A 13-point defeat at Croke Park to arguably their strongest challengers was not part of the Kerry script on Sunday, but often-used cliché that you learn more in defeat than victory may well hold true for the Kingdom down the line.
Jack O'Connor’s side will take solace from the fact that April form may not be entirely relevant for the business end of the season where Kerry will be looking to keep Sam Maguire within county bounds, while the absence of Paudie Clifford and marauding wing-back Gavin White, player of the match when the sides met back in July’s All-Ireland final, ensured it wasn’t Kerry at full tilt.
Yet the nature of the loss will sting. Donegal were also shorn important personnel and it seemed like Jim McGuinness was keen to lay down a marker. His comments earlier in the league, when asked about Donegal’s hands-off approach to Paudie Clifford in the All-Ireland final, seemed to irk the Glenties man. Tactical changes were always likely to be afoot.
Former Kerry manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice highlighted change in approach on the kick-outs and it was something Seán O’Shea noted in the heat of battle.
The Tir Chonaill men are without the booming restarts of Shaun Patton, but in Gavin Mulreany they have a pinpoint kicker off both feet, while he regularly marked the Kerry forward closest to goal to free up another defender.
"If you can turn a screw on the kick-out, you can get a serious advantage, and they definitely dominated us in the kick-outs, both on ours and their own kick-outs," O'Shea told RTÉ Sport at the launch of the 2026 AIB All-Ireland Football Championship.
"That was a huge difference and then also set up different defensively as well. Gavin Mulreany kind of played as a sweeper, two major differences from last year."
A goalkeeper moonlighting as a defender is a trend that the Kenmare man has seen more and more of since the new rule changes.
"A couple of teams have tried it during the league, trying to get that extra protection around the two-point arc," he said
"It could lead to excitement as well, with teams pushing out that bit more and maybe leaving space behind."
Donegal’s dominance 15 minutes either side of the break had Kerry chasing shadows, with the three-goal blitz putting the contest to bed earlier than anyone could have anticipated.
"The scoreboard maybe didn't justify the performance… we fought back towards the end, but it was probably a heavier defeat than that."
Notwithstanding the lack of supply into the Kerry forward line at times, it was an off-day for the Kenmare forward. Some uncharesictic wayward shooting meant he was outscored by Max Campbell (0-03 to 0-01), the young defender drafted into the Donegal side and assigned marking duties on the two-time All-Ireland winner.
"I'm personally very disappointed," he said. "That's kind of the first thing you need to do after a performance and a defeat like that is you have to look in the mirror first and analyse your own performance, then from the team as a whole.
"That will sting after a game, especially when you go back (training)."
A training camp in Portugal will guide preparations for their opening Munster assignment in Ennis.
One player looking to earn a first championship start is Tomás Kennedy. The Kerins O’Rahillys was a headline act in the opening game of the league with a buzzer-beater winner against Roscommon.
A few niggles have halted that progress, but despite coming on against Donegal with the game done and dusted, he again gave a good account of himself and will challenge for a spot in a competitive forward line.
"He brings huge energy and enthusiasm and is very bubbly around the place," O'Shea said. "He's had a good league.
"He missed a few rounds of the league with energy, but he’s definitely been a spark for us."
