Football All Stars 2014

How did McBrearty get a nomination :eek:

Think McGee should get POTY for sure.

Poor_old_gill wrote: »

The Kevin McM nomination is completely non-nonsensical

I would love to know what games the nomination team were watching?

What chance did they just throw him onto the team because they had heard of him?

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FWIW (very little)

Here's how I see it going:

Goalkeepers: Paul Durcan (Donegal),

Full backs: Fionn Fitzgerald (Kerry), Keith Higgins (Mayo) Neil McGee (Donegal)

Half-backs: Aidan O’Mahony (Kerry), Peter Crowley (Kerry), Frank McGlynn (Donegal)

Midfield: David Moran (Kerry), Séamus O’Shea (Mayo).

Half-forwards: Paul Flynn (Dublin), Michael Murphy (Donegal), Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry)

Full-forwards: Kieran Donaghy (Kerry), Cillian O’Connor (Mayo), James O’Donoghue (Kerry),

Player of the Year Nominations: James O’Donoghue (Kerry)

Young Player of the Year Nominations: Ryan McHugh (Donegal)

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Here's how I would pick it though:
Goalkeepers: Paul Durcan (Donegal)

Full backs: Fionn Fitzgerald (Kerry), Keith Higgins (Mayo), Neil McGee (Donegal)

Half-backs: Peter Crowley (Kerry), Frank McGlynn (Donegal), Lee Keegan (Mayo).

Midfield: Odhrán MacNiallais (Donegal), David Moran (Kerry), Séamus O’Shea (Mayo). (I honestly can't decide between SOS and OMN. Moran is a cert.

Half-forwards: Paul Flynn (Dublin), Michael Murphy (Donegal), Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry)

Full-forwards:Cillian O’Connor (Mayo), James O’Donoghue (Kerry), Conor McManus (Monaghan) :P

Player of the Year Nominations: Neil McGee (Donegal).
Young Player of the Year Nominations: Ryan McHugh (Donegal)

nicepoint wrote: »

^^^^^ Two man FF line ? Where is Paul Murphy ? Not sure about Fionn, not far off but a no for me. And some of your other selections are questionable also.

It was 3am. Obviously overlooked at that stage.
I shall edit post haste.

As for them being questionable choices; they're my choices. Of course you'll question them but that's how the year was for me.

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So Conor McManus then... Ha ha... I think I'd get a rash or pigs would fly if I gave "Rats" any credit. Let's not change a habit of a lifetime.

BonnieSituation wrote: »

It was 3am. Obviously overlooked at that stage.
I shall edit post haste.

As for them being questionable choices; they're my choices. Of course you'll question them but that's how the year was for me.

What happened in the matches was the same for everybody. It’s not like the game was being played and you were watching different passages of play than the supporter beside you.
The issue is that you were either not paying attention to what was happening or you’re throwing in a couple of individuals onto your team as a wind-up. Giving Lee Keegan and Seamus O’Shea all-stars is ridiculas. In many instances, differences in personal choices are relevant. But nominations like that are just going beyond credibility. I don’t think it a case of personal choice to state that Colm Boyle and Neil Gallagher had a much better season in their respective positions than the aforementioned.

flasher0030 wrote: »

I think it's clear from the posts that it's almost all Kerry people that think that Donnacha Walsh should get an All-Star. And the majority of the rest of the country don’t agree with that.
There seems to be a thought in Kerry that because he works hard and covers a lot of ground, that he finally deserves an All-star. And that his poor scoring return should not be an issue, notwithstanding that he is a forward. Whereas, outside Kerry he’s perceived as a workhorse - good player but nothing special and often seems anonymous in games due to the lack of doing the spectacular.

My thought is that he has a role in the Kerry team, has worked hard, is very fit, links backs and forwards and picks up breaks. However, to get an All-Star, in my opinion a player needs to have produced something a bit special throughout the year. I don’t just mean 1 or 2 moments of brilliance in a year should deserve an All-Star. But I don’t think Donnacha Walsh portrays All-Star qualities. But if there was an award for “works hard for the team, without ever being spectacular”, then he would be top of the list. Whereas Flynn and Connolly can produce that bit of individual brilliance, as well as playing consistently good that edges them to the All-Star.

You use the word throughout as in constantly, All Irelands are won by players that are not just brillant but also these payers need so called workhorses as well. Maybe if Mayo ahd a few DW's instead of Aidan O'Se's type players then they too might win Sam Maguires. The failure of most teams is not having these type of unselfish link players. The Cillian O'Connors abd the John O'Donoghues need to be given the ball into there hands. I am involved at under age and I find that really skilled players often need some one else to hand them the ball.

