Kerry entered the final round of the league as one of four teams that could have joined already-relegated Derry in Division 2 next year, but finished Sunday evening in second place and with a final against Mayo to look forward to this weekend.
Just how motivated the Kingdom are for an eighth game in nine weeks is questionable with a three-week gap to championship, though Mayo's seven-day turnaround before they play Sligo brings the scheduling into sharper focus.
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness caused a stir when he suggested a final berth would "not be ideal" a week out from tackling Derry in the Ulster championship, but Kerry’s outlook is somewhat different.
The Kingdom rattled off 3-24 without kicking a two-pointer in their win away to Galway at the weekend, finishing in the end with eight points to spare to claim second place in the table.
Captain Gavin White, bidding to become the first man to lift the newly created Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh Cup, was among the goal scorers at Pearse Stadium and says on a day where there were a lot of potential outcomes, a final at GAA HQ is another litmus test with bigger challenges to follow.
"It was certainly a bit of a rollercoaster (last Sunday)," White told RTÉ’s Marty Morrissey.
"We just wanted to go up to Galway, try and get a performance and maintain our Division 1 status. To see after the game we were in a league final was a bonus.
"Everyone wants to be playing in Croke Park. We’re really looking forward to it."
Manager Jack O’Connor was singing from the same hymn sheet. While he has questioned the tight scheduling at this time of year, the Dromid Pearses man says a final appearance is something of a welcome surprise.
"There’s no pressure on us," he says. "We see Sunday as a big bonus, going up to Croke Park with an extra game, shortening the gap to the Munster championship.
"If we win it’s a bonus, but we certainly won’t be holding back."
The three-week gap is generous compared to other Division 1 rivals – Mayo, Donegal and Derry are all in championship action Sunday week – but the Munster landscape is another factor to be considered.
Going for a 12th provincial crown in 13 years and with an aggregate winning margin of 65 points in the last four Munster finals, the suspicion from many is that an extended league run would do the Kingdom no harm.
O’Connor, however, bristles at the suggestion that Munster is something of a foregone conclusion – they await the winners of Cork and Limerick - and not a proper testing ground for a team with loftier ambitions.
"That seems to be a perception by the press," he says. "Two years ago we had a tough battle with Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, there was only two points in it. Last year there was only three points in it in Killarney.
"I assume it will be Cork, no disrespect to Limerick, up in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and that certainly won’t be an easy game and we’ll prepare accordingly."
First up is a renewal of rivalries with Mayo, the third time they will cross paths in the showpiece since 2019.
It’s a victory each on that score, with Kevin McStay’s side coming out on top in the recent encounter at Castlebar.
White says his team were given "a good clipping" on the day, more in reference to Mayo’s seven-point cushion at the interval which the visitors whittled down to two points in an exciting finale.
Between resting players and injuries, a number of frontliners have been missing at various stages and O’Connor has used 34 players over the league campaign.
Last Sunday his entire bench got on the scoresheet against the Tribesmen, as Conor Geaney (0-02), Tony Brosnan (0-02), Killian Spillane (0-01), Barry Dan O’Sullivan (0-02) and Damien Bourke (1-00) all made their mark and Dr Crokes man White says the players look to stake a claim for championship will derive a huge benefit from another game
"One extra game is going to give them huge confidence to play in Croke Park under the new rules," he says.
The divisional finals are the last occasion in which teams can test out any strategies regarding the new rules before championship.
With a raft of quality kickers in their ranks, plus ball-winning forwards capable of keeping the umpires busy, Kerry were earmarked by many as a side that could reap serious reward from the Football Review Committee (FRC) rules.
White admits it is still a work in progress to gain a competitive edge from the FRC enhancements.
"Kerry are known as a kicking team and we try to implement that as much as we can," he says. "The new rules are going to reward teams that kick the ball and move it quickly. Time will tell if it will suit us or not."
Unlike some of his managerial peers, O’Connor is positive on the changes that have been introduced in 2025.
There is room for further improvement, but as far as he’s concerned, the game is a much better product for all concerned.
"I happen to be one of the lads that wasn’t nitpicking," he says. "They (the FRC) have breathed life back into the game because the game had become stale.
"It had gotten to the stage where it wasn’t overly enjoyable to watch, coach or play. Now there are still one or two teething problems – like handing the ball back - that will continue to cause bother down the line, but by and large they have done a remarkable job."
Follow the Allianz Football League finals on Saturday and Sunday on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Watch Allianz League Sunday from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Listen to updates on RTÉ Radio 1
