HAVING played a key role in helping Armagh become All-Ireland champions, Kieran Donaghy will fancy a crack at leading his native Kerry down the line, according to former team-mate Marc Ó Sé.
‘Star’ will be part of Kieran McGeeney’s Orchard backroom team when they face the Kingdom in his beloved Tralee on Saturday evening, as Jack O’Connor’s men hover just above the relegation spots with two games left to play.
Donaghy – who was linked with a backroom post when O’Connor returned to the Kerry hot seat in 2021 – is now in his fifth year working with Armagh and, having previously been involved as a performance coach with the Galway hurlers, has built up an impressive coaching CV.
The Orchard beat Kerry on the way to All-Ireland glory last summer, lifting Sam Maguire for the first time since 2002, and Ó Sé expects Donaghy to be in the conversation when the Kingdom are next in search of a manager.
“We’ve seen the likes of Paidi [Ó Sé] and Mick O’Dwyer go elsewhere, though I suppose they’ve only gone elsewhere because they were basically told they weren’t wanted in Kerry,” said the five-time All-Ireland winner.
“Donaghy is going learning his trade, and I’m sure he has his eyes on Kerry and wants to maybe come back and be a Kerry manager some day; I would imagine that’s where he’s going.
“It’ll be interesting to see what happens, what unfolds over the next 12 months… most certainly Donaghy is a fella who wants to achieve, and he’s got the energy that people feed off.
“He has the basketball background and he’s constantly thinking about the game, so I think he’s definitely eyeing that up in the background.”
Kerry come into Saturday’s game off the back of consecutive defeats to Mayo, Tyrone and Dublin, with their only victory of the campaign so far that last-gasp smash and grab against Derry at Celtic Park.
Looking at the bigger picture, after last year’s Championship disappointment, Ó Sé admits there are serious concerns about the Kingdom’s strength in depth as the year wears on.
“In 2022, when Kerry won the All-Ireland, they had David Moran and Jack Barry in the middle of the field; you had the luxury of putting Diarmuid O’Connor wing-forward. Now, you have Diarmuid O’Connor and Joe O’Connor in the middle of the field.
“If you just look at the year that’s gone by, Adrian Spillane has retired, Stephen O’Brien has retired, Cillian Burke has gone to Australia… all those players played in the Armagh game last year, coming on in the half-forward line or starting in the half-forward line.
“Now you’re really searching for strength in depth in terms of players – where are they, like? You have the likes of Micheal Burns, who Jack [O’Connor] got rid of last year, and now he’s being brought back in.
“Midfield and the half-forward line is a huge needy area for Kerry. It’s a big task for the Kerry management now to try and get those guys because there’s no bigger line than the middle eight, in particular the two boys in the middle of the field.
“That’s a worry for Kerry – a huge worry.”