Gavin O’Connor looks at the Austin Stacks v East Kerry, Garveys Supervalu Senior County Championship Round 1 game at Lewis Road, Killarney, on Saturday at 5pm…

ANOTHER campaign with Austin Stacks looking at title ambitions will get off the ground on Saturday, when they face an injury hit East Kerry.

The Rock are now the most successful team in the competition following Laune Rangers relegation to intermediate, both clubs having lifted 12 county titles.

So far this year, Stacks have only lost one game and that was to Dr Crokes in the the delayed 2015 County League Final back in February.

Continued below…

A Club Championship semi-final win against fellow heavy-hitters Dingle, would indicate Stephen Stack in his fourth year at the club has them up to speed.

In that victory, Kerry U21 Greg Horan picked up an ACL tear which has put him out for the year.

With the likes of Brian Mangan, Jack O’Shea, Jack Morgan and Sean Ryan now making an impression on the senior team, Stephen Stack is able to freshen up the side that were crowned champions in 2014.

Injuries to some key players has made East Kerry a bit of an unknown quantity coming into this game. A big loss is the 2014 All-Ireland winning minor captain, Liam Kearney.

The divisional side have a whole host of recent Kerry minors to pick from and it looks like it will be these players they will be relying on. East Kerry have won seven county titles but have been floundering of late.

Last year, they exited the competition after a shipping a 17 point hammering at the hands of Kerins O’Rahillys. Though Austin Stacks might not replicate that tally, they should be seeing off East Kerry without too much hassle.

Verdict – Austin Stacks by 6