man. It goes to show that when it comes down to it, like we've seen so many times down through the years, you'll do well to beat a big man in midfield. There may not be as many kick-outs landing down on top of them but it's still all about competing well, whatever way you look at it, they do hold an advantage.