MY KERRY DREAM TEAM 1997-2009

mufc4lfe

After todays magnificent display of football overcoming the Dubs,Ive decided to chalk down my Kerry team from 1997 when I was 7 years old and first began to follow my county to the present day.I have put down my personal favourite players from the past 12 years who may not have been the greatest but stood out for me.Let the debating begin.UP DA KINGDOM......< Kerry-4-sam09>

1.Declan O'Keeffe(solid pair of hand always felt safe with him between the sticks)

2.Marc O'Se(a super all round footballer who loves to get foward,could play anywhere on the field)

3.Seamus Moynihan(a stalwart of kerry football for years,a legend)

4.Mike McCarthy(mr reliable himself,a sound defender)

5.Tomas O'Se(bombs up and down the pitch all day,always good for a point)

6.Aidan O'Mahony(a hard,robust defender who takes no prisioners)

7.John Sheehan(your classic wing back,very fit and worked hard for the team)

8.Daragh O'Se(he's already in kerry football folklore,one of the games greatest players,a brilliant fielder of the ball and flawless distributer)

9.William Kirby(the tralee man was a solid footballer who may not have had the skills of some of his counterparts but made up for it in workrate and chipped in with his fair share of points)

10.Paul Galvin (plays on the line,a tough player who wins the dirty ball,a decent footballer to boot)

11.Maurice Fitzgerarld(regarded by many as the greatest gaelic footballer of all time,left foot/right foot,a magnificent footballer who read the game brilliantly)

12.Declan O'Sullivan(an excellent scoring half foward who also acts as a great playmakerfor the team,a genuine subline talent)

13.Colm Cooper(aka "gooch",lethal finisher who can run rings round opponents,a class act)

14.Kieran Donaghy(an imposing presense in front of goal,"star" has great hands,is a good distributer and has an eye for goal)

15.Dara O'Cinneide(an accurate free taker and all round talented footballer)

irishturkey

not sure how fair it is to do this considering the transition in the game in recent years. in 97 football was football, now its about how many men can tackle one player at a single time. but i'd still make a change or two, most notably liam flaherty at 6, john crowley surely deserves a spot. eamon breen, pa laide, the hassetts... too easy to discount them

Het-Field

OP, your very lucky Like myself, who started following the Dubs in 1991, your first few years have been an unbridled success story ! However, like the Dubs at the moment, I do recall a time whn Kerry were not contenders at all ! It seems like an age now !

paddy978

For whays its worth

Murphy
Marc
Mick Mack
Tom Sull
Tom O Se
Moynihan
O'Mahoney
O'Se
Quirke/Kirby (Quirke dont last full games)
Galvin
Declan Sullivan
Maurice Fitz
Gooch
Donaghy
Mike Frank

pazza

mufc4lfe wrote: »

After todays magnificent display of football overcoming the Dubs,Ive decided to chalk down my Kerry team from 1997 when I was 7 years old and first began to follow my county to the present day.I have put down my personal favourite players from the past 12 years who may not have been the greatest but stood out for me.Let the debating begin.UP DA KINGDOM......< Kerry-4-sam09>

1.Declan O'Keeffe(solid pair of hand always felt safe with him between the sticks)

2.Marc O'Se(a super all round footballer who loves to get foward,could play anywhere on the field)

3.Seamus Moynihan(a stalwart of kerry football for years,a legend)

4.Mike McCarthy(mr reliable himself,a sound defender)

5.Tomas O'Se(bombs up and down the pitch all day,always good for a point)

6.Aidan O'Mahony(a hard,robust defender who takes no prisioners)

7.John Sheehan(your classic wing back,very fit and worked hard for the team)

8.Daragh O'Se(he's already in kerry football folklore,one of the games greatest players,a brilliant fielder of the ball and flawless distributer)

9.William Kirby(the tralee man was a solid footballer who may not have had the skills of some of his counterparts but made up for it in workrate and chipped in with his fair share of points)

10.Paul Galvin (plays on the line,a tough player who wins the dirty ball,a decent footballer to boot)

11.Maurice Fitzgerarld(regarded by many as the greatest gaelic footballer of all time,left foot/right foot,a magnificent footballer who read the game brilliantly)