All Stars IMO are to acknowledge the players that contributed most to there team. If you argued on skill or ball carry ability you begiving the likes of Aidan O'Se an all star. However he fail to make an team that asks for honesty in there players. What I mean by this is players that are willing to scarfice them selves for there teams. Football is a team sport because of his unwillingness to train to optimum fitness IMO he is not a team player. Walsh is such a player I do not think he will win an AS but for his honesty and scarfice for the team he deserves one.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

You use the word throughout as in constantly, All Irelands are won by players that are not just brillant but also these payers need so called workhorses as well. Maybe if Mayo ahd a few DW's instead of Aidan O'Se's type players then they too might win Sam Maguires. The failure of most teams is not having these type of unselfish link players. The Cillian O'Connors abd the John O'Donoghues need to be given the ball into there hands. I am involved at under age and I find that really skilled players often need some one else to hand them the ball.

All Stars IMO are to acknowledge the players that contributed most to there team. If you argued on skill or ball carry ability you begiving the likes of Aidan O'Se an all star. However he fail to make an team that asks for honesty in there players. What I mean by this is players that are willing to scarfice them selves for there teams. Football is a team sport because of his unwillingness to train to optimum fitness IMO he is not a team player. Walsh is such a player I do not think he will win an AS but for his honesty and scarfice for the team he deserves one.

Good post. I think one of the problems with the disparity in what players should be picked for the All-stars is – what criteria are required to be an All-star? I don’t think they are defined. Therefore, it throws up problems when you have players with varying types of attributes fighting for the same all-star position e.g. Flynn, Connolly, Walsh debate. I’d love to know how they are actually picked. Do the
assessors review statistics e.g. successful hand passes, foot passes, fetches, scores etc. Or do they take a general approach – just pick the best 15 players based on their recollections and hype in the media?

flasher0030 wrote: »

I think it's clear from the posts that it's almost all Kerry people that think that Donnacha Walsh should get an All-Star. And the majority of the rest of the country don’t agree with that.
There seems to be a thought in Kerry that because he works hard and covers a lot of ground, that he finally deserves an All-star. And that his poor scoring return should not be an issue, notwithstanding that he is a forward. Whereas, outside Kerry he’s perceived as a workhorse - good player but nothing special and often seems anonymous in games due to the lack of doing the spectacular.

My thought is that he has a role in the Kerry team, has worked hard, is very fit, links backs and forwards and picks up breaks. However, to get an All-Star, in my opinion a player needs to have produced something a bit special throughout the year. I don’t just mean 1 or 2 moments of brilliance in a year should deserve an All-Star. But I don’t think Donnacha Walsh portrays All-Star qualities. But if there was an award for “works hard for the team, without ever being spectacular”, then he would be top of the list. Whereas Flynn and Connolly can produce that bit of individual brilliance, as well as playing consistently good that edges them to the All-Star.

You have the bones of a valid point, but last year Walsh was immense in every game and made mincemeat of Jack McCaffrey in the semi final. Should have got one last year, but..gun to my head, not this year. Didn't do enough in Mayo replay and final for me.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

I first saw AOS against Cork whem he was about 20 yaers of age. I taught he had great potential. However his inability to reach full fitness kills his team. Darragh O'Se was no saint however this was more in the latter days of his career.


It takes more than any one thing to win AI's. it takes skill, team work, fitness, ability to read and tak a game by the scruff of the neck etc. I was in CP last year to watch Mayo V Dublin. I considered Mayo a team of inviduals. Inviduals do not win AI's.

AOS inability to last complete games when he is at the height if his career indicated taht he is not completely fit

If you were in Croke Park for Mayo's 2 matches prior to that you would have seen 2 great team performances, especially dethroning the all-Ireland champions in style - a game in which Aidan O'Shea was back in his own full back line fetching the leather from the high heavens in the last 5 minutes of the game.

FYI - Aidan O'Shea is only 24 - not what I would call at the height of one's career for a midfielder/centre-forward. The experience that he would get in a midfield/centre-forward role in the next few years will continuously mould him into a better player in terms of cuteness on the ball, the important runs to make, pacing oneself through a game, when to offload the ball etc.

homerjay2005 wrote: »

if Connolly was from any other county, he wouldnt get an all star.

Boom__Boom wrote: »

Connolly's intercounty season

Laois 1-1
Wexford 0-2
Meath 0-1
Monaghan 1-2 (1f)
Donegal 0-5(1f)

He scored 2-11 in 5 games with 2-9 of it coming from play.

However I also had a look at the number of shots he took in the various games [from the dontfoul blog]

Against Laois he took 4 shots, 3 against Wexford, 3 from Meath , 5 against Monaghan, and 7 against Donegal.

