Peter Canavan Thinks Meath Loss Exposed Potentially Fatal Flaw In Kerry Team

Meath pulled off a second shock victory of their championship campaign yesterday, overcoming Kerry on a scoreline of 1-22 to 0-16 at O'Connor Park in Tullamore.

This was a game that Kerry were expected to win, going on to book their place in an All-Ireland quarter-final as a result. However, they failed to match the intensity that Meath provided on the day.

Robbie Brennan's side played some wonderful football at times, something that the Munster champions found difficult to live with. A Brian Menton goal just before the hour mark proved to be the pivotal moment in the contest, with Meath ultimately running out as deserved winners.

This game represented Kerry's heaviest Championship defeat since 2001, with many already labelling it as among the worst performances from the county in living memory.

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This game certainly raises quite a few questions surrounding Kerry's status as All-Ireland favourites, with many having tipped them to lift the Sam Maguire later this summer.

They were without some key contributors in this fixture, something that perhaps points to an issue within their side as currently constructed.

Speaking on The Saturday Game, Peter Canavan said that the loss to Meath drove home the importance of Paudie Clifford in the Kerry setup.

"I've said before, it's Paudie Clifford that makes this team tick" - Peter Canavan analyses Kerry's performance in defeat to Meath #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/1tClZwVrQm

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 14, 2025

A lot of people will bemoan the fact that Kerry were missing a few key players: Paudie Clifford, Sean O'Shea, Diarmuid O'Connor. But Meath were missing a few key players...

We have witnessed in the Championship already with a number of teams that if you take an opposition for granted and don't apply yourself the way you should, with energy and aggression, then teams will tear you apart.

If you have footballers who can kick the ball over the bar from outside the two-point arc, very quickly you can be blown away.

From a Kerry perspective, that was most alarming, how they sat off Meath. Whether it was showing them a complete lack of respect, or maybe they've come off a hard training spell, you don't know, and took Meath for granted.

But it's a kick up the rear that maybe Kerry needed at this stage. I think they're still very much All-Ireland contenders.

I've said this before, it's Paudie Clifford that makes this team tick. If you put him back there with Diarmuid O'Connor and Sean O'Shea, I do think they're a different animal.

The reliance on one particular player is an interesting dilemma from a Kerry perspective.

While he has often been the less heralded of the Clifford brothers, some would argue that Paudie has now outstripped his brother David as the most important player in the current Kerry team. The Fossa man is the one that acts as the link in the team, creating scoring opportunities for his teammates and ensuring that the ball is kept moving at pace into the final third.

Canavan is right to point out that his absence was a costly one against Meath and it is likely that things will improve once Clifford returns. In saying that, their over-reliance on the forward could also prove to be a big issue later down the line.

Judging by yesterday's game, Kerry will need him back at his best if they hope to make a deep championship run over the coming weeks.