Replying To Lockjaw:  "I realize we're all a bit guilty of county bias and I'm not saying he should necessarily be included in the all time 15, but I'm surprised Karl Lacey's name hasn't been mentioned at all. He won All Stars in 06 and 09 as a traditional tight-marking corner back and then another two from a play making center half back role in 11 and 12.

He won 3 Sigersons, an NFL, 3 Ulsters and an All-Ireland, a little unlucky not to win two.

Would people consider Keith Higgins to be that much better than Karl?"

Replying To Lockjaw:  "I realize we're all a bit guilty of county bias and I'm not saying he should necessarily be included in the all time 15, but I'm surprised Karl Lacey's name hasn't been mentioned at all. He won All Stars in 06 and 09 as a traditional tight-marking corner back and then another two from a play making center half back role in 11 and 12.

He won 3 Sigersons, an NFL, 3 Ulsters and an All-Ireland, a little unlucky not to win two.

Would people consider Keith Higgins to be that much better than Karl?"

Replying To mickcunningham:  "just an observation a young lad of the 1980s who in my opinion was underrated was offaly midfielder padraig dunne . he held his own against jacko and seanie walshe in the 82 final . ably assisted by tomas connor , but he would not make a team of supreme all stars"

Replying To ConnollyDub:  "I've read a lot of rubbish on here over the years but to the posters saying Fenton is over-rated and is not a big game player??? Has to be the biggest load of rubbish I've seen to date.

I know ill be accused of bias here probably, but if you think that of Fenton well then you are either bitter or you haven't a clue about football.

He is a complete footballer! Great fielder, great foot passer, great tackler, great engine, brilliant off both feet and is one of the most prolific scorers there has ever been for a midfielder

There is a reason why Dublin haven't lost a championship game since he came along!!!"

Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Funny you mention Keith Higgins. I often though both he and Lacey played the same type of football. Of course one could nt argue with Karl Laceys inclusion. A tight marking solid corner back who when he moved out Centre back we saw how much football he had."

Replying To Lockjaw:  "I realize we're all a bit guilty of county bias and I'm not saying he should necessarily be included in the all time 15, but I'm surprised Karl Lacey's name hasn't been mentioned at all. He won All Stars in 06 and 09 as a traditional tight-marking corner back and then another two from a play making center half back role in 11 and 12.

He won 3 Sigersons, an NFL, 3 Ulsters and an All-Ireland, a little unlucky not to win two.

Would people consider Keith Higgins to be that much better than Karl?"

Replying To Greengrass:  "I would rate Brian Fenton alongside Jacko as the most complete Gaelic footballers I have ever seen. He is a magnificent player and deserves his place on the Supreme All Star team. Anthony Tohill would in my opinion be the next best midfielder after Brian Fenton and Jacko."

Replying To HuddHastings:  "Would have Karl Lacey ahead of Higgins all day long, better man marker, better playmaker.
As always with lists like these you have to include someone from Mayo otherwise the fans go mad"

Replying To Lockjaw:  "Yeah Karl was a real classy operator. One of the funniest things I've ever seen on a football field was Lacey dispossessing a player in a club match one time. The player in question was off on a solo run with Lacey chasing him. It's hard to describe but I'll do my best. Basically at full tilt Karl waited until the exact millisecond the guy had the ball back in hand after a solo. He then popped the ball from the lad's grasp from behind and managed to somehow grab possession himself. This all happened it seemed in the blink of an eye. It was so quick in fact that for a second or two afterwards the lad who had been dispossessed actually continued running and attempted another solo. Only problem was the ball was gone and Karl was off in the other direction on the counter attack."

Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Spot on realdub. Can't say the same for him as pundit though lol"

Replying To Lockjaw:  "I realize we're all a bit guilty of county bias and I'm not saying he should necessarily be included in the all time 15, but I'm surprised Karl Lacey's name hasn't been mentioned at all. He won All Stars in 06 and 09 as a traditional tight-marking corner back and then another two from a play making center half back role in 11 and 12.

He won 3 Sigersons, an NFL, 3 Ulsters and an All-Ireland, a little unlucky not to win two.

Would people consider Keith Higgins to be that much better than Karl?"