12.Declan O'Sullivan(an excellent scoring half foward who also acts as a great playmakerfor the team,a genuine subline talent)

13.Colm Cooper(aka "gooch",lethal finisher who can run rings round opponents,a class act)

14.Kieran Donaghy(an imposing presense in front of goal,"star" has great hands,is a good distributer and has an eye for goal)

15.Dara O'Cinneide(an accurate free taker and all round talented footballer)

Sorry - but have to say that I think O'Cinneide is the most over-rated player of the last 15 years. I am not from Kerry, but have been to numerous games of his (with Kerry) in Croker and cannot think of one good game he played (well played above a 7/10). I was there for the club final v Caltra too, hoping to see the real O'Cinneide shine - and yet again he was very poor. His free kicking was poor for the level he played at, probably a 70-75% rate, this is not good enough when u compare to the expert free-takers of yesteryear who would have been over 80% kickers (e.g. Larry Tompkins, Barney Rock, Brian Stafford). Dara took frees from the ground and only because of the lack of quality over the last 10 years (from hand - the lost of of free-taking is a whole other story) did his rate look good against his current peers.

As for your team, think you got it pretty much right, I would have Jonny Crowley in for Dara O'C (think he was brilliant for a year or 3) - ahead of Mike Frank.

homerjay2005

O Keefe

Tom Sullivan
Mick Mac
Marc

Thomas
Seamus
O Mahony

Darragh
Kirby

Galvin
Declan
Maurice Fitz

Gooch
Star
Mike Frank


Fla and Breen were only about for 2 years of this period, hard to include them, Mossy Fitz had 5 years and has to be in for his contribution in 97 and his cameos in 2000.

Com1186

Diarmuid Murphy

Marc O Se Mike McCarthy Tom O Sullivan
Tomas O Se Eamon Fitzmaurice Aidan O Mahony

Darragh O Se Seamus Moynihan (C)

Paul Galvin Declan O Sullivan Maurice Fitzgerald
Colm Cooper Kieran Donaghy Johnny Crowley

The Abstract

What a team:eek:

1.Diarmuid Murphy
2.Marc O'Se
3.Mike McCarthy
4.Tom O'Sullivan
5.Tomas O'Se
6.Seamus Moynihan
7.Liam Flaherty
8.Daragh O'Se
9.William Kirby
10.Paul Galvin
11.Maurice Fitzgerald
12.Declan O'Sullivan
13.Colm Cooper
14.Kieran Donaghy
15.Johnny Crowley

Tomthepost

1.Declan O Keeffe
2.Marc O'Se
3.Mike McCarthy
4.Tom O'Sullivan
5.Tomas O'Se
6.Liam Flaherty
7.Aidan O Mahony
8.Daragh O'Se
9.Seamus Moyihan
10.Paul Galvin
11.Maurice Fitzgerald
12.Declan O'Sullivan
13.Colm Cooper
14.Kieran Donaghy
15.Michael Frank Russell

Seconds
1 Diarmuid Murphy
2 Mike Hassett
3 Stephen Stack
4 Padraig Reidy
5 Tommy Griffin
6 Eamon Fitzmaurice
7 Killian Young
8 William Kirby
9 Seamus Scanlon
10 Pa Laide
11 Liam Hassett
12 Bryan Sheehan
13 Dara O Cinnede
14 Tommy Walsh
15 John Crowley

Honourable Mention
Barry o Shea
Killian Burns
Billy O Shea
Donnacha Walsh
Sean O Sullivan
Darren O Sullivan
Aodan MacGearalit
Mike Quirke
Declan Quill

And scarily for the Anti-Kerry brigade if picking in 2 years time you will probably consider
Barry John Walsh
David Moran
Tadgh Kennelly
Paul O Connor

rossie1977

pazza wrote: »

Sorry - but have to say that I think O'Cinneide is the most over-rated player of the last 15 years. I am not from Kerry, but have been to numerous games of his (with Kerry) in Croker and cannot think of one good game he played (well played above a 7/10).

his best game in croker came in the quarter final against roscommon in 2003, everything he hit that day turned to gold, left foot, right foot, 60 yard frees over in the corner, everything went over, if he had taken a goal kick that day he would have pointed, in the semi final against tyrone it was the exact opposite, 2 frees he attempted didn't even get off the ground and squirmed into the waiting hands of the nearby tyrone defender