[These are just shots from play]

So basically he took 22 shots and got 10 scores. [a 45% strike rate]

When up factor in the quality of the opposition and how comfortable Dublin were for long stretches of games that's not really POTY form imo.

I try to ignore short comments like Homerjay's which have a bias against one county over another, but since it was posted, I've had the comment rattling around the back of my head. I don't believe it's true. Connolly's performance in the All Ireland Club Final was from all accounts beyond brilliant. It is certainly true that DC didn't set the world alight in his performances in the Leinster Championship as outlined in the facts provided by Boom_Boom. However, in the quarterfinal against Monaghan he was excellent, and the performance he gave against Donegal, despite his teammates losing the head, was beyond reproach. He was brilliant that day.

If a Roscommon (for example) clubman played as DC played (i.e.brilliantly) in the AI Club Final and his team won, and then subsequently played,but didn't star,in a winning Connacht championship, and subsequently did as DC did, and played well in a winning q/f and brilliantly in a losing s/f, then that notional guy would certainly be in the running for an all star. The selection committee plus the fans and keyboard warriors like ourselves would all be looking for a way of including him on the team.

The facts are that DC gave two masterclasses in top class football this year. How many other players could lay claim to that feat? Star - yes. Moran - yes. Murphy ? Flynn ? Walsh ? All three of those players played consistently throughout the championship but none gave two masterclasses. Murphy is particularly effective,and was excellent in the q/f, but his s/f and final performances weren't in the top three for his team.

My basic point is that DC deserves an all star. Whether he deserves POTY is another question and not one I'd care to argue for.

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But are All Stars not supposed to be based purely on the Championship ?

Very hard to make a case for Mark Lynch's nomination then so ?

I don't know whether club games are included or not, but I would suggest that a performance in the All Ireland Club final, despite being limited to senior clubs, should be included in the reckoning for both all star and POTY. Comparing how JOD played for Legion or Ciaran Kilkenny for Castleknock, while slightly unfair on those lads, is as unfair as comparing Donaghy with the Wicklow corner forward.

Past30Now wrote: »

I don't know whether club games are included or not, but I would suggest that a performance in the All Ireland Club final, despite being limited to senior clubs, should be included in the reckoning for both all star and POTY.

A serious problem with this is that while Connolly's performance in the All-Ireland club finals was stand-out he was surely helped by the fact that Castlebar pretty much gave him freedom of the park in terms of marking.

It's one thing to impress when you have a top intercounty defender tracking your every move ; a whole different kettle of fish when it's a fairly ordinary club defender who makes a very poor effort in terms of tracking your movement, allowing you to drop deep out the field and pick up the ball in acres of time and space.

ciarriaithuaidh wrote: »

.................and based on performance in the championship overall (as I've stated numerous times already) Connolly cannot be called POTY. His performance in the semi final is up there with best of the year and if he gets an Allstar (even if it's at the expense of Donnacha Walsh) then I'm not going to argue.

As a hard nosed Dub, I'd have great difficulty in arguing DC's claim to POTY nomination let alone the award, in some respects I feel David Morans contribution to Kerry while likely to be recognised with an All Star should also have been nominated for POTY.

On the other hand I'd argue at length that DC is the best footballer in Ireland and that alone should get him his 1st All Star.

DoctaDee wrote: »

See this is where your argument becomes a little leaky - its for that very reason that the Gooch has the number of All Stars he does have (8?) ... how else would we explain the fact of his inclusion in the 2010 team to the exclusion of the complete Cork forward line when he played only 3 games in Munster, then came a cropper against Down in QF ?

Eh, no..in 2010 Gooch was outstanding in every single game..we beat Cork in a replay in Cork that year don't forget. He had 3 men on him most of the game in the 1/4 final v Down and still got 0-6 or thereabouts. He has earned every single one of his allstars..unlike a few others.

ProudDUB wrote: »

As a Dub, I love to see our lads hoovering up every single award and plaudit going. But even I have to admit that it is not fair to include a stand out club performance in the FOTY voting. It was just one game, it was in Croke Park and it was televized. How many club games from Donegal and Mayo and Kerry etc etc, that took place Oct-Dec, have the voters seen? Not too many I'd wager. It's an unfair contest to offer up one game as a reason for DC to get it, and to ignore the dozens and dozens of other top notch performances from all over the country, that didn't get the same coverage as the AI club final.

It was the AI club championship final, its not as if it was an early round in Dublin. The Kerry, Mayo and Donegal championship is seen just as much on TG4 as the Dublin one. It is FOTY, every GAA match played should be considered (within reason). He was immense in the final so I see no reason why it should not count.

For me, however, he wasnt good enough for the rest of the year to warrant a place in the All Stars let alone be nominated for FOTY.