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As AI football finals go..

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Where would you rate Dublin v Mayo 2017 - It's been a few weeks now But I can honestly say I've never seen a better AI final live.. We all have our favourite but that final basically had it all.. An unreal game and of course it takes two to tango the greatest Dublin and Mayo teams of all time going hell for leather at a time when the game has never been played at such a high level. I personally don't think I'll ever see another like it Drama, skill, madness, flair, hits, passion, atmosphere and ends with one off the pat and another guided by GPS straight over the bar What a final it was... and all to capture a 3 in a row It doesn't come better as a football fan jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 09/10/2017 22:28:25 2054271 Link
Great game for the winners and neutrals. From our perspective there is no comfort being on the loosing side of a great game. Would much rather we won the worst All Ireland final in history. yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 10/10/2017 09:56:44 2054309 Link
I enjoy it a whole lot more watching it back knowing the result. Personally the 2011 final is special for me. I dont think we will see the like again. Maybe if Mayo won a final in similar dramatic circumstances. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 10/10/2017 10:09:05 2054312 Link
As games go it was certainly a good one, finals can be very hit and miss due to nerves on the big day, but this year we had two heavyweights going blow for blow, great entertainment. Now I fully appreciate Mayo fans won't look back on the game with fond memories but fact of the matter is, it was a great game. Greatest I've ever seen? Who knows, it is up there but then again, finals are highly subjective, the ones you win tend to be the greatest ever. Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 10/10/2017 10:23:13 2054317 Link
Every fan whose team wins an All Ireland thinks it was the greatest final. Objectivity impossible here I'm afraid. essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 10/10/2017 10:42:57 2054325 Link
It was a great game no doubt about it. For me though 2011 will always be special. The first in so long, the ending, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and the last kick of the ball to win an AI. That's the stuff of dreams. Dublin have been involved in some absolute classic finals. Winning by the smallest of margins which is another mark of their greatness. They have given us some wonderful days and great entertainment. Enjoy this period of dominance as it won't last forever. Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 10/10/2017 11:22:12 2054344 Link
Replying To Dubh_linn: "It was a great game no doubt about it. For me though 2011 will always be special. The first in so long, the ending, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and the last kick of the ball to win an AI. That's the stuff of dreams. Dublin have been involved in some absolute classic finals. Winning by the smallest of margins which is another mark of their greatness. They have given us some wonderful days and great entertainment. Enjoy this period of dominance as it won't last forever." Won by a small margin in 1995 too ;) There's a tendency to confuse "great" with "exciting" and to call games great if they're close and there are lots of scoring, often as a result of defensive errors. For instance, the drawn Ulster final between Tyrone and Down in 2003 was raved about in Ulster subsequently. I thought the praise was exaggerated. A feature of the game was Tyrone's shocking defending, leaking goals all over the place. Exciting, sure, but I couldn't see how a game could be truly great with defending of that calibre. A great game is one where the teams are well matched and both the defensive and attacking football is of a high standard. You have to have quality play al over the pitch and you have to have that balance. A turkey shoot between two teams with schoolboy defences is not a great game; nor is a game where both teams set up primarily to defend. My two fav games involving my own county were the 2005 All-Ireland semi v Armagh (which was incredibly intense and which could have went either way right to the very end) and the 2004 (I think it was 2004) league game against Galway which Galway won in extra time. It was 'only' a league game, but at some point, both teams just threw off the shackles and went for it, and it was enthralling. S Cavanagh and P Joyce both playing like men possessed. essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 10/10/2017 13:01:37 2054382 Link
Replying To essmac: "Every fan whose team wins an All Ireland thinks it was the greatest final. Objectivity impossible here I'm afraid." Agreed Ask the Irish who travelled to Wales last night ? Night of their lives etc etc Ask a neutral and you will get a different take. Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 10/10/2017 13:34:39 2054396 Link
Sometimes finals can be damp squibs as well, people often say the 1977 All Ireland Semi final between Dublin and Kerry was the greatest game ever played. For sheer class, quality, skill and excitement the 2013 semi between Dublin and Kerry, is up there for me as probably the greatest game of football football i have witnessed live. I dont think there has been many a better game before or after to be honest. The 2011 final wins the heart though. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 10/10/2017 14:15:04 2054407 Link
Replying To essmac: "Won by a small margin in 1995 too ;) There's a tendency to confuse "great" with "exciting" and to call games great if they're close and there are lots of scoring, often as a result of defensive errors. For instance, the drawn Ulster final between Tyrone and Down in 2003 was raved about in Ulster subsequently. I thought the praise was exaggerated. A feature of the game was Tyrone's shocking defending, leaking goals all over the place. Exciting, sure, but I couldn't see how a game could be truly great with defending of that calibre. A great game is one where the teams are well matched and both the defensive and attacking football is of a high standard. You have to have quality play al over the pitch and you have to have that balance. A turkey shoot between two teams with schoolboy defences is not a great game; nor is a game where both teams set up primarily to defend. My two fav games involving my own county were the 2005 All-Ireland semi v Armagh (which was incredibly intense and which could have went either way right to the very end) and the 2004 (I think it was 2004) league game against Galway which Galway won in extra time. It was 'only' a league game, but at some point, both teams just threw off the shackles and went for it, and it was enthralling. S Cavanagh and P Joyce both playing like men possessed." Ah yes, 1995, remember it well. We had endured some hard to take losses at that stage to Ulster teams. The last one for a long time , made 2011 all the sweeter for me. Of course we all see things from our own county's point of view. Tyrone had a great decade or so not so long after that final and I'm sure they were special considering the wait and getting so close. We just seem to have had so many close shaves over the last few years and manage to get the job done that it makes them even more exciting if not that enjoyable at the time. 2004 with Galway was super stuff alright. SF, went to replay I think and they met again not so long after that same year . The Armagh game was one I'd imagine sent many a Tyrone fan home with a smile on their faces alright. Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 10/10/2017 14:33:56 2054420 Link
