2015 Footballer Of The Year.

DDC1990 · 01-09-2015 3:49pm

Just for the record I'm starting the Donnacha Walsh for Player of the Year campaign now.

Anyone who wants to get on board the bandwagon, before he wins MOTM in the All Ireland Final, and goes on to win POTY is welcome.

Fr Tod Umptious · 01-09-2015 5:00pm

DDC1990 wrote: »

Just for the record I'm starting the Donnacha Walsh for Player of the Year campaign now.

Anyone who wants to get on board the bandwagon, before he wins MOTM in the All Ireland Final, and goes on to win POTY is welcome.

I'm in.

Fantastic player, and has been for years.

Would be great to see him win it after an amazing but ultimately unsuccessful performance for Kerry v Mayo in the All Ireland Final.

ProudDUB · 01-09-2015 6:41pm

I hope you're not not plonking down any of your hard earned cash on that campaign. Off the top of my head, none of the AI final Man of The Match winners from the last 5 years, went on to win the Footballer of the Year gong too. I'd say if you turned on your Google machine and went down thru the entire list of both awards, you'd have to go back a while to find a player who won both in the same year.

Poor_old_gill · 01-09-2015 6:55pm

Just to play devils advocate- Michael Lundy has to be in with a shout surely?
Connolly was pushed mainly last year due to his club championship performances

FatRat · 01-09-2015 9:17pm

If Mayo win, O'Shea will get it.

If Kerry win, Moran will get it.

If Dublin win, after Connolly's display the last day, it could be any of him, Brogan, Kilkenny or McCaferey that will get it.

I think it's as simple as that. Paddy Power know their stuff and have gone into 11/10 for Moran to win because they know if Kerry win the AI, he'll get it 9 times out of 10. (They have Kerry priced at 5/6 and Moran is only 11/10 so go figure!) Similarly O'Shea is 10/3 to win POTY while Mayo are 3/1 to win the All-Ireland. Odds on the Dublin players have been changing dramatically lately so I think if Dublin win it, it depends on the performances of the players I mentioned above in the next few games. The thing to note here though (and I should probably post this in Gambling forum) is that Boyles have Moran priced at 7/4 for POTY. This, to me, is essentially offering 7/4 for Kerry to win the AI as opposed to the average price of 1/1 that they're at now!

galwaylad14 · 01-09-2015 9:22pm

Poor_old_gill wrote: »

Just to play devils advocate- Michael Lundy has to be in with a shout surely?
Connolly was pushed mainly last year due to his club championship performances

You name your price on Michael Lundy and I'll take the bet off you. Any price you like.

D9Male · 01-09-2015 9:46pm

Four players have stood out for me. Keegan and AOS for Mayo. Maher and Moran for Kerry. But Keegan and Maher don't get the press.

I think Dublin will win the AI Final. And I think Kilkenny is on fire. So at the odds, he strikes me as the bet.

KeepTheFaith · 01-09-2015 10:55pm

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Martin Clarke was top class for Down that year and the final was a pretty decent game in my opinion.

He got it because his performances in 2010 was probably the greatest year a forward has had in the last 20 years.

He was unbelievably good that year in what was essentially a 1 man forward line.

His performance against Cork in the semi final is one of the all time great individual performances

I don't know about that now, the pressure came on Dublin in that game and Bernard lost the head and hit a hail mary shot from out on the left wing when the game was in the melting pot. A shot he should never have been going for. Cork went on to win the game. He was outstanding in 2010 but you're going way over the top with some of the above.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 02-09-2015 5:20am

KeepTheFaith wrote: »

I don't know about that now, the pressure came on Dublin in that game and Bernard lost the head and hit a hail mary shot from out on the left wing when the game was in the melting pot. A shot he should never have been going for. Cork went on to win the game. He was outstanding in 2010 but you're going way over the top with some of the above.

He was unbelievable that year.I can't think of a forward who had such a good year in all my time watching football (since the mid nineties) and he was the only really high quality forward Dublin had that year when they played a defensive system.He was basically a one man attack at times.

Poor_old_gill · 02-09-2015 8:24am

Brogan seems to be disliked because he is hyped up so much/on so much media coverage but he really is a superb player.

Watch any game he plays and he is marked by 2 men and still manages to score- his balance is awesome and his ability to kick scores while falling over with lads hanging out of him is top class.

I know that sounds a bit over the top but I rate him phenomenally highly and don't understand all the derision he gets/ how people view Connolly as being better

Ceist_Beag · 02-09-2015 9:11am

Boom__Boom wrote: »

The current Paddypower odds are as follows.

