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Very good post. It was myself who named 4 star Dubs from the 1970s team. I'd add 2 of the others you mentioned alright, B. Brogan Snr and Tony Hanahoe, the real leader of the team. Agree totally re. Galway and Down in the 60s. Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 11/10/2016 18:06:30 1925039 Link 6 |
Laois no bother at all, you're a good man for bringing it up at all. People like to brush it under the carpet a bit outside of Tyrone. On top of that this is a fantastic thread, great discussion, fairly positive and friendly. I've really enjoyed reading and replying to this. In my view you're a great GAA man and I appreciate your choices regardless of mine! We had some great battles in the 2000s! Seansy48 (Tyrone) - Posts: 237 - 11/10/2016 18:13:10 1925043 Link 1 |
I can't imagine either of them letting them away with it THIS YEAR! That was their bad day at the office Seansy48 (Tyrone) - Posts: 237 - 11/10/2016 18:16:16 1925044 Link 0 |
Id agree with you that Dubln were not as good this year but I think people are underestimating how much Kerry were up for the semi and I genuinely believe they would have put it up to mayo in a final. The scoring stat for sure doesn't look good but again it says a lot to still be able to win when essentially not firing.The one thing this team has is resilience and all the greats have had that. To put 4 leagues and 4 AI and a 29 stretch unbeaten run in league and championship with a back to back thrown in doesn't get done by teams that are anything less than top drawer. The league is often underplayed too but whatever way you look at it it is the best sides in the country. The consistency from this group is exceptional. Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 11/10/2016 18:20:51 1925045 Link 0 |
There was a stat quoted about Kerry prior to the Dublin game this year that they had 7 starters from 2007. And of course other 2007 players like Marc O'Sé came on. I think the 7 were O'Mahony, Killian Young, Sheehan, Donncha Walsh, Gooch, Donaghy and Darran O'Sullivan. Kerry simply couldn't have the legs with so many men in their 30s. You'd get away with 3 or 4. A comparison was made with the Kilkenny hurlers of 2007 and 2016. The 2016 team had no survivors starting from 2007. 2 players were on the subs in 2007, T.J. Reid and Richie Hogan. That stat sums up Kerry the last 2 years. The next few years will be very interesting watching how Kerry progress. And progress they will. Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 11/10/2016 18:24:01 1925048 Link 7 |
Well bar 2011 where I think they got a bit of a raw deal , Kerry have never looked liked beating Dublin. Don't let scoring margin fool you. Last year was the most one-sided in a decade while only for Cluxton imploding this years game would have been likely a 8/9 point which is on top of the hammering they received in the League Final. Donegal probably peaked in 2012 and caught Dublin on a freak one-off day (as 2015 & 2016 has proven) and even at that if even one of the golden goal chances go in, Donegal in a million years wouldn't have recovered a 7/8 point deficit and we would be looking at Dublin going for 5 in a row in both the league and Championship which underlines the absolute dominance of Dublin And while Mayo have clearly been the closest toppling them, bar 2012 they have never managed to do it, there is a big difference between nearly beating Dublin and actually doing it and the likes of Moran & Higgins aren't getting any younger I think the worry is Mayo's peak has come and gone (the peak was probably 2013/14 in truth) while Dublin have ROC , Jack McC and 3/4 extremely talented young lads to come in to the team I agree with your point that Dublin's absolute dominance makes the others look weaker than they are but I definitely think the 4 I mentioned have definitely regressed from a talent level while only Mayo have really become stronger over a longer period (5 years+) from the 00's. I think Donegal are well back in the pack at this stage and won't be contending for an Ai in the near future. HurlingWarrior (Limerick) - Posts: 61 - 11/10/2016 18:41:01 1925052 Link 0 |
