Some very good young players this year who didnt make a young player of the year, its a tough field, but they can rightly be dissapointed.

Eoghan Ban Gallagher, this lad is going to revolutionize the corner back position for me if he even stays there which i doubt, amazing year and a top top players ozzes quality, streght speed and guile. I think if he was from Dublin or Kerry he would have got the nod.

Ciaran Thiompson, like EBG came in to the Donegal team and helped drive them on to a Ulster title and were very unlcky the way the draw fell for them in the S8's again the lad ozzes quality and is a lovely player to watch plays the game in the spirit intended.

Sean Andy O Ceallaigh, one of the best no 3's in the country for me an all out defender who is a central part of the Galway defensive system that got to a league final and lost one game all year. As comfortable driving forward as he is marshaling in defense massively unlucky not get a mention.

Sean O Shea, i know Clifford get a lot of media profile, hes a good player but i think Sean O Shea for me is the pick of Kerrys litter, he is the game influencer and keeps the game ticking over with scores, stood at times when others went missing and had a bit of unlucky end to the championship. id have in my team over Clifford if that choice had to made.

Con O Callaghan, says everything about this young man that he in a quite enough year being double and sometimes triple marked that he walks away with the Sigurson Cup, Club Hurling All Ireland Title, League Title, Leinster title and an All Ireland senior title and that is tough second season. Scarily thats a regression from the year before. Probably a victim of his own success that he considered a senior player now.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 13/09/2018 11:17:51    2141369

Man&Ball (Dublin) - Posts: 12 - 13/09/2018 11:26:29    2141371

kildare73 (Kildare) - Posts: 854 - 13/09/2018 11:30:59    2141374

Passer_By (Carlow) - Posts: 509 - 13/09/2018 11:50:59    2141378

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 13/09/2018 12:08:06    2141384

The All Star awards are becoming a bit of a farce. Con O'Callaghan gets a nomination after one half decent performance in the final, after being very poor in the previous games up to that, while Cathal McShane who performed consistently well all summer, scoring the equalizer against Meath, doesn't get a nomination? How Paul Broderick has got a nomination ahead of 5 other Tyrone forwards who played 10 championship games is another mystery. Also if Stephen Cluxton receives a award ahead of Rory Beggan I give up. Both were brilliant for there teams all summer and both made one howler each with Cluxton coming for the high ball with Comer and getting nowhere near it and Beggan's being the crazy decision to go for a shot at the end of the Semi Final. Cluxtons kickouts are brilliant and obviously works extremely hard, but he is kicking into the wide open spaces of Croke Park week in week out through the league, Leinster Championship and All Ireland Series, and has the best players in the country making movement for him. Beggan's kickouts are sensational and he can hit any area long or short, and his free taking is perfect as well. He does not have the luxury of playing in Croke Park nearly ten times a year also! Both are brilliant and had consistent years but Beggan for me gets the award.

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 934 - 13/09/2018 12:35:01    2141393

Tarismelting22 (Roscommon) - Posts: 760 - 13/09/2018 12:44:46    2141399

lilylanger (Kildare) - Posts: 758 - 13/09/2018 12:47:26    2141401

My team would be:

1. Rory Beggan (Monaghan)
2. Jonny Cooper (Dublin)
3. Drew Wylie (Monaghan)
4. Padraig Hamsey (Tyrone)
5. Karl O'Connell (Monaghan)
6. James McCarthy (Dublin)
7. Jack McCaffrey (Dublin)
8. Brian Fenton (Dublin)
9. Michael Murphy (Donegal)
10. Brian Howard (Dublin)
11. Ciaran Kilkenny (Dublin)
12. Shane Walsh (Galway)
13. Paul Mannion (Dublin)
14. Daniel Flynn (Kildare)
15. David Clifford (Kerry)

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 934 - 13/09/2018 13:04:28    2141404

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 13/09/2018 13:25:35    2141414

kildare73 (Kildare) - Posts: 854 - 13/09/2018 13:35:09    2141417

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5012 - 13/09/2018 13:38:37    2141419

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 13/09/2018 13:51:23    2141426

Difference between Clifford and Howard was the influence Clifford had on the game in Clones, as well as the game v Galway. He performed really well both days, despite lack lustre performances by his team mates. Howard is surrounded by giants. Lots of cover for Dublin players if an individual makes an error. Clifford scored a last minute goal to stay in the tournament and he had a hell of a lot to do to score it.

