It's early in the year but already Con O'Callaghan is making waves and he again underlined his quality as Dublin cast Kerry aside with much ease in Saturday's Allianz Football League clash at Croke Park.
O'Callaghan helped himself to 3-04 as the Dubs ran out ten-point winners.
The Cuala clubman, not for the first time demonstrated his knack at getting in behind defences and creating the space to land vital scores.
Speaking on Allianz League Sunday, Lee Keegan was full of praise for the Dublin No 14.
"This whole thing about playing Con out the field and trying to get him into the game, but when Dublin are front foot you have a different beast," said the former Mayo star.
"We all know Con is a killer for a 'backdoor' cut; it's just his explosiveness. When Dublin feed Con the way they did last night, there are not many players like him."
Also on the programme, O'Callaghan's former Dublin colleague Paul Flynn can see a bigger role for the player as the side look to remain top of the football tree.
"When Dublin feed Con O'Callaghan the way they did last night, there isn't many players like him..." - @leeroykeegan knows a thing or two about dealing with Dubs superstar, Con...#RTEgaa
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) February 25, 2024
📺Watch on @RTEplayer
🛜Results & Reports @RTEsport pic.twitter.com/27nwAJWmzZ
"Con is now stepping up; it will essentially be his team going forward; he is younger than the likes of Fenton and Kilkenny," Flynn said.
"He will probably be a future captain of Dublin. You get the sense that he is really getting to grips with things as was the case also last week [against Roscommon]."
As for Kerry, well it was chastening night for them at GAA HQ, even though manager Jack O'Connor felt the loss wasn't fatal.
A view also shared by Keegan and Flynn.
"I don't think it's fatal, but I think it's a stamp of where Dublin are at and it's laying down a marker of where they want to go," Keegan commented.
"Kerry will take a lot of hurt from last night."
Flynn added: "When Kerry did win the All-Ireland two years ago, the cornerstone of their success was their defensive strategy; they only let in one goal and they need to get that back. That can be the foundation for their attack but there are a lot of players there who need to get game-time. I'm not sure it's fatal, there is a long season ahead of us."
