Mayo footballer Lee Keegan believes Dublin have demonstrated why they will go down in history as the best team to have played the game, and says the onus is on the challengers to catch up.
Jim Gavin led his men to a fourth successive All-Ireland title and sixth in eight years with a six-point victory over Tyrone at Croke Park.
The men from the capital have dominated the football landscape and the closest challengers in that period have been Keegan’s Mayo, who have fallen agonisingly short in both semi-finals and All-Ireland finals.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Sunday Sport, the Westport man acknowledged the brilliance of the reigning champions.
"I don’t think there is much more we can say about them at this stage," he said.
"Four-in-a-row is some achievement in this era of football. It’s up to the rest of us to turn them over and it will take a lot of work to get there.
"Today is all about Dublin. People will say they didn’t kill the game off, but I don’t think it is really a big matter. They always had the game in control.
"When the cause is at its greatest, they always come up with a big score or play. These group of guys will go down in history as probably the greatest team that has ever played football."
Can the currently managerless Mayo mount a serious challenge again next year?
"Absolutely," he insisted. "We are part of the chasing bunch. It is up to us to knuckle down, but Dublin have thrown down the gauntlet again
"I can guarantee you lads back home will be itching to get back after watching today. It is all steam ahead for 2019."
Bernard Flynn hailed the "extraordinary achievement" with 11 players getting their hands on a sixth All-Ireland medal.
He also noted the omission of Bernard Brogan from the match-day panel and speculated that we may have seen the last of the forward in a Dublin jersey.
"That decision not to start him is the ruthlessness and honesty to the cause from Jim Gavin," he said.
"Bernard was away from the team on his own in a pensive mood. He hugged all the staff and looked like a guy that was saying, 'this is my last hurrah'."
