In the soul-searching period after the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Armagh last year, Joe O'Connor had much to ponder.
From a personal standpoint there was much to be pleased with. While he skippered Kerry to Sam Maguire glory in 2022 via Austin Stacks’ nomination for the role, in truth he was on the periphery of things.
David Moran was still in situ in the middle of the pitch and it was the fourth minute of injury-time in the final victory over Galway before he graced the pitch. Shortly after, a torn ACL laid waste to 2023 campaign.
Finally nailing down a spot in 2024 was no small feat, but there was more to his game than he was showing.
"I've only been playing this year and last year properly and I'm 26, so you want to get the best out of yourself while you can," he said.
"It's been a great year, really enjoyable but I felt like last year I was in my shell a bit and I knew there was more in me.
"That's what motivated me for the winter. I felt I wasn't playing at the level I could play at."
Part of that improvement was working the scoreboard more. In seven championship outings he picked off 0-04. This year his barnstorming runs paid of not only for those around him, but for O’Connor’s himself.
He opened and closed Kerry’s championship run with goals – the green flag against Cork particularly crucial in edging out the Rebels, while the three-pointer against Donegal sealed a glorious day in Croke Park – while he scored two points in both the quarter and semi-final victories.
The goals were especially sweet having, by his own admission "butchered" goal opportunities 12 months previous.
"It’s something that doesn't come like that naturally to me but I've just had to work on," he said regarding his shooting.
"I was thinking about it, doing a nice bit (of practice) in the winter. It’s a great feeling when you get a goal."
Figuring out where those incremental gains are to be found is far from an exact science, but belief from management is a cornerstone. In O'Connor's case, the return of Cian O'Neill to the Kerry backroom team was a key moment in his development. The well-travelled coach could see the full potential, working closely with O'Connor to take his game to the next level.
"He's very good for that individual side of it and that kind of just probably lifted me a bit in terms of getting that backing and that expertise. Small things like that from management really give you a boost and it's good to get that."
While David Clifford is short odds to add another Footballer of the Year accolade to his CV, O’Connor is very much in that conversation also.
The final was another all-action display, with two vital first-half catches en route to Kerry scores key to swinging the momentum in the Kingdom's direction.
The Stacks man was dominant in the middle third, but operating from a wing-forward rather than a more central role allowed him concentrate a little more on his offensive skills.
A talented rugby player - he operated as a centre during his time in the Munster academy and with Young Munster - he credits his time with the oval ball as hugely benefical in becoming one of the most powerful and effective carriers in the game.
"Small things, like the timing of runs and stuff probably stood to me from rugby. Maybe the discipline as well, that kind of set-up was great for me."
After speculating whether he would leave the Kerry hotseat for 2026, Jack O’Connor is firmly now on board. Striking while the iron is hot with this crop of players is an obvious pull for the manager, though O’Connor says the focus for the players is more "back to pre-season" rather than "back-to-back".
Cian O'Neill, Aodán MacGearailt, James Costello, and Pa McCarthy came into the backroom team for this year and the continuation of that is music to O’Connor’s ears.
"We had a new enough team this year, with the selectors coming in," he said.
"Things worked fairly well for us. There was a nice, fresh feeling down there so we were all keen to get them back, so it is great."
