This promises to be a fascinating match. It seems to me to have all the ingredients of a classic. Both sides have earned their place in the final and there is huge appeal for everyone interested in football. At this stage we know more about Mayo because we saw them beat Kerry in last year's semi-final when they won by six points. They were well worth that margin that day and they showed their mettle in the two matches against Meath in the subsequent final.

Kerry were not well prepared for the semi-final last year and were naive in their approach. We can be sure that this will not be the case this time.

The question now is: what did Kerry learn from that experience? I believe they have matured. They showed great improvement against Clare and Cavan.

Mayo will have learned from their mistakes last year as well. There is nothing like losing to concentrate the mind. They will have a huge hunger on this occasion and I expect them to be very strong and determined from the moment the ball is thrown in.

This may be the last big match for some of the Mayo players and that will add to their determination. Their age profile is higher than Kerry's and that may be an advantage. It will be the first time in a match of this importance for all of the Kerry players and a lot will depend on how some of them react to the challenge.

They have the extra burden of not having won an All-Ireland title for 11 years, and in Kerry that is a long time. An awful lot is being expected of them and everything hinges on how the players react to the pressures.

Of course Kerry will feel that, even if they lose, they will get another chance while there are many Mayo players who will not get the opportunity again. Those facts add to the challenges which face the teams.

Mayo may have been strengthened from last year. It is interesting to see Liam McHale selected again at full forward. The tussle between McHale and Barry O'Shea will be very interesting, but Mayo's midfield and half forwards will have to get the ball into the goalmouth for McHale to make a big impression.

O'Shea is big and strong and he will be able to match McHale in this respect but McHale has a vast amount of experience.

The Mayo midfield is interesting. Pat Fallon is the outstanding midfielder in the game at the moment and Mayo have discovered another fine midfielder in David Heaney. This will make the battle at midfield with Dara O Se and William Kirby all the more interesting. The fact that Mayo can afford to name a midfield without McHale shows how strong they are in that department and Kerry's pair will have to work very hard to get on even terms.

In previous matches Kerry's midfielders and even their half forwards were often forced back into defence. If that happens again they may have to revert to Plan B, which would be to bring Maurice Fitzgerald to midfield, perhaps.

Fitzgerald is the ace in the Kerry pack. Even while playing in poor Kerry teams he has shown how great a player he is. I don't believe there is a football follower in the country who would begrudge him an All-Ireland medal.

But he can't expect any favours from Mayo and in Ken Mortimer he will be facing one of the best defenders in the game at the moment, so he may be forced out the field or on to the other wing. One way or another Kerry will be looking for a really topnotch performance from Fitzgerald.

In the modern game there seems to be new thinking which involves the half forwards being deployed as extra defenders. This means that possession is vitally important and the way you use it is what wins matches.

Mayo centre back James Nallen and centre forward Colm McManamon are very mobile players and you cannot expect them to stay in their designated positions. But movement around the pitch will be in vain if they do not use possession well.

This is something I notice about Mayo. They are very good at working the ball to within 40 or 30 yards of the goal but they make poor use of it from there on. McManamon in particular has sometimes failed to make good use of his possession, but if he does tomorrow Kerry could be in trouble.

Kerry are better at making use of possession and taking their chances, and this could swing the match in their favour in the long run. Billy O'Shea's straight running could be a huge factor in how the Kerry attack functions.

Here discipline in defence will be important for both sides with Fitzgerald and Mayo's Maurice Sheridan both expert free-takers.

I believe that both teams will try to play an open running game and I expect it to be very fast and sporting.

One factor which could have a big effect on the outcome is the use of substitutes. The game now is an 18man contest and both teams have talented players on the bench. The two managers, Paidi O Se and John Maughan, are shrewd readers of the game and it will be interesting to see how they use their substitutes.

It is a very close game to call. It will be very tight indeed and there will be no more than a couple of points in it at the end. A lot of people would like to see Mayo winning after their bad experience of last year but I believe that Kerry's mobility and ability to convert their chances into scores will just about shade it. (In an interview with Sean Kilfeather)