Sean Cavanagh column: Armagh showed us a different way to win
Normally with champions, you're looking at star players like the David Cliffords, the Con O'Callaghans, the Michael Murphys. But look at the Armagh team and not that many jump out as certs for All Stars.
Armagh have torn up the script. That's one thing we can say for definite. All the old notions we had about what it takes to win the All-Ireland don't apply to them.
They've had no underage success since the noughties - and that was within Ulster. They played in Division Two this year.
They have no track record of dominating their province. They haven't been Ulster champions since 2008. They haven't benefited from a new manager or a new set-up.
READ MORE: Armagh v Galway score recap and result from the All-Ireland final
READ MORE: Armagh beat Galway to win first All-Ireland in 22 years and just second ever
Kieran McGeeney is in his 10th year as boss. Nearly all of the players in the panel have never played for a different manager.
Look through the names on their teamsheet. Be honest with what you make of them.
Normally with champions, you're looking at star players like the David Cliffords, the Con O'Callaghans, the Michael Murphys.
But look at the Armagh team and not that many jump out as certs for All Stars, let alone candidates for Footballer of the Year.
So it's clear that McGeeney found a different way to win.
And that will give heart to teams all around the country.
Stefan Campbell is one of those that was playing in Division Three not that long ago.
Now he has an All-Ireland medal, and he made a big impression on the Championship.
His typical direct run early in the second half led to Aaron McKay's goal - it was the biggest moment of the final.
To be honest, I'm not convinced that Campbell meant to pass the ball to McKay.
I've watched the replay over and over and I think Campbell didn't spot McKay's run. I think he was trying to fist the ball over the bar.
Whatever the intent, it doesn't matter, the break went Armagh's way.
In the All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal, Galway got a break that led to a goal.
That's the way football can go. You can train for endless hours, put in a huge amount of preparation, and it all comes down to getting a break.
Armagh are champions because they became very tough to beat. They got goals at key moments in games and their hard running style opened up enough gaps for them to get over the line in the biggest games.
They got their reward for being a dogged, resilient team.
In a way, they're a mirror image of McGeeney. He came up the hard way too. McGeeney was in his 10th year with Armagh before he even won an Ulster title.
As a player, he became one of the best centre-backs around by putting massive emphasis on building his power and his conditioning.
I think he's taken a similar approach to managing Armagh. We all know that this didn't happen overnight.
Few managers stay more than three years in a job - especially if they've never won anything.
McGeeney has finally won silverware in Year 10. And he got the biggest prize of all.
It's not a template I can see many other counties copying. I can't see many others keeping the faith like Armagh did.
And it has to be said that not everyone in the county kept faith in McGeeney. He faced a vote on his future a year ago.
Resilience is to be admired and there were plenty who felt Armagh wouldn't come back from losing the Ulster final to Donegal.
To come out on the wrong end of a penalty shoot-out for the fourth time in a couple of years was a bitter pill to swallow.
But Armagh didn't feel sorry for themselves, even when landed in a tricky group in the All-Ireland series.
They kept their focus, building from game to game. Getting Roscommon in the All-Ireland quarter-finals was a good draw for them.
It was always going to be fairly tight, but Armagh were always going to win.
Getting that win in Croke Park under their belts put them in a good place to throw everything they had at Kerry.
In the first half of his time as Armagh manager, the big headache McGeeney had was in defence.
In so many games, they just leaked far too many scores.
For all the talk of Kieran Donaghy coming in as attack coach, the biggest improvement Armagh have made in the last couple of years is at the back.
They get bodies back, they're very disciplined and, when they get the ball back, they have strong runners who can fly up the field, and pop the ball off to the shooters.
As a game, this All-Ireland final was no classic. The first half was awful, a real endurance test.
It looked as if we were watching two teams trying not to lose, rather than to win the game.
There was no sparkle, few contests for possession, it was hard going and boring.
Oisin Conaty brought a bit of youthful exuberance for Armagh and Paul Conroy and Johnny Maher had their moments for Galway.
But it was nervy, disjointed kind of a half. Galway losing Rob Finnerty was a massive blow.
Opponents tend to put their best backs on Damien Comer and Shane Walsh, and that can play into Finnerty's hands.
He was excellent in the semi-final and to lose him so early really hurt Galway.
I don't understand the Sean Kelly situation. I watched him in the warm-up and he was nowhere near fit.
I know he is the captain but he wasn't fit enough to be brought on. He was way off it when he was introduced.
The second half did feel more like an All-Ireland final.
It was score for score for a period and there was the feeling all through that a gaol would be a huge moment.
Sure enough, that turned out to be the case.
Galway had plenty of chances to rein Armagh back in but Walsh had a nightmare and Comer was lost inside an orange blanket.
Throughout the game, Armagh got their scores quicker than Galway, who were just too ponderous and slow.
McGeeney has built a team of athletes as much as footballers.
Of course they do have talent, but their athleticism is their outstanding attribute.
They've shown us all that you can win in a different way.
You don't need the so-called marquee forwards. Toughness. Resilience. Character. That was Kieran McGeeney. That is Armagh now.
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