The Dr Crokes clubman, who last played Championship football in 2009, comes in for the retired Mike McCarthy and will be flanked in the half-backs by the experienced Tomas Ó Sé and Aidan O'Mahony.

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor has paired free-taker Bryan Sheehan with Anthony Maher in midfield, with David Moran ruled out by a cruciate knee ligament injury and Seamus Scanlon and Michéal Quirke both benched.

Kieran Donaghy, who could also be switched to midfield, will have Kieran O'Leary and this year's captain Colm Cooper for company in the full-forward line.

Previewing Sunday's game, Donaghy said: "Last year, even though we did beat Tipperary by a good score at the end, for 55 minutes if you look at the game it was very tight.

"Tipperary pushed us very hard and got a few great goals that day and really put the pressure on us.

"We got a few late goals ourselves. Some may say they were fortunate enough and they were maybe the daggers that killed off Tipperary that day.

"I've played against John Evans teams all the way up in Kerry and you never get an easy game. We are not expecting anything easy from Tipperary.

"We know how hard and how long we have been looking forward to this game so we have to be on our toes."

The Kingdom's options on the bench include Paul Galvin, who is returning from a hamstring injury, and Dingle's David Geaney - one of the county's success stories during the Allianz Football League.

KERRY (SFC v Tipperary): Brendan Kealy; Killian Young, Marc Ó Sé, Tom O'Sullivan; Tomas Ó Sé, Eoin Brosnan, Aidan O'Mahony; Anthony Maher, Bryan Sheehan; Darran O'Sullivan, Declan O'Sullivan, Donnchadh Walsh; Colm Cooper (capt), Kieran Donaghy, Kieran O'Leary.