Éamonn Fitzmaurice: A Kerry tactical masterpiece seals Jack's royal flush 

In the second half, when Donegal made a bit of charge and got it back to four at one stage, the Kingdom refused to yield. Their only problem during that phase of the game is that they were overzealous and gave away scoreable frees. I would still prefer a team to do that rather than allow a team run through the centre. There was no way they were giving up a goal, which the Ulster men needed to win. Another significant factor was the five two-pointers that the Munster champions kicked as against none from Donegal. Ciarán Thompson’s loss through injury was a factor here.

Ultimately, when analysing the Ulster champions the winning and losing of the game was how Kerry attacked the Donegal zonal defensive setup. I always felt, and have outlined my reasons on plenty of occasions in these pages,as to why, that the zonal system wouldn’t win the All-Ireland. Kerry showed why yesterday. Decision making in possession and then accuracy in the skills was going to be key. 

Depending on what picture Donegal were presenting Kerry manipulated their shape to exploit it. The team in possession controlled the story rather than the other way around. When the Kingdom entered slow established attacks they set up wide and deep. Crucially they also pushed the outside bodies closer to the Donegal arc than they had at any other stage this season. It meant the Ulster champions had to push out that crucial few yards further. More of them were occupied, leaving less to chase and move from zone to zone. Rather than the usual two sweepers they prefer, only Caolan McConagle was free and because of the way Kerry moved the ball he found it hard to double up and force turnovers as he normally does. 

Paudie Clifford’s positioning in these slow attacks was also crucial. He was often central which meant that more Kerry players had to be marked as both wings were only one pass away. The fact that for most of the game he played as one of the three up meant he ran the attack rather than having to run the field. He also scored three from play. 

It was amazing that at no stage Donegal pivoted and detailed someone like a Finbarr Roarty to try and stymie his influence. One of the best scores Kerry got in the first half was when they stretched the pitch wide and deep and kicked to Dylan Geaney who went through the hands to Brian Ó Beagloaich, then to Mark O’Shea and finally back to Geaney. That initial kick was what killed the zone and meant the Donegal backs were in one one-on-one situations with players coming at them at pace. 

Another example was David Clifford's first second-half point. Again Donegal stood off Paudie, but this time he looked inside and when the younger brother made his move he played a delicious ball inside into the 13 pocket, reminiscent of Colm Cooper’s pass to Donnchadh Walsh in the 2013 semi-final, for a great point. 

After the league game in February, Jim McGuinness said in Killarney that it was impossible to defend in the new game. Teams have learned as the season has gone on but the sides that leaned on the zonal defensive setup will have to rethink this winter. I think it eventually will return to more one-on-one defending. Rather than developing a system, management teams up and down the country will look at developing one-on-one defenders.

On a personal level I was delighted for David Clifford. Any pre-final analysis was centred around how David would perform, and should he not that it would ultimately cost Kerry. In a team game that is some amount of pressure to place on one set of shoulders. However, perform he did. He scored nine points, all from play. His raking two-pointer post-hooter at half-time was significant, meaning the scoreboard was a truer reflection of the first half. Aside from all of that his positioning, often as a decoy, allowed the rest of the attack the space to thrive. Brendan McCole followed him everywhere, and oftentimes in established attacks David situated himself wide on the sideline in the ten position. It effectively made the rest of the attack a ten-to-ten situation. When McCole switched off, David came late into attacks to score, as with his second two-pointer. It was a really mature performance from him and sealed another player of the year award.

Elsewhere, Seán Ó’Shea excelled and Gavin White was magnificent at wing back. From the throw-in, as captain, he lead from the front, steaming forward to setup Dylan Geaney’s first point. He too got three points, his second-half punched effort coming when Donegal were reeling them in. He was defensively excellent and he won countless breaks. He has had some Croke Park season.

This will be as sweet an All-Ireland as there has been in Kerry. Beating four Ulster teams in a row, and getting better with each game, will be hugely satisfying for everyone involved in the group. Navigating the injuries that they had to significant players and the question marks that arose after the Meath game in Tullamore even more so. 

Before yesterday Jack O’Connor’s record across all the grades that he has coached at was remarkable. Winning a fifth All-Ireland as senior manager puts him in a different stratosphere. Once upon a time there may have been some credence to Jack’s claim of being an outsider. Not any more. Now, he is Green and Gold royalty.