Replying To HuddHastings:  "Would have Karl Lacey ahead of Higgins all day long, better man marker, better playmaker.
As always with lists like these you have to include someone from Mayo otherwise the fans go mad"

Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Agreed Greengrass. On midfielders there were so many great ones that I have seen. Jacko Fenton and Tohill superb. Brian Mullins another fantastic midfielder. Gerry McEntee (Meath) Dermot Early snr and jnr. Liam McHale (Mayo) Darragh O Sé (Kerry) Tomás Connor (Offaly) John Galvin (Limerick) Gary Brennan (Clare) Séamus Ó Hanlon (Louth) Brendan Murphy (Carlow) Plunkett Donagh (Tyrone) Liam Austin (Down) John McDermott (Meath) Ciarán Whelan (Dublin) Nicolas Murphy (Cork) Kevin Walsh and Brian Talty (Galway) to name but a few.."

Replying To Greengrass:  "I would have Páidí Ó Sé ahead of either Keith Higgins or Karl Lacey. I would have Stephen Ó Brien ahead of either of them too. Both Keith Higgins and Karl Lacey were exceptional players. Stephen Ó Brien was a wonderfully talented player who could literally play anywhere with great effect. Páidí was extra special."

Replying To CiarraiMick:  "I would have Paidi on before Tomás. I never saw Paidi take a beating. Stephen ó Brien great player too as was Graham Canty and Glen Ryan."

Replying To Greengrass:  "They certainly were great players. Glen Ryan carried a knock in to the '98 final. Given the forward line he was facing that was unfortunate for him. That was a serious Galway forward line when in full flow."

Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Spot on Greengrass and Ja Fallon gave him the runaround in 2nd half in particular. Ja was a great player but even he would admit it would be hard to give a fully fit Glen a run around.
."

Replying To Greengrass:  "It certainly would Mick. Ja was injured and didn't play when Kildare met Galway in the semi final in 2000. Kildare went four points up. Enter Pádraic Joyce. He orchestrated the comeback and Galway went on to win. Great, great players. We are blessed to have the games of football and hurling and we are blessed to have the footballers and hurlers we have. Our sporting heroes live with us in our own communities. There is something very special about that."

Replying To essmac:  "It's a good list, albeit I'd, with my local hat on, favour Stevie O'Neill or Peter McGinnity or Michael Murphy over Tomkins, but I often wonder what's the point of any of these lists - inevitably, in some cases, you're leaving out people as good as you've put on. It's not always the case that, out of 2 or 3 great players, one is "better" - there's maybe not a cigarette paper between them in terms of quality, and so you're just flipping a coin or going with who you have seen more of on you tube.

It's also a strange list that can leave out a leader of men like Mick O'Connell (the man I'd want to have as captain on any all time 15), and leave out Tyrone's greatest ever natural talent, Frank McGuigan. I saw him and Canavan both, on numerous occasions over many years; and it's very clear to me that, while Canavan was brilliant, and did stuff on a pitch that would have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief one minute and laughing out loud the next, McGuigan still was that wee bit better again. Of course, McGuigan spent his best years in the States, had a bad accident, shone mainly in club and in "un-refereed" 1970s Ulster county matches where the refereeing rule seemed to be "no blood, no free" lol, which rarely were on the national radar, didn't contribute near as much to the county as Canavan did, etc, and I fully accept all that.

And do you judge people by their raw talent / natural skills, or do you rate them by longevity and trophies won?

Someone, for instance, may have had a chaotic personal life, hitting the bottle etc, and/or played or a weaker county. But for whatever short while they were at their peak, they may have been brilliant, the equal of anyone. But because they then hit the bottle, or emigrated, or drifted out of the game, or were with a county that never won anything, they'll just be forever off the radar. (In the soccer, a prime example is G Best, who was for my money, an outrageous talent, easily in a world top 5, but because he played for a joke team like the North and drunk himself into the ground and quit the game young, he's never nowadays mentioned in any international ranking of soccer greats.)

Although I'm pleased to see a good representation from the Kerry 70s-80s team. If you had that team, fed, watered and coached to modern standards, they'd clean up even today. In my opinion!

I'd also love to see a county top 15 for each county, to give us all a better idea of the overlooked and forgotten greats in each county, as voted for by people in that county only. Although I'd say there'd be serious disagreements in drawing up any county top 15 list : )"

Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Agreed Greengrass. On midfielders there were so many great ones that I have seen. Jacko Fenton and Tohill superb. Brian Mullins another fantastic midfielder. Gerry McEntee (Meath) Dermot Early snr and jnr. Liam McHale (Mayo) Darragh O Sé (Kerry) Tomás Connor (Offaly) John Galvin (Limerick) Gary Brennan (Clare) Séamus Ó Hanlon (Louth) Brendan Murphy (Carlow) Plunkett Donagh (Tyrone) Liam Austin (Down) John McDermott (Meath) Ciarán Whelan (Dublin) Nicolas Murphy (Cork) Kevin Walsh and Brian Talty (Galway) to name but a few.."