Quote:
Footballer of the Year

David Moran 11/10
Diarmuid Connolly 2/1
Aidan O'Shea 3/1
Bernard Brogan 15/2
Jack McCaffrey 10/1
James O'Donoghue 12/1
Colm Cooper 16/1
Cillian O'Connor 16/1
Ciaran Kilkenny 16/1
Lee Keegan 20/1
Paul Flynn 40/1
Paul Geaney 50/1
Keith Higgins 50/1
Michael D MacAuley 80/1
Kieran Donaghy 100/1
James McCarthy 100/1
Cian O'Sullivan 100/1
Philip McMahon 100/1

I think you're right boom boom, the current list of candidates is definitely weighted in favour of those most likely to be contesting the final (i.e. Kerry are shorter odds than Dublin or Mayo purely because they're already there). How else could Colm Cooper 8th favourite for POTY at 16/1! He's even ahead of Ciaran Kilkenny at the minute (Kilkenny now at 20/1) when there is no comparison between how both have played and contributed this year - Gooch has done very little of note this year. He's actually the 3rd ranked Kerry player which is a bit of a joke to the rest of his teammates I'm sure.

Lu Tze · 02-09-2015 9:34am

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

I'm in.

Fantastic player, and has been for years.

Would be great to see him win it after an amazing but ultimately unsuccessful performance for Kerry v Mayo in the All Ireland Final.

Always kept an extra eye on him on the Kerry team after having to mark him in a minor club game years ago. He seems to have lost a touch of pace in the last year or so but still very effective.

I was on him for 15 minutes before being switched, he scored a couple of points but destroyed me in open play (was only an average enough player myself). Just couldnt get close enough to him!

Consoled myself at the time thinking he was a couple of years older than myself - played the same club again under 16s later in the summer - and there he was playing midfield!

Jippo · 02-09-2015 1:55pm

Lu Tze wrote: »

Always kept an extra eye on him on the Kerry team after having to mark him in a minor club game years ago. He seems to have lost a touch of pace in the last year or so but still very effective.

I was on him for 15 minutes before being switched, he scored a couple of points but destroyed me in open play (was only an average enough player myself). Just couldnt get close enough to him!

Consoled myself at the time thinking he was a couple of years older than myself - played the same club again under 16s later in the summer - and there he was playing midfield!

I know a guy who was marking him for McGrath Cup training. He said he began the match by doing a few hard runs from his position back to the furthest away corner and back! He said he lost him numerous times: no wonder he gets into those great positions with not a man near him!

KeepTheFaith · 02-09-2015 6:57pm

Poor_old_gill wrote: »

Brogan seems to be disliked because he is hyped up so much/on so much media coverage but he really is a superb player.

Watch any game he plays and he is marked by 2 men and still manages to score- his balance is awesome and his ability to kick scores while falling over with lads hanging out of him is top class.

I know that sounds a bit over the top but I rate him phenomenally highly and don't understand all the derision he gets/ how people view Connolly as being better

I'm not denying that Brogan is excellent. His scores on Sunday were top class and he's just an out and out inside forward, something that is almost extinct in the modern game. My point is that he was far from faultless against Cork that day and to claim it was the best year from a forward in 20 years, especially given that he didn't play in an All Ireland Final that year.. Well it's an odd claim to make.

The reason people tout Connolly as being better I assume is that he is a more all round skilled player. Connolly is a better ball carrier, a better fielder and a better kicker from long distance. Now that's not to underrate Brogan, he's an extraordinary forward and well up there with the best in the last 5 or 10 years. If Connolly had the attitude and temperament of Brogan, I think he'd be an all time great.

ProudDUB · 02-09-2015 7:39pm

KeepTheFaith wrote: »

I'm not denying that Brogan is excellent. His scores on Sunday were top class and he's just an out and out inside forward, something that is almost extinct in the modern game. My point is that he was far from faultless against Cork that day and to claim it was the best year from a forward in 20 years, especially given that he didn't play in an All Ireland Final that year.. Well it's an odd claim to make.

The reason people tout Connolly as being better I assume is that he is a more all round skilled player. Connolly is a better ball carrier, a better fielder and a better kicker from long distance. Now that's not to underrate Brogan, he's an extraordinary forward and well up there with the best in the last 5 or 10 years. If Connolly had the attitude and temperament of Brogan, I think he'd be an all time great.

That's the problem though....he doesn't. And he'll be 30 in a couple of years, so if he doesn't have it now, he probably never will. A players mental make up is just as important as the physical skills imo. Having the will to dominate & being able to then impose your will on a game, is something that the truly great players can do. I've seen Connolly do that twice....the 2011 quarter final against Tyrone and the club final last year. That's been it. There are often great flashes of brilliance in games, but consistently performing to his best abilities in the big games, on the big days...is just not something that he does reliably. (And don't even get me fcuking started on the "temper" part of his temperament. :mad: )

So if a gun was put to my head and, I was told I could only pick one to take into an All Ireland final.... with all things being equal and both players fit and healthy...I'd be picking Berno.

