PAUL GEANEY believes accusing Kerry team-mate David Clifford of buying frees is “dangerous” territory.
Last Sunday saw the Kingdom seal the NFL Division 1 crown at the expense of Mayo.
In the aftermath of the 1-18 to 1-12 result, losing manager Kevin McStay claimed Kerry’s star man was “well looked after” by referee David Coldrick.
The Fossa ace scored 0-4 of his 0-8 tally from placed balls during his battle with defender Donnacha McHugh.
But Dingle stalwart Geaney, 34 — who struck 1-2 of his own at Croke Park — says grapples with defenders are all part of it, and insists Clifford would never con a ref.
He said: “No, I don’t think so. It’s kind of dangerous language as well.
“It’s almost setting it up for a day down the line where he gets no free. I wouldn’t agree with that.
“Hopefully that’s not the case and I would trust the refs are impartial all the way.
“Inside forwards are always going to get their fair share of it.
“At the point when it’s happening, you feel aggrieved or whatever, but we don’t take too much notice of what’s been said afterwards, and Kevin has his opinion so he’s entitled to that.
“I felt that David was boxing out in front of his man a lot and I think maybe there were a couple of frees given at the weekend both ways.
“But I don’t think David bought too many frees to be honest, if that was the language he was using. I think forwards are just used to that, so that’s just the way it is. Grappling is part of the game.
“I know it’s probably not intended to be allowed by the rules but it is part of the game.
“You’re jostling for position and you’re jostling for the ball as well.”
Kerry have bigger fish to fry after bagging their 24th league crown.
Geaney is gunning for his third All-Ireland this summer in the Kingdom’s bid for glory for the first time since 2022.
The Munster giants are jetting to Portugal on a warm-weather training camp on Saturday before their Munster SFC semi-final against Limerick or Cork on April 19.
Geaney knows they have work to do to get back to the top.
Despite the relatively comfortable nature of their league decider win, they did not kick any two-point scores at GAA HQ.
His green flag was their 17th goal across eight league games and the two-time All-Star believes the onion bag should always come first.
Geaney said: “Obviously it’s a huge boost in any game.
“You grow up wanting to score goals and score points and when you get one then at Croke Park, it’s nice.
“A goalkeeper pulls it out of the top corner or something and you feel hard done by when those ones don’t go in, so any scrappy goal is fine by me and I’ll take it.
“I don’t think the game has gone far enough yet to be too consumed about two-pointers. If they’re there to be taken obviously you’d like to get them.
“But if it doesn’t unfold, you’re not getting the shots at two-pointers, then I would say that you can’t disrupt your flow of play just to turn the ball back and try and get a two-pointer.
“If you’re gone inside the two-point arc, it’s look for goal — and then if the goal isn’t on and you get a point, then happy days. There’s a bit of practice in it as well in working a shot to make sure you’re getting it outside the two-pointer.
“I wouldn’t be concerned about it. We’re doing OK.”
STAY PUT
The NFL finals are under the microscope again after the weekend’s action with many teams straight back into action this weekend.
Division 4 finalists Wexford and Limerick start their SFC campaigns in the coming days along with Division 1 and 2 runners-up Mayo and Roscommon.
There is also a growing consensus that the Division 1 crown has lost its shine.
But Geaney wants to keep the NFL deciders.
He said: “It’s nice to have the day as well on top of it. Going into Croke Park, it’s just different and it plays differently.
“When you’re winning something or want to win something, it has to be done in Croke Park, so getting that exposure to Croke Park is very valuable.
“Wexford doing that and Limerick getting their day there as well, the players will remember those days forever more.
“Whereas if you top the league, I’m not sure too many will remember the day they topped the league in ten or 15 years’ time.”
l PROUD sponsors of club and county AIB were joined by Paul Geaney to launch the 2025 AIB GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Championships, as AIB celebrates its tenth year as sponsor of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, a decade of unwavering support for Gaelic games.