Dublin and Kerry have given us plenty of entertainment over the years: the classics of the ’70s, the one-sided contests of the ’80s, all the way to the most recent decider between the two, when Stephen Cluxton’s late free secured All-Ireland glory for the Dubs in 2011.

The pairing is a good one for a final in that both teams tend to play football. That line comes with a proviso, however, as the Dubs lost their way a little in the drawn semi-final against Mayo and strayed from their style by engaging in a physical battle that clearly didn’t suit them.

Kerry pride themselves by being hard footballers but footballers nonetheless. Players like Tim Kennelly, John O’Keeffe, Jack O’Shea, John Egan, the Bomber and all of the Ó Sés had a tough exterior when needed, but they all had football at their core. The same of true of most of this Kerry team. I’m thinking of key men like David Moran, a footballer and a warrior to match. His father Ogie was the very same, the only difference between the two being about two foot in height.

Tralee-based Moran has that intangible strength in the air, to field, to deflect and to stop opponents doing the same. If Kerry, as we can only assume, do not allow Cluxton a soft option on quick kick-outs, then the middle of the field is where the battle can be won. Moran and Anthony Maher, with the odd visit from Kieran Donaghy, offer the Kingdom an edge here.

There are other edges for the defending champions – many of them are mental. The champions never carry baggage to Croke Park. Their county will not be hyped up the week of the game; this is old hat for almost everyone involved. However, while there is no motivation needed for an All-Ireland final, the odd tint of extra motivation doesn’t hurt. Back in 2011, most memories of the final surround Cluxton’s nerveless kick to nudge Dublin over the line. What has been almost forgotten is that Kerry had this game in their pockets. Before Cluxton’s free and the softness that surrounded the awarding of it, Kerry led and controlled matters.

If there was a moment in that game that turned it on its head, it was Kevin McManamon’s goal just six minutes from time. Trailing by four, it brought the Dubs back into the equation. The same man is displaying similar traits in front of goal the last two times he has been sprung from the bench.

In 2013, Kerry and Dublin played out a classic semi-final and the Dubs came out the other side, but they were the better team that day, finishing like a train. Kerry had a 3-3 to 1-6 lead after 20 minutes in that game. The final score line was 3-18 to 3-11, with Dublin out-scoring Kerry by 2-12 to 0-8 in the last 50 minutes, and 2-1 to no score in the last five.

By the way, who came off the bench that day to score the decisive goal, eschewing the point from 30 yards to continue through and bury the goal from the 14? McManamon, of course. He likes playing against the Kingdom.

There is no doubt that Kerry are a better team than the 2011 and 2013 versions. While last year was a surprise in some quarters, they have managed to add some depth to that All-Ireland-winning squad. Of course, the return of Colm Cooper is a major part of that. To date, Tommy Walsh and Paul Galvin have played no discernible part in their championship – it is highly unlikely either will be seen on Sunday.

The development of their manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice and his at times ruthless nature is becoming Cody-esque. At various times he has dropped or taken off some of the perceived gods in Kerry; he hasn’t batted an eyelid. Score the dramatic equalising point in the Munster final, as a back? You’re still dropped for the replay. Be the most heralded forward of your generation and come back from injury? You have to prove yourself all over again.

To survive and thrive in counties like Kilkenny and Kerry – where the pipeline of talent has to be extraordinary to match the expectations of supporters – takes a number of attributes and trusting in your own instincts is the most central of them. Fitzmaurice doesn’t shirk the hard call, he’s a serious man on the line.

Jim Gavin has won an All-Ireland too and that also puts him in a select bracket. However, the loss to Donegal last summer obviously still rankles because there is no other way to explain Dublin’s attitude in the first match against Mayo. They went back to basics in the replay – they had no choice, and it eventually paid dividends.

The undeniable fact that their late burst was spearheaded by substitutes, namely Michael Darragh MacAuley and the aforementioned McManamon and Alan Brogan, puts him in a spot when he is selecting his team. In most other counties, MacAuley and McManamon would definitely have played their way into the starting 15, while Brogan’s craft and age might best be suited to a mid-match appearance.

The dilemma of Diarmuid Connolly’s performance in the replay can surely be excused by the furore that surrounded his availability. We can expect normal business to resume for him on Sunday; he should be selected from the off.

Hurling is a little behind football in that both Galway and Kilkenny named their semi-final lineups unchanged for the final. I don’t expect that to happen on Sunday. Gavin has been operating a form of a squad rotation policy and it looks like this has seen Dean Rock play himself off the team. At the very least there will be one change made there.

Fitzmaurice cannot be second-guessed. There will be plenty of nerves around Killarney in training this week because the captain is not even sure of his place. While Paul Geaney has been excellent, Cooper has been vintage recently and Donnchadh Walsh’s work rate outstanding, there is still a lot riding on James O’Donoghue’s fitness. The Kingdom need him raring to go and he is a big-stage operator.

I’d probably have fancied Kerry against Mayo but Dublin will have seriously benefited from the two games against the Connacht champions. The relatively short run-in can only aid them too. Crazy as it sounds, the Dubs have found themselves in the position of the “poor” Galway hurlers of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, when they had only two games to win an All-Ireland.

More often than not, that would come back to bite them. It has hindered Dublin in recent years because at the business end of the championship they have not been as tried and tested as you must be at that juncture. Not so this year.

There is also a perceived and real issue with the Kerry full-back line, which at various times has looked to veterans Marc Ó Sé and Aidan O’Mahony to shore it up. They have looked slow to react and vulnerable.

Having lived and worked very happily in Kerry for a number of years, I’d be slow to back against them in a final against the All Blacks. But if the Dublin forwards, as is their way, come in waves this Sunday, the Kingdom won’t be able to stem the tide.