Mayo have rightly received a huge amount of praise for their All-Ireland semi-final victory last weekend, but Dublin relinquishing their All-Ireland crown after six years was arguably an even bigger story.
The thing is, there was a sense that you could see the result coming.
Having seemed almost invincible over the last half decade or so, Dublin did not quite hit those heights during their Leinster Championship run. Many assumed they could lift things to a new level in the All-Ireland series, but that did not prove to be the case.
What comes next for Dessie Farrell and this team? There is little doubt that they will be amongst the contenders for Sam Maguire over the next few years, but their days as the all-conquering force in the sport may be over.
Jim McGuinness thinks that will be the case.
Writing in his column for the Irish Times, the former Donegal manager said that the absence of some of Dublin's more experienced players was a deciding in the loss to Mayo.
Their kick-out came under pressure. It started to implode. After that, everything fell apart. You have to wonder where Stephen Cluxton’s thoughts are this week.
Would he have been able to keep Dublin together? Would he have been able to find the open man with one of those pinging restarts to the wing to just keep Mayo at bay? And what now? He hasn’t said he is retired. Will he return next year?
There was a clear discipline issue as Dublin surrendered their crown. They became very aggressive and there was a cynical nature to their play and a dangerous element also. We were behind the tackle on Eoghan McLaughlin by John Small and it was bad.
He wanted to hit the Mayo player as hard as he could and it was high. It was shoulder to head. It was shoulder to chin. It was the worst of a series of incidents. There were high tackles around the neck and hand trips and people being dragged down...
That famous Dublin bench is no longer there. For me, that is not the full story. For me, the important part of the equation is that the players on the pitch know that those reserves aren’t there. When you have Diarmuid Connolly or Michael Darragh MacAuley biting at your heels, it keeps you fresh and motivated and sharp.
But who was there to truly threaten those Dublin starters? That very deep level of responsibility was diluted...
I don’t believe they are going to disappear. I don’t. But they have reached a crossroads. It is not just about Dessie Farrell or the players: it is also about the top brass in Dublin football.
There is little doubt that Dublin's bench is no longer what it once was. Whereas the likes of Kevin McManamon and Diarmuid Connolly could come on and win a game for the county, it now feels like the players they have in reserve are a big drop off in comparison to the teammates they are replacing.
McGuiness' thought that this also means the starting players drop their level would also seem to have some truth to it.
As for Stephen Cluxton's absence, it could well have had a huge impact. While Evan Comerford did not necessarily have a bad game, the experience of their former captain when the pressure came on would have been absolutely invaluable.
As with all once dominant teams, Dublin will now have to adapt to life after the departure of many of their former starts.
SEE ALSO: Peter Canavan Thinks Dessie Farrell Narrative After Mayo Loss Is 'Unfair'
