After claiming their third successive All-Ireland title on Sunday, Jim Gavin's Dublin have reinforced a belief many share that we are witnessing one of, if not the, greatest team of all time.
Speaking on Balls.ie's Talking Points after their 1 point victory over Mayo, former All-Ireland winner Peter Canavan weighed in on this debate:
Certainly in my lifetime they're probably the best team that I've seen play. Their record speaks for itself.
Contemplating what can be done by other counties to tackle Dublin's continued dominance, Canavan remains sceptical regarding the years ahead.
Looking at a Dublin team that has 'everything at its disposal', Canavan believes the onus is increasingly upon those who are so quick to condemn the 'unfair' nature of Dublin's natural advantages.
Citing Dublin's considered approach to getting their house in order many years earlier, the Tyrone man feels deep introspection is required from Dublin's potential rivals:
If other teams are going to get to that level, and my own county included, we've got to look at how we are doing things from underage levels up.
Are we doing enough? Are our senior players being prepared to be able to compete on an equal basis with the likes of Dublin?
So, a lot of managers and county board officers are going to have to ask themselves that question to give their players and county the best possible chance to compete.
Regarding Dublin's closest rivals Mayo, Canavan is sure that if the players were honest with themselves, maybe they would admit that,
There was a few things that they could have done maybe throughout the year just to get them another percentage up.
Look, they're not very far away ... the one area they need to improve on is from [16] to 25.
Providing a fascinating insight into where the 2017 All-Ireland football final was won and lost, you can watch the whole of Peter Canavan's analysis below.