the question asked was simple, its not intended to be subjective. I was a (mayo) neutral and of all the all irelands i've seen i'd put this second. the best all ireland i've seen was in 2008. Now it had it all!!!! 3 in row, the two heavy weights of that era battling to prove who was the best of the noughties up to that point, Galvin coming on,Stephen o' Neill coming on, the twin towers being taken down, Doohers point, Dara o Shea's point on one leg literally, the beards!!!! theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 414 - 10/10/2017 14:43:18 2054428 Link
I think of all the finals this particular Dublin team has been involved in 2017 was the best in terms of quality. 2011 was a good game but the last seven minutes, which were epic, put a gloss on a decent game imo. 2013 was close and tense but poor enough quality for the neutral, as was 2015 albeit played in atrocious conditions. Those 2 games along with the drawn game in 2016 were typical of close All-Ireland Finals I thought. 2016 replay was slightly above the average Final I think although not at the level of this year. As a neutral though finals don't tend to be the best games of the year in terms of quality. 2005 probably being the stand out game for me. It was a great match. 2002 another final that deserves a mention as well. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13705 - 11/10/2017 08:22:33 2054564 Link
I thought the finals between cork and Meath were excellent, even the Meath Mayo game in 96 , also the finals of 98 2003 and even 2010 which had novel pairings were exciting. When will we ever see the likes of those games again? KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 11/10/2017 12:20:53 2054624 Link
No denying it was a very good contest but wouldn't even rank in my top three for All Ireland finals. Blinkered as I am 2011 is unbeatable and some of the Ulster teams victories from the last 25 years were brilliant finals also. CaogaCuig (Dublin) - Posts: 63 - 11/10/2017 12:43:24 2054636 Link
As a neutral is was brilliant, one of the best finals ever, enthralling from first minute to last, had brilliant scores, goals, controversy, hard hits, loads of sub plots, brilliant matchups, unreal athleticism and a dramatic finish. ...but as usual, such is the negative way of the Irish media and sports fans the weeks following the game seemed to focus primarily on controversy, cynicism and childish bickering. Negativity gets clicks and sells newspapers so instead of talking about the brilliant efforts of guys like McCarthy, Moran and Connolly we are focusing on attention seeking loudmouths like Paul Kimmage, Joe Brolly, David Brady etc HuddHastings (Longford) - Posts: 144 - 11/10/2017 13:03:59 2054642 Link
Mayo V Dublin has thrown up some of the best matches in the last 10 years. 2006 when Mayo warmed up in front of the hill had everything - excitement before the ball thrown in, Dublin looking good early on - a big Mayo comeback and the winning score by Ciaran McDonald. Again mayo were victorious in the 2012 semi final which, if Dublin won could now have completed a possible 7 in a row (forgive me Kerry people (2014!!). Then the 2013 final and the draws/replays in 2015 & 2016 and of course this years final. Just two footballing teams playing the game as it should be played!! imonmyway (Mayo) - Posts: 113 - 11/10/2017 13:09:25 2054646 Link
I loved the 2002 All Ireland football final between Kerry and Armagh. Armagh had been knocked out the previous three years by teams that went on to win the All Ireland. They were beaten by Meath in the 1999 All Ireland semi-final, by Kerry in the 2000 All Ireland semi-final after a replay and in 2001 by Galway in the qualifiers. They missed a peno in the first half against Kerry and they looked dead and buried at half time. They came back in the second half to secure their first ever All Ireland and they had also beaten Kerry for the very first time in the Championship. I remember all the Armagh supporters going home through Drogheda. The motorway was not opened yet. It was some craic. That Armagh team should of won at least another All Ireland. OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 11/10/2017 13:18:42 2054652 Link
Replying To KingdomBoy1: "I thought the finals between cork and Meath were excellent, even the Meath Mayo game in 96 , also the finals of 98 2003 and even 2010 which had novel pairings were exciting. When will we ever see the likes of those games again?" Surely the drawn match in 2000 has to be up there Kingdomboy? Two teams bursting with superstars and playing fantastic football. Moynihan v Joyce, what more could you ask for?? TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 11/10/2017 13:18:50 2054653 Link
Replying To TheHermit: "Surely the drawn match in 2000 has to be up there Kingdomboy? Two teams bursting with superstars and playing fantastic football. Moynihan v Joyce, what more could you ask for??" Oh it was brilliant the hermit and I was blessed to be at it and the replay which if I'm correct was the first allireland final played on a Saturday, the reason I didn't pick that game as well or any of the finals Kerry were in is I wanted to mention the other great finals contested by non Kerry teams . As for this years final did anyone ever really believe that Mayo would win it? KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 11/10/2017 14:07:07 2054675 Link
As a neutral is was brilliant, one of the best finals ever, enthralling from first minute to last, had brilliant scores, goals, controversy, hard hits, loads of sub plots, brilliant matchups, unreal athleticism and a dramatic finish. ...but as usual, such is the negative way of the Irish media and sports fans the weeks following the game seemed to focus primarily on controversy, cynicism and childish bickering. Negativity gets clicks and sells newspapers so instead of talking about the brilliant efforts of guys like McCarthy, Moran and Connolly we are focusing on attention seeking loudmouths like Paul Kimmage, Joe Brolly, David Brady etc HuddHastings (Longford) - Posts: 144 - 11/10/2017 14:13:54 2054679 Link