Have to admire the way he handled the Monaghan sledging - which was continuous through the game. At 19 years of age, he is an incredible example to other players in how to keep your cool, even to those 10 or 15 years older than him.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 13/09/2018 13:51:44    2141427

It would be wrong if Howard doesnt get it Cliffords time will come but i dont think he deserves it this year.

Still going to be one of the best if not the best

Tarismelting22 (Roscommon) - Posts: 760 - 13/09/2018 14:15:36    2141439

8 per point game average over 4 championship games which is the highest in this year's championship granted it's over less games but that's not his fault. He also had a great league kicking crucial scores right throughout. He hasn't a chance of getting an all star so in a sense it is tokenism, but I'd rather see it as an acknowledgement of his year. Well done paul

Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1594 - 13/09/2018 14:17:24    2141440

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 936 - 13/09/2018 14:26:26    2141446

Bit surprised that no Roscommon player got nominated. I thought that Ciaran Murtagh or Conor Devanny had both ex ellent years as sid Diarmuid Murtagh and Enda Smith. I seen the div 4 Carlow v Laois game and Broderick had an absolute shocker.
On another note, If you were sent off during the year it used to Bar you from an All-Star award. I presume that has changed. I wonder how many players in the past were denied certain All-Star awards because of this rule.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 13/09/2018 14:42:29    2141454

To be fair he was playing in a forward line of James O'D, Paul Geaney and Ciaran Donaghy and Sean O Shea he wasnt playing with rag ball rovers type players.

I actually felt that Kerry didnt play him well, he was left alone and isolated at corner forward which meant he drifted in and out of games. I wondered would he been more effective dropping maybe a bit deeper and making space for himself in midfield and at half forward and getting on the ball more. he had some great high but also very quiet lows.

He did well in Munster, i thought Galway it was hit and miss and he took his opportunity well at the end of the match in Monagahan. if im honest i thought O Shea and was more of a loss to Kerry and had more impact on games.

Contrasting that with Howard, the lad has the medals to back up his claim, a League, Leinster and an ALL Ireland semi, man of the match against a Galway team in the Semi final deeper in the Championship then Kerry managed against a Galway team who beat Kerry convincingly.

He also played in a number of different positions for Dublin this year, in the half back line, midfield and half forward lines. His skill set is more developed and executed at the highest level in the biggest games. he is a fantastic defender, is mobile, has pace has stamina, he can tackle, is tactically astute. he can play make, he can field and he can score. Clifford has some wonderful skills in a very narrow role, but Howard has a much rounded skill set in a number of different roles in my opinion, he also did it in the biggest games.

It takes a special player to be a standout in this Dublin team, take a bow young man. Maybe the biggest point on Brian Howard i will make and his impact and what a special talent he is - is that at no point this summer did i hear one fan, media pundit etc say "Dublin are missing Dermot Connolly".

Im not particularly bothered about who gets it, i honestly wouldn't swap Howard for Clifford or would it change my opinion on who i think is best the young player in the country this year.

I suspect Clifford will get it due to the politics and spreading it around and that county players wont vote for Dublin players in two category's. Hes a terrific player and wouldn't begrudge him it, they are only young men after all.

But Id also prefer the medals in my pocket and Brian could do without the hype and profile that goes with the gong and leave him with only football on his mind and not be going on gloried booze ups.

Brian is a special player.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 13/09/2018 14:47:05    2141458

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 13/09/2018 14:48:45    2141460