Aidan O'Rourke

Former Armagh footballer, All Star and 2002 All-Ireland winner and current GAA Performance Manager with Queen's University

'Much of Dublin's below par performance was caused by Kerry's individual and collective approach'

Improved Kerry strikeforce can punish vulnerable Dublin

Often you don't get what you deserve in sport and Kerry natives reflecting on an epic performance by their young team in Croke Park over the weekend will certainly feel they had done enough to thwart Dublin's history chasers.

Football • 02 Sep 19

'Why are Dublin considered so comprehensibly the better all-round team? The obvious answer is in what happens when they don't have the ball.'

Kick-out tactics may decide Sam Maguire's destination

Getting kick-out strategies right could be the key factor that decides the outcome of the All-Ireland final, writes Aidan O'Rourke.

GAA • 01 Sep 19

'If Kerry can first and foremost create a game where Fenton, Kilkenny and McCaffrey are telling Jim Gavin at half-time that they can't get into the game and don't know why, then they will have given themselves a chance'

Unleashing mayhem Kerry's only chance of toppling Dubs

Aidan O'Rourke says Kerry need to adopt the French template from the 2007 World Cup quarter-final shock of New Zealand if they are to stand any chance of defeating Dublin in the All-Ireland football final.

GAA • 26 Aug 19

'How teams cope with that additional weight while executing their gameplan and summoning energy is regularly overlooked as a defining element of these games'

Character and collective the key as final 4 do battle

All four semi-finalists have shown their strengths this summer, but the ability to produce a performance on the most pressurised of occasions will be key to success this weekend.

Football • 10 Aug 19

'The task of curbing game-changers multiplies exponentially when you face Dublin'

Mayo like a challenge - they've got a big one in Dublin

The Dublin juggernaut looks insurmountable, just the way Mayo like it, writes Aidan O'Rourke.

GAA • 05 Aug 19

Contenders for Dublin's throne have puncher's chance

Completely bridging the gap in a one-off battle might need some stars to align but the contenders for Dublin's throne have the capacity to do that with a puncher's chance

GAA • 03 Aug 19

O'Rourke: "The most effective teams know their roles to a man and the leaders on the pitch see the adjustments necessary for success well before coaches on the side-line do"

Dublin's on-field ability to adapt key to their success

Cork pulled at a number of threads that made the champions uncomfortable and upset their rhythm on Saturday but only temporarily, writes Aidan O'Rourke.

GAA • 15 Jul 19

'Gambling on making it to the grouped quarter-finals without all engines firing is a significant risk for everyone bar the champions.'

Time almost up for pretenders still ironing out flaws

There was an expectation that the fog gathered around the form guide for the last eight might begin to lift after the weekend's action. Instead, things remain unclear for many pretenders to Dublin's throne.

GAA • 26 Jun 19

Since the disappearance of McMenamin and Gormley, Tyrone have not produced a single man-marker on a par

Styles make fights as Tyrone walk into Donegal trap

Do Tyrone stay focused on the brilliant football they produced so far this season or does Mickey Harte's pragmatic nature prevail?

GAA • 10 Jun 19

Armagh pay price for lack of Dublin-style game smarts

Dublin's ability to win close games is no fluke, it's down to cool heads and the game intelligence that Armagh lacked when letting a winning position slip against Cavan, writes Aidan O'Rourke.

GAA • 03 Jun 19