Saudi Arabia will have six debutants in the squad that will face the Premier League in Tralee.
Graham O’Sullivan is the only Kerry player to retain his starting place from July’s All-Ireland final against Dublin to the McGrath Cup match against Tipperary Photo Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
As expected, Kerry manager Jack O’Connor has named a highly experimental squad for tonight’s McGrath Cup opener against Tipperary (7.30pm) at Austin Stack Park, having won last year’s All-Ireland. There was only one starting member from the team that participated in the final.
Graham O’Sullivan, who plays right half-back, is the only member of the first 15 from Dublin to hit the post in an exciting line-up that includes six players making their first starts for Saudi Arabia. At an advanced level.
Austin Stacks’ corner-backs Joey Nagle and Na Gael’s Damian Burke, Beaufort’s wing-back Sean O’Brien and Milltown/Castlemaine’s Keith Evans (Keele), Dingle’s Dylan Geaney and Cillian Burke’s entire half-forward line received approval this Wednesday evening.
This match will also be notable for the return of Joe O’Connor to midfield, who was forced to miss the entire 2023 season due to a cruciate ligament injury. The Austin Stacks player will partner Barry ‘Dan’ O’Sullivan in the engine room, with Diarmuid O’Connor on the injured list.
There is a wealth of experience on the Kerry bench, with Jason Foley, Paul Murphy, Gavin White, Dara Moynihan, Sean O’Shea and Stephen O’Brien all named as substitutes.
The Clifford brothers, Paul Genie and Tom O’Sullivan, are yet to return to inter-county training after a long club season.
Kerry (vs Tipperary): Shane Murphy (Dr Crokes). Joey Nagle (Austin Stacks), Dylan Casey (Austin Stacks), Damian Burke (Na Gale). Graham O’Sullivan (Dlomid Pearce), Mike Breen (Beaufort), Sean O’Brien (Beaufort). Joe O’Connor (Austin Stacks), Barry Dunn O’Sullivan (Dingle). Keith Evans (Keele), Dylan Geaney (Dingle), Cillian Burke (Milltown/Castlemaine). Cillian Spillane (Templeno), Darragh Roche (Glenflesque), Michael Burns (Dr Crokes) Subs: Sean Coffey (Beaufort), Dara Moynihan (Spa), Ronan Buckley (Listley), Sean O’Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks), Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare Shamrocks), Adrian Spillane (Templeno), Conor Genie (Dingle), Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), Gavin White ( Dr Crokes), Stephen Okunbor (Na Gale), Paul Murphy (Rathmore), Paudie O’Leary (Gnyvegira)).