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Who Is Considered The Greatest Football Player Of All Time?

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Replying To letsgetgoing:  "Graham Geraghty and James McCarty were the best two right half backs I have ever seen. I had G. Geraghty in my team on page 2 and had to move one of them from their best position. I moved J. McCarthy which says something!
I also agree with another poster that Harry Keegan (Roscommon) was a fantastic corner back and it was a toss up between himself and Lee Keegan for inclusion on my team. Both were fantastic players also. Very subjective exercise but some very interesting proposals and conclusions.
I liked the response to someone proposing Dublin's Alan Brogan " Not even the best player in his gaf"
Was he better than his brother Bernard or his dad Bernard who played on the great 1970s
team? No 100% correct answers, but a bit of crack."
Kevin Keegan as well at centreforward, or maybe top of the right.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3460 - 10/05/2023 12:48:29    2477289

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In Donegal Michael Murphy is our greatest ever player no doubt in my mind, we'll never see his likes again, carried club and county to glory.
There are and have been so many great players it's very hard to say who was the greatest,
the likes of Peter Canavan, Jack O'Shea. Matt Connor, Brian Mullins was a favourite of mine always too, Pauric Joyce, Ciaran Mc Donald etc. you could go on all day.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2757 - 10/05/2023 13:07:06    2477297

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "In Donegal Michael Murphy is our greatest ever player no doubt in my mind, we'll never see his likes again, carried club and county to glory.
There are and have been so many great players it's very hard to say who was the greatest,
the likes of Peter Canavan, Jack O'Shea. Matt Connor, Brian Mullins was a favourite of mine always too, Pauric Joyce, Ciaran Mc Donald etc. you could go on all day."
Carried his club? to what?

DCFCGAA (Derry) - Posts: 65 - 10/05/2023 13:22:10    2477306

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "Comer definitely isn't a road runner. He's definitely worth watching as a paying supporter as he's always trying to make something happen.
He can do spectacular fielding, take on his man, kick big points of either foot and lash in powerful goals. That's the attacking side of his game. He does plenty defensively too and can put in big hits. He's as all-action as a forward can get.
His goal against Tipp in Croker in 2016 was a great example, but it got lost in the pain of a bad defeat."
Ok I will give you that. I missed 1 but that's all I missed.

Breffni1969 (Cavan) - Posts: 510 - 10/05/2023 13:31:22    2477313

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Replying To royaldunne:  "Unbelievable that Graham geraghty isn't on anyone's list. The only player to win an all star in both backs and forwards. (And not just to accommodate but actually deserved) with the most natural skills ever seen. Matt Connor would be the closest to him that I ever seen."
Graham Geraghty was indeed a brilliant footballer but he is not the only player to win an all star as a back and forwards. A few have won midfield and backs and Eugene Nudie Hughes (Monaghan) and Ger Power (Kerry) have won all stars as backs and forwards.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 10/05/2023 13:34:03    2477315

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Graham Geraghty was indeed a brilliant footballer but he is not the only player to win an all star as a back and forwards. A few have won midfield and backs and Eugene Nudie Hughes (Monaghan) and Ger Power (Kerry) have won all stars as backs and forwards."
Looked it up and Paddy Moriarty and Seán Lowry have also

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12122 - 10/05/2023 14:00:57    2477328

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Replying To DCFCGAA:  "Carried his club? to what?"
His club were junior/intermediate til the likes of himself, big Neil, Ciaran Bonner