Fr Tod Umptious · 02-09-2015 7:49pm

While we are here is Diarmuid O Connor front runner for YPOTY ?

A title that has already been in the household twice.

Or am I forgetting someone from Kerry, Murphy perhaps ?

Poor_old_gill · 02-09-2015 10:03pm

ProudDUB wrote: »

That's the problem though....he doesn't. And he'll be 30 in a couple of years, so if he doesn't have it now, he probably never will. A players mental make up is just as important as the physical skills imo. Having the will to dominate & being able to then impose your will on a game, is something that the truly great players can do. I've seen Connolly do that twice....the 2011 quarter final against Tyrone and the club final last year. That's been it. There are often great flashes of brilliance in games, but consistently performing to his best abilities in the big games, on the big days...is just not something that he does reliably. (And don't even get me fcuking started on the "temper" part of his temperament. :mad: )

So if a gun was put to my head and, I was told I could only pick one to take into an All Ireland final.... with all things being equal and both players fit and healthy...I'd be picking Berno.

I agree- I've just seen Connolly marked out of/knocked off his game on too many occasions.

Don't get me wrong- I'm a Kerry fan so I have no reason to praise Brogan but it's almost as if he has so much of a profile now that it is fashionable to underrate him or talk him down.

As I said before- what I always find entertaining is that he is usually being fouled or knocked off balance when kicking the ball and still manages to land a point.

Jippo · 02-09-2015 10:04pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

While we are here is Diarmuid O Connor front runner for YPOTY ?

A title that has already been in the household twice.

Or am I forgetting someone from Kerry, Murphy perhaps ?

Nah we don't have any young players and haven't had in the last number of years.

DDC1990 · 02-09-2015 10:29pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

While we are here is Diarmuid O Connor front runner for YPOTY ?

A title that has already been in the household twice.

Or am I forgetting someone from Kerry, Murphy perhaps ?

Murphy is 24ish now and at that, probably our youngest player.

Diarmuid is nailed on for YPOTY. No other candidates.

keeponhurling · 02-09-2015 10:50pm

DDC1990 wrote: »

Diarmuid is nailed on for YPOTY. No other candidates.

How old is Fenton ?

Royal Legend · 02-09-2015 10:53pm

Tom Parsons, in the running, but yet to kick a football all year

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 02-09-2015 11:04pm

Footballer of the Year often goes to the winners. So if Kerry win David Moran, Mayo O'Shea and maybe McCaffrey if the Dubs win.

oneils23 · 02-09-2015 11:17pm

Aidan O'Shea has been the stand out footballer this year imo

corny · 02-09-2015 11:26pm

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Footballer of the Year often goes to the winners. So if Kerry win David Moran, Mayo O'Shea and maybe McCaffrey if the Dubs win.

There shouldn't be any doubt. McCaffrey has easily been our best player all year.

Ace2007 · 02-09-2015 11:51pm

corny wrote: »

There shouldn't be any doubt. McCaffrey has easily been our best player all year.

Connolly is 2/1
Brogan is 13/2
McCaffrey is 10/1

I'm be getting down to PaddyPower if i was you with the attitude.

corny · 03-09-2015 12:55am

Ace2007 wrote: »

Connolly is 2/1
Brogan is 13/2
McCaffrey is 10/1

I'm be getting down to PaddyPower if i was you with the attitude.

The betting is normally skewed in favour of the lads who pop the ball over the bar. I'll hold onto my money but McCaffrey has been Dublins best player to date.

Ceist_Beag · 03-09-2015 9:12am

DDC1990 wrote: »

Murphy is 24ish now and at that, probably our youngest player.

Diarmuid is nailed on for YPOTY. No other candidates.

I'm sure young Mark Bradley from Tyrone would be considered a serious candidate by some.

happyoutscan · 03-09-2015 10:47am

He won't win it but Tom Parsons is having wn excellent campaign.

keane2097 · 03-09-2015 11:41am

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

While we are here is Diarmuid O Connor front runner for YPOTY ?

A title that has already been in the household twice.

Or am I forgetting someone from Kerry, Murphy perhaps ?

Between him and Bradley. DOC should be nailed on IMO, he's unreal.

Boom__Boom · 03-09-2015 5:05pm

Royal Legend wrote: »

Tom Parsons, in the running, but yet to kick a football all year

Didnt stop MDMA winning it the year he got it. Anyone want to guess on how many times he has actually kicked the ball total in championship matches?

2015 Footballer Of The Year.

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