Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

Kerry will march in to Croke Park this weekend as overwhelming favourites, but no team from Meath should ever be written off. Expect a battle at headquarters on Sunday, writes Emmet Moloney...

The last time Kerry and Meath met at this stage of the championship was back in 2001 when the Royal county destroyed the then defending All-Ireland champions by 15 points. I was working in Kerry at the time and couldn’t understand their reaction to the loss. Life was literally over in the Kingdom. Hammered in Croke Park? Unthinkable. I must admit I took a small bit of pleasure in my colleagues’ discomfort. After all, they were always quick to inflict a healthy slagging on this Clare man in their midst. 'The Kerryman' newspaper was a place where ball-hopping was positively encouraged.

Back in 1999, Clare lost a Munster hurling final against Cork and, therefore, would have to go through the back door. Previous to that match, I had written off the back door, saying the Banner preferred the front. On arriving to 'The Kerryman' that Monday morning after losing the Munster hurling final, I discovered an actual back door on my desk. It had been removed from the hinges earlier that morning and transported from another part of the factory. On top of it was a huge printed sign: “For the Clare boys, nothing wrong with the back door now.”

I waited until 2001 and that Meath defeat before I had a form of revenge. I went in early that Monday morning and after going through all the pictures of the match available from Sportsfile, I found the one I was looking for. A picture of the scoreboard taken at the end. Meath 2-14, Kerry 0-5. Photocopies were the order of the day. The man I eventually discovered as the carpenter with the back door in 1999 (Hi Brendan) had his desk wallpapered. All was fair in love and war.

Except they hardly noticed. They were numb. The following year Armagh caught them in the final after being in control at half-time. In 2003, Tyrone out-muscled them and this was worse. Well beaten on the scoreboard, they were physically manhandled on the pitch. There was no point in photocopies that August.

Kerry people, who take their football so seriously, are probably the best losers in the game. This comes from not losing that often and knowing that you’ll be back the following year. But losing to a team that made them look like small boys? It was time for remedial action.

Enter Jack O’Connor. The tough South Kerry man was appointed and things changed. The so-called soft centre that Northern teams exploited was replaced with uncompromising footballers like Aidan O’Mahony and Paul Galvin – men who could play football and play hard. Three All-Irelands were won in four years and Armagh were beaten in a titanic quarter-final. But not Tyrone.

In 2005, and last year, Mickey Harte’s men beat Kerry and were the better team on both occasions. In between, the Kingdom rolled over Cork and Mayo in finals. The Tyrone hoodoo fell heavily around Kerry necks. Now they are gone.

So we talk about Kerry and Cork now. Poor Cork. Every single year they beat Kerry in Munster, the green and gold come back to beat them in Croke Park – when it really matters. But it will be a great final, etc. Oh to be in the Meath dressing room this Sunday. There are a couple of counties out there that are proud. Not proud in the usual sense, but proud in a way that if you mess with them, they will dig deep and mess with you right back. Meath are one of them. And Sunday is set up for them.

The history of the last two All-Irelands that Meath have won is worth considering. Back in 1996 they were coming off a disastrous ’95. Dublin had beaten them out the gate by 10 points in the Leinster final and a lot of the warriors were coming to the end of the road. Twelve months later, they marched through Leinster, ambushed Tyrone in a semi-final and won an All-Ireland by beating Mayo to the punch (literally).

Five years after that, the Royals were at it again. Momentum through the back door saw them shanghai Kerry and then beat Galway in a clinical final display. This summer they have been poor and yet are now in the last three after finishing strongly against a wasteful Mayo. In 1996 and 1999 they came from nowhere. Sound familiar?

They are 16/1 to win the Sam Maguire with Paddy Power. The outsider of three at 16/1? If I was a Meathman I’d be highly insulted. As a Clareman I am just highly tempted. They can beat Kerry because of who they are, because of who they represent, because of what runs through their veins. They’re Meath and, in that county, tradition matters. It certainly matters on Sunday.

Here’s the scenario that sees Meath win. First and foremost, Kerry have to fall short of their performance levels from the Dublin match. And they will. No team could repeat that. And no team could repeat the build-up Kerry had going into that game. They were underdogs; their morale, ability and hunger was being questioned. As proud and capable Kerrymen, they went out and answered the call. But this lead-up is much different. They are favourites and being talked up. A bit like before they played Sligo and Longford – two teams that could have beaten them, were they a little cuter.

Meath are cute. Past masters at improving as a championship develops, they will fancy their chances. Rattling Kerry early is the key and that’s right up their alley. Tough, niggly, stop-start football. That’s how to play Kerry. Throw in a ferocious man-marker or two on the Gooch, Donaghy and Declan O’Sullivan, and you keep their total down.

The Kingdom have never really got the hang of winning low-scoring, ugly contests. They prefer to win pretty and are good at it. But Meath can do both. On Sunday it must be the former. The Royals have to tear into them and throw them off their game plan. That means riling up one or two players (Dara Ó Sé, Paul Galvin). Their forwards have to deliver, but that is true of every day. It can all be done on the edge of fairness, a place the Royals know well.

If they don’t go at Kerry from the throw-in they will lose – and lose early and well. So good luck to them. It’s far from impossible because this Kingdom side rarely put two good displays back to back. Meath do. Sunday is made for them.

To catch Emmet's latest column, get 'The Irish Farmers' Journal' every Thursday...