Making Kerry great again: Jack O'Connor earns right to be mentioned in same breath as Micko

Six days after last year's All-Ireland final, Kerry GAA tweeted a much shared photo of Jack O'Connor visiting Mick O'Dwyer in Waterville, with the Sam Maguire placed beside them on a kitchen chair.

Notwithstanding the homely backdrop, the scene had a presidential feel. Like when a recently re-elected world leader meets an elderly Pope.

It was a meeting of the two most successful Kerry managers (in the modern sense of the term) in history, two men who were on notably poor terms in the early part of O'Connor's managerial career.

O'Dwyer's status as the greatest Kerry manager has remained unassailable and set in stone for years and years. He is synonymous with Kerry's finest side.

Could it possibly be on the cusp of changing? O'Connor has continually delivered as Kerry boss under huge pressure.

Already, his strike-rate is right there with Micko. O'Dwyer won eight All-Ireland titles across 15 campaigns from 1975 to 1989. O'Connor has four from a cumulative total of eight seasons in charge from 2004 up to now.

He's also achieved in three different spells, with two entirely different teams - David Moran was the only survivor from 2009 to win in 2022 and he was a sub in the former.

When Micko got a visit from his lifelong friends SAM & Jack #ThisIsKerry