Mayo must learn the lessons from All-Ireland final defeats in 2004 and 2006 if they are to upset the odds against Kerry, according to Conor Mortimer.
The former Mayo forward was part of the Green and Red team that fell to comprehensive losses to the Kingdom in those deciders.
The Connacht side, under John Maughan, trailed by eight points by the 25th minute of the 2004 game, before going on to lose 1-20 to 2-09.
Things got even worse two years later when Kerry hit 2-04 in the opening 13 minutes and ran out 13-point victors over Mayo, then managed by Mickey Moran.
Mortimer, who top-scored in the 2006 championship and won an All-Star, also alluded to Kerry’s victory in last year’s final when they burst out of the blocks against Donegal, holding a 0-13 to 0-04 lead before the 20th minute.
Some Mayo fans made an early exit during the 2006 decider
“Ultimately if Mayo are to use anything for this, I mean they look at ’04, ’06, and what Kerry did to Donegal last year in the first 10 minutes of the All-Ireland, it was over,” Mortimer told RTÉ Radio 1’s Inside Sport.
“I know people are saying about settling things down and, you know, being cool in the first period of the game, but I think for Mayo to have a real chance in this game they’re going to have to take it to Kerry from the start.
“Don’t give Kerry any time to implement their control of the game or the way they play, because if you let them control the ball, you’re going to have a job to get it back.
“I think Mayo are probably going to try to implement their style early on, breaking around the midfield and getting ball to them guys inside and let them do the job after that.”
Kerry start as heavy favourite to claim a 40th title in Croke Park on Sunday, while Andy Moran’s men are looking for a fourth Sam Maguire and a first since 1951.
The Connacht side have won just six of 30 previous championship encounters against Kerry, including their last clash, a 1-19 to 0-17 win in a round-robin tie in 2023.
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Mortimer says his former side have a chance if they can bring Kerry down the stretch.
“I’d like to see Kerry tested in the last 10 minutes,” said the Shrule-Glencorrib man.
“I would expect that Mayo would have enough if it’s tight going into the last [stages].
“Ultimately, it can go two ways: if it’s tight, I’m going for Mayo to obviously win it.
“If, on the other hand, Kerry kind of turn it on, up it a gear from the semi-final they played against Dublin, then Mayo will probably be in trouble.
“You’d expect Mayo to be a lot, lot tighter on Paudie [Clifford, man of the match] than Dublin were in the semi-final.
“So look, I’m going for a Mayo win. Very, very tight.
“If our young lads settle, we can certainly win the game by a point or two points.”
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Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship final, Kerry v Mayo, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1