No starting berth for Paudie Clifford as Kerry make two changes to starting fifteen for Tyrone

Irish Independent

10-07-2025

The Fossa flyer may yet, of course, start the game as had been expected given how fit and sharp he looked off the bench against the reigning All-Ireland champions, but given his injury profile late, perhaps, Kerry boss Jack O'Connor has decided discretion is the better part of valour.
That said the Dromid Pearses club man has shown no hesitation in pitching Mike Breen back into the starting fifteen, despite the Beaufort man having missed the quarter-final through injury, the Mid Kerry star resuming his place at centre-back.
His return means that captain Gavin White will feature at his more favoured number 7 position in place of the injured Tom O'Sullivan. There will be a certain amount of surprise, however, that midfielder Mark O'Shea misses out.
The Crokes man started the quarter-final in place of club mate Micheál Burns, who starts here at number 10, with Joe O'Connor named at midfield alongside Seán O'Brien and likely to play there giving how well he performed there in the second half against Armagh.
Much like the Paudie Clifford situation, however, the O'Shea/Burns decision is one that could be reversed come throw-in. That said Burns gave a stellar performance in the green and gold off the bench against the Orchard county, and has earned a start.
The rest of the starting team is as is from the quarter-final. The back five remain the same, as does the side from eleven to fifteen, with Conor Geaney (who was replaced at half-time for Paudie Clifford last time out) retaining his place at number 14 from the start alongside his brother, Dylan.
That means there's no place still on the starting fifteen for their first cousin, Paul Geaney, who had been having a powerful season prior to his more recent injury woes. It wasn't, however, expected he would start, a cameo off the bench akin to what Paudie Clifford did last time is more likely.
Tony Brosnan is another man to return to the match-day squad, the Dr Crokes wing-forward lines out at number 26. Evan Looney, who starred at wing-back against Armagh coming off the bench for Tom O'Sullivan in the first half, returns to the bench.
Tadhg Morley is also back in what is a stronger looking set of replacements for this game than the last, even if Diarmuid O'Connor remains on the injury list following the shoulder injury he picked up in the group phase.
Kerry team (v Armagh)
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1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
2. Paul Murphy (Rathmore)
3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue)
4. Dylan Casey (Austin Stacks)
5. Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht)
6. Mike Breen (Beaufort)
7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
8. Seán O'Brien (Beaufort)
9. Joe O'Connor (Austin Stacks)
10. Micheál Burns (Dr Crokes)
11. Seán O'Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks)
12. Graham O'Sullivan (Dromid Pearses)
13. David Clifford (Fossa)
14. Conor Geaney (Dingle)
15. Dylan Geaney (Dingle)
Sub
16. Shane Murphy (Dr Crokes)
17. Killian Spillane (Templenoe)
18. Evan Looney (Dr Crokes)
19. Armin Heinrich (Austin Stacks)
20. Tom Leo O'Sullivan (Dingle)
21. Paudie Clifford (Fossa)
22. Mark O'Shea (Dr Crokes)
23. Tomás Kennedy (Kerins O'Rahillys)
24. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe)
25. Paul Geaney (Dingle)
26. Tony Brosnan (Dr Crokes)