Tyrone 2021 rather than Liverpool 1997 is the model to follow for the Kerry managerial brains trust of Darragh Long and Declan Quill, the duo hoping to steer the Kingdom to their first All-Ireland ladies crown in 30 years.The joint-manager model has not generally been favoured by traditionalists across a variety of football codes ("Only one man can run a football club," Brian Clough cried in his booming Middlesbrough tones) and was previously thought to be a recipe for division and confusion.So, when it comes to the Long-Quill double act, who indeed is really in charge?"I'm the boss," Long blurts out."I'm the brains!" chirps up Quill.The exchange is typical of their relationship, which is more Reeves and Mortimer than Evans and Houllier.It was Long, a former Kerry minor and U21, and an Austin Stacks stalwart who was initially approached by Sean Walsh to take the Kerry minor ladies job in 2018.He immediately contacted his longtime Kerins O'Rahilly's foe and two-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry, Declan Quill - "why he came into my brain, I had no idea!" - asking him to join him in the endeavour."He sold it to me," says Quill. "He said it would probably only be six months."So this is five years later and we're still at it.""Ah no, we get on exceptionally well," says Long. "We've been playing against each other since we were under-six."We were at two rival clubs inside in Tralee, Austin Stacks and Kerins O'Rahillys.
For years we probably wouldn't have talked to each other even. We were with Kerry minor and under-21 squads together."We happened to marry two girls who are next door neighbours in Waterford."Our roads were always going to come together at some stage.