MfMan

Donaghy? Oh FFS! A one-trick pony. Did nothing last year on Finian Hanley. Mike Frank or Johnny Crowley twice the *foot*ballers he'll ever be.

pazza

rossie1977 wrote: »

his best game in croker came in the quarter final against roscommon in 2003, everything he hit that day turned to gold, left foot, right foot, 60 yard frees over in the corner, everything went over, if he had taken a goal kick that day he would have pointed, in the semi final against tyrone it was the exact opposite, 2 frees he attempted didn't even get off the ground and squirmed into the waiting hands of the nearby tyrone defender

typical - he did that on a day I didn't see it :rolleyes:. I was not saying he was a bad footballer, just that the way he was lauded, I think there were a lot better and at best he was a mediocre KERRY footballer (with the ability to obviously have a good day)...perhaps a bit like Brian Sheehan.

homerjay2005

O'Cinneide was one of the most talented underage players in Kerry for many years. he was a fantastic player with his "weakness" being he was a nice guy IMO. anybody to say he was overrated is away off the mark, the lad played a massive pary in us winning 3 all irelands.

Brian Sheehan, is IMO, one of the best free takers off the ground ive ever seen. can anybody name some1 that can point off the ground like him? his point in 2007 semi was one of the best ive ever seen and also the armagh one in 2006, was about 60 yards out when we were in trouble. sadly, this is his game, he looks too unfit, lazy and lacking bite that the rest of the forwards have. not everybody will know that he played in goals for our minors at 15 and 16 and was midfield in his 3rd year. not many players have played as many games for the kerry minors as him. id nearly put him back in goals if murphy retires and use him for the frees!

homerjay2005

MfMan wrote: »

Donaghy? Oh FFS! A one-trick pony. Did nothing last year on Finian Hanley. Mike Frank or Johnny Crowley twice the *foot*ballers he'll ever be.

are u from kerry? Star is one of the most influential footballers out there, a genuine good lad who is the most respected on the team. his role, even when he is injured, is massive. a master stroke from jack having him as maor uisce the last day. he is a natural leader and would be captain only for the rule in kerry.

also,one trick? the lad plays as much time out around the middle as he does in FF.

pazza

homerjay2005 wrote: »

O'Cinneide was one of the most talented underage players in Kerry for many years. he was a fantastic player with his "weakness" being he was a nice guy IMO. anybody to say he was overrated is away off the mark, the lad played a massive pary in us winning 3 all irelands.

Brian Sheehan, is IMO, one of the best free takers off the ground ive ever seen. can anybody name some1 that can point off the ground like him? his point in 2007 semi was one of the best ive ever seen and also the armagh one in 2006, was about 60 yards out when we were in trouble. sadly, this is his game, he looks too unfit, lazy and lacking bite that the rest of the forwards have. not everybody will know that he played in goals for our minors at 15 and 16 and was midfield in his 3rd year. not many players have played as many games for the kerry minors as him. id nearly put him back in goals if murphy retires and use him for the frees!

I accept O'Cinneide seems to be a decent lad, I am impressed with him on TV, however I am referring to how I saw him perform on the field of play (and as a adult not a minor). This is my opinion - I am not try to attack him as a person (or any other attack for that matter) - I am just saying IMO I cannot for the life of me see why his football was held in such high esteem.

As for Sheehan, again, I can only judge him by how he performs as an adult footballer - and again, I think he is a good (not great) free-taker, he has a lovely striking style, but is a bit like Mossey Quinn for the Dubs in that he is just not an 80%+ kicker (both are nice strikers of the ball) - and for the level I think players should be judged this is not good enough (as per my OP, I think there are few players about that are now 80%+ - but the art of dead ball striking is being lost to the game is a whole other story).

Where I judge players and what I am basing it on is what they contribute from play (not just scores) but in general play, how they contest a tackle, how they control the ball when they have it etc. Some of the great forward players that I think were underrated for what they did were the likes of John Egan, Mickey Linden - great men to win a ball, keep it and use it simply and well....

