Best minor never to make it at senior

mack flyer

Who was the best county minor you have seen that never made it at senior level for one reason or another??

LeoB

2 come to mind. Anthony Whyte Dublin minor in 78 and 79. He played for Clann Mhuire in The Naul a junior club in Fingal close to Meath Border. Anthony was brilliant and the only reason he didnt make it was he was from a small junior club. He played 1 or 2 games for Dublin and done well. He went on to play for Dublin junior team and Fingal selection.
The other was Ciaran Griffen from Fingal Ravens played the same time as Whyte. A superb athlete and probably a complete footballer. He got a hatchet job done on him playing for Fingal league in Dublin Senior Championship when he was about 23 or 24. Brilliant half back.
Both these lads were as good if not better than anything Dublin had at the time. Disgraceful looking back.
We sent a lad for a trial match with Dublin and he scored 5 points, all from play but he wasnt what they were looking for!!! LOL

Heard also Packy Farren of St. Maurs should have been a Dublin senior in the 70s. Heard 2 former All-Ireland players say he should have been on the team in '74. I played with him when I was starting off and he was finishing and he was amazing. Ah Club politics but thats for another day.
Cathal Sheridan Meath and the other McNicholl from Derry (no not Dermott) were very good.

Utopia Parkway

John 'Scan' Concannon in Galway.

The controversy is based on the omission of star 1990s player, John 'Scan' Concannon. Concannon was regarded by many as one of Jarlath's greatest players at Senior A. He scored 3-1 on his championship debut at the age of fourteen and was the outstanding player in colleges football for at least two years. His performance in the 1994 Hogan Cup Final was mesmerizing keeping a then little known Padraig Joyce from the full forward slot. The thing that set 'Scan' apart from most was his unbelievable skill and free taking. He had a great eye for the post and could jink past any player. Alas, he never followed through after college although he scored an amazing individual goal against Jason Sherlock's and Ciaran Whelan's Dublin minors in 1994 in Croke Park.

Diabhal Beag

Scan is up there alright IMO

Benhonan

In hurling it has to be John Reddan for my own county. In 1997 he carried us t our only minor all ireland title, he absolutely destroyed Henry Shefflin in the semi-final and if you look at the video of the final he's like a man among boys. He got messed around a bit at senior level and had a few problems of his own, but he's the greatest talent I've ever seen not to make it.

Old_-_School

Tadgh Kennelly is the best Kerry player I've seen at minor that hasn't played senior championship for Kerry.

glanman

Tomas o Leary with cork,

looks like ciaran sheehan can be added to that list too soon enough

premierstone

Michael ''bonny'' Kennedy corner forward for Tipp minor hurlers circa 96 class act himself and Eugene O'Neill were a lethal combo and if I remember correctly Declan Browne was also on that team

Pride Fighter

premierstone wrote: »

Michael ''bonny'' Kennedy corner forward for Tipp minor hurlers circa 96 class act himself and Eugene O'Neill were a lethal combo and if I remember correctly Declan Browne was also on that team

Was going to mention Declan Browne for Tipp senior hurling.

looder

premierstone wrote: »

Michael ''bonny'' Kennedy corner forward for Tipp minor hurlers circa 96 class act himself and Eugene O'Neill were a lethal combo and if I remember correctly Declan Browne was also on that team

Bonny was hurling over in New York for years. He was a native of the colnoulty Rossmore club in West Tipp

Declan Browne played league under Nicky, not sure if he was on championship panel circa 2000 -

MementoMori

As per the thread below, I'd have to say Martin Beckett for Kerry.

He died at 18 but this was back in the summer of 1998. He had played minor in 1996 and 1997 and won an All-Ireland with the u-21s as well as being called in for training with the senior panel at some stage. He died in a car crash on his way home from a holiday in Spain - driving down from Dublin airport. Definately had the potental to be great inter-county player - was a real classy stylish player. Always looked composed on the ball and seemed to have loads of time. Without doubt would have been a Kerry senior. Was mentioned as such by Jack O'Connor in his Keys to the Kingdom book

Previous thread on a slightly related subject.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055250900

homerjay2005

Old_-_School wrote: »

Tadgh Kennelly is the best Kerry player I've seen at minor that hasn't played senior championship for Kerry.

i hope your not actually serious here are you? i think the fact that he left soon after his leaving cert would be the problem and the fact that within 2 weeks of coming home he was back on the panel, would tell you that he may actually have made it.

anyway, for me, Declan quill would be one of the best examples. lethal minor, one of the best players underage in kerry in the last 20 years. away better than gooch, a year older, butjust didnt have it when it came down to it. i maybe wrong, but he has yet to start for kerry in the championship and may never do. has been on a few panels, but considering the potential he had, is surprising. i will always rate him as the best underage player ive seen in kerry.

LeoB

Good thread. Who do you rate at the best player never to have played underage for his county but made it with the seniors. Or is this another thread?

Old_-_School

homerjay2005 wrote: »

i hope your not actually serious here are you? i think the fact that he left soon after his leaving cert would be the problem and the fact that within 2 weeks of coming home he was back on the panel, would tell you that he may actually have made it.

Of course he'd have made it. That's not point. The thread is about players who were very good at minor who haven't made it at senior. For Kennelly, luckily that has a "yet" added to the end of it. He'll obviously play senior championship with Kerry this year (barring injury) but it might be later in the Summer or next year before we see him reach his potential.

Conrad Murphy of Cork was probably Cork's best minor player of the last 20 years but had little impact at senior level.

glanman

he played in the munster final 2001

maxchen

Michael Hussey (Longford) is the main one that springs to mind for me. He was the starof the 2002 Leinster winning Minor team. Think he was top scoring minor or close enough to it that year aswell. Great man to get a goal. He really was electric. I remember seeing him play an U.21 game when he was 17, the ball was kicked into him 5 times during the whole game and he scored 5 goals! He played a couple of NFL games here and there but he actually struggles to make his own club team now. Real waste of talent. A real pitty because he would have been a massive player for Longford.

CyberDave

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

John 'Scan' Concannon in Galway.

Should definitely have won Senior medals with Galway in 1998 & 2001.