Paul Geaney says the chance to play the league final in Croke Park this weekend is hugely beneficial for Kerry as they will test out the new rules on the Jones' Road venue for the first time.
Kerry booked their place in the Allianz NFL Division One league final against Mayo having defeated Galway in the final round of group games last Sunday, with a very impressive display.
Geaney has been a key man, scoring 3-15 in Kerry's run to the league final, flourishing under the revamped rules which he admits are a throwback to when he first started playing for the county team.
He says it's refreshing to return to that game where positions are more defined, with forwards exploiting the extra space they're being afforded, leading to higher-scoring games.
The Dingle player says that Gaelic football outside of Croke Park is a very different game to what's played in GAA HQ. He says that was the case before the FRC's changes and it remains the case after.
The 34-year-old used the example of Dublin's form inside of Croke Park and outside of Croke Park this year to illustrate his point about the value of experiencing the game in GAA HQ, particularly with championship football to come down the line.
“There’s two games in Gaelic football before this year, it was in Croke Park and outside of Croke Park, and now with the new rules there’s the new rules game in Croke Park and outside of Croke Park," he says ahead of the Allianz League final.
"So it will be hugely valuable to get in there and see how things pan out inside there," he says.
23 March 2025; Paul Geaney of Kerry during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Galway and Kerry at Pearse Stadium in Galway. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Dublin won all three of their home games in this year's league, by a combined total of 19 points, while they have lost away games to Donegal, Armagh and Tyrone although they defeated Kerry when the sides met in Austin Stack Park in mid-February.
“You can see Dublin probably were very strong in Croke Park and then outside of Croke Park they weren’t so strong as in Croke Park.
"It just plays differently so it is hugely valuable for us to be able to experience it this weekend," Geaney says.
The new rules appear to suit Kerry's traditional kicking style, given that there is more space and less congestion in attack. Geaney says plan A for Sunday's final will be to move the ball by foot.
“Kerry have always tried to kick the ball and it is obviously the style of play we try to implement,” says Geaney.
“Obviously you can’t always do that because teams have structures in place to stop you from doing that so you have to have plans B and C as well.
“Hopefully on Sunday Croke Park is playing wide open and we’ll see good kicking. If not we will have to revert to Plan B and go through the hands. But ideally most people like to see the ball being moved by foot.”
23 February 2025; Paul Geaney of Kerry in conversation with coach Cian O'Neill before the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Tyrone and Kerry at Pomeroy Plunkett's GAA Club in Pomeroy, Tyrone. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
He is impressed with the new rules in general, saying that 'it's nice to go back' to the old game he grew up with.
“Yeah, I would imagine if you asked any of the spectators they’d say the same it is closer to the game of ten to 15 years ago when I first started my county career, it was more positional, similar to the way structures in soccer are you play your position,” he says.
“So more similar to that. As an inside forward it is nice to go back to that to be honest.
“There is more one on one defending but I think the transition is quicker so there is more space.
“Again it depends on who you come up against in each game but at the moment the coaches are figuring out how you block it up again it is a bit more open at the moment but I’m sure that will change as well.”