MfMan

homerjay2005 wrote: »

are u from kerry? Star is one of the most influential footballers out there, a genuine good lad who is the most respected on the team. his role, even when he is injured, is massive. a master stroke from jack having him as maor uisce the last day. he is a natural leader and would be captain only for the rule in kerry.

also,one trick? the lad plays as much time out around the middle as he does in FF.

Yes, but his effectiveness comes from the fact that he's so tall (as does T Walsh's *at the moment*) ; if he was 5' 10" nobody would have heard of him. Like Joe Bergin, his natural football skills are very limited. I'd venture to suggest if he was playing for Kerry last Monday, they wouldn't have won by nearly as much as they'd almost be forced to play through him. In his absence the Kerry attack ran and passed the Dublin defence to shreds. As a general observation, the long high ball kicked into a tall full-forward is actually the easiest to defend against in GAA.

DDC1990

MfMan wrote: »

Yes, but his effectiveness comes from the fact that he's so tall (as does T Walsh's *at the moment*) ; if he was 5' 10" nobody would have heard of him. Like Joe Bergin, his natural football skills are very limited. I'd venture to suggest if he was playing for Kerry last Monday, they wouldn't have won by nearly as much as they'd almost be forced to play through him. In his absence the Kerry attack ran and passed the Dublin defence to shreds. As a general observation, the long high ball kicked into a tall full-forward is actually the easiest to defend against in GAA.

Im sorry, but have you ever watched Donaghy play or are you basing the fact the he "has limited footballing skill" on the fact that he is tall? Look at his point against Cork last year in the Munster Final. Against Mayo in the All Ireland 2006. His Goals against Cork 2007. His sheer footballing brain to set up Goals for Donnacha Walsh agaisnt Cork and Galway in 2008.

And to boot, his leadership skills inspire the players around him. Whart a man.


Also to the OP: John Sheehan!!! (He was one of the worst Kerry footballers this decade!) He was windy, and seemed to lack awareness around the field! What about Liam Flaherty, Aiden O'Mahoney...Killian Young even! Sorry if your related to him or something... i just never rated him!

mufc4lfe

DDC1990 wrote: »

Im sorry, but have you ever watched Donaghy play or are you basing the fact the he "has limited footballing skill" on the fact that he is tall? Look at his point against Cork last year in the Munster Final. Against Mayo in the All Ireland 2006. His Goals against Cork 2007. His sheer footballing brain to set up Goals for Donnacha Walsh agaisnt Cork and Galway in 2008.

And to boot, his leadership skills inspire the players around him. Whart a man.


Also to the OP: John Sheehan!!! (He was one of the worst Kerry footballers this decade!) He was windy, and seemed to lack awareness around the field! What about Liam Flaherty, Aiden O'Mahoney...Killian Young even! Sorry if your related to him or something... i just never rated him!

Ah come on seriously now, one of the worst Kerry footballers this decade?I thought John Sheehan gave 100% for the team,was a good man marker and had pace going foward.I admired his dedication as he worked hard to balance his football with his occupation which requires full-time attention unlike some of the coushy numbers todays players have eg.Donaghy with A.I.B.Also in my original post I said they may not have been the greatest players but stood out for me.:cool::cool::cool:
ps.I didnt see much of Flaherty as I was young at the time and O'Mahony is in my team!Ill take your point in Young though.And whats windy???

DDC1990

Yeah, Flah was some player alright, you missed out.
Windy= Afraid of it. He might have given it 100%, but when a 50-50 was there to be won, in my eyes Sheehan always pulled out. However- he was the best option at the time and did grand, we won an All Ireland with him in 2004 and in the QF that year against Galway he kicked the ball into the crowd and I caught it... so he's not that bad

Silas

Declan o Keeffe
Marc o Se
Seamus Moynihan
Tom o Sullivan
Tomas o Se
Liam Flaherty
Mike McCarthy
Dara O Se
Donal Daly
Declan o Sullivan
Maurice Fitzgerald
Pa Laide
John Crowley
Kieran Donaghy
Colm Cooper

Subs

Diarmuid Murphy
Aidan Mahony
Eamon Breen
Killian Young
William Kirby
Liam Hassett
Paul Galvin
Mike Frank