Thanks very much for your comments Seansie. Much appreciated. Being part of the larger gaa community is something we all can be proud of. I went to college with lads from Down, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Armagh, who i played football with, and grew to realise how difficult it was to keep the games alive in the 6 counties. I remember thinking how easy things were in Laois in comparison. That was the early to mid 90s and thankfully things have progressed. I did my leaving at 17 down here and remember running into a fully grown 19 year old Diarmuid Marsden playing against UUJ. I won't forget the encounter! Nothing dirty, just boy meets man! Ye were so much more developed physically. Only a few nights ago i watched a TG4 documentary on Cormac McAnallen that i taped on Christmas Day 2005. The way he kept that diary and rated himself out of 10 on every possible aspect of the game of football after every single match..be it a challenge game or the 2003 all-ireland final. 24 years of age.. Matt Connor of Offaly is another tragic story that set Offaly football back. He's a great man the way he managed to live his life and not sink into depression. Speaking of winning all-irelands Laois' best chance came in hurling in the early 1980s. We were up there with Offaly trying to make a breakthrough and lost by a few points in 1981 when a Johnny Flaherty Offaly ball that went through the side of the net was given as a goal. Offaly won by a few points and went on and won the all-ireland. Them's the breaks! I was 5. Actively training U8s, football, with my club now and they're my hope for the future! Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 11/10/2016 18:57:49 1925057 Link 7 |
Tyrone had a very difficult run in 2005 but given the opposition they beat in 2003 & 2008 it was no more difficult then what the Dubs faced this year. TheWestIsAwake (UK) - Posts: 529 - 11/10/2016 19:02:28 1925058 Link 0 |
That's a great analysis, 2008 Tyrone beat a Kerry team going for 3 in a row. Beating the Dubs in Croke Park in the quarter final with a few of the current main men starting out Seansy48 (Tyrone) - Posts: 237 - 11/10/2016 19:14:29 1925063 Link 0 |
That Tyrone side is one of the greatest of all time, I merely suggested some of the opposition they faced in Ulster are not as good as some of the Tyrone boys have made out earlier on today. TheWestIsAwake (UK) - Posts: 529 - 11/10/2016 19:40:59 1925077 Link 0 |
Didn't this Dublin team beat both those great Tyrone team and Kerry team in 2011. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 11/10/2016 20:09:36 1925090 Link 1 |
eh kerry & armagh?..and a pretty decent dublin team heavily fancied
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 11/10/2016 20:11:18 1925092 Link 0 |
yes they were poor but that ignores the context..in 09 going well till beaten by a very good cork team without cavanagh...we all know what happened in 2004 and 2006 riddled with injuries
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 11/10/2016 20:13:31 1925094 Link 0 |
counting leagues doesnt help
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 11/10/2016 20:14:39 1925096 Link 0 |
but what about the skill level?..is there as many top class forwards?.in my view the standard has gone down..teams are overly negative now in a lot of cases..back then tyrone played a revolutionary style..look at the candidates for player of the year for instance and their positions
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 11/10/2016 20:16:42 1925099 Link 0 |
but donegal werent at that level during that period..they were good only certain years..and kerry are long past their best..our main rival has been mayo who always falter when it counts and have no top class forward
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 11/10/2016 20:18:16 1925101 Link 0 |
i think we beat the end of the kerry team in 2011 and were lucky to do so...tyrone were gone by 2011 but 2010 was a huge win over them..tyrone by 2008 werent the same team as in 2003 and 2005 as they lacked the forwards
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 11/10/2016 20:21:44 1925107 Link 0 |
best armagh team ever, a good derry side,,a pretty good donegal side..better than anything at the minute
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 11/10/2016 20:23:02 1925108 Link 0 |
Alan to win 4 leagues in a row and then to have the stamina to go on and win 3 all Ireland's in that period is very impressive. If it isn't then why haven't other teams done it if it's no great achievement? clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 11/10/2016 20:24:05 1925109 Link 0 |
Fair enough. I still have your county's present team slightly ahead in my mind.. Maybe it's the 4 leagues in a row. Ah well we'll agree to differ :)
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 11/10/2016 20:29:56 1925113 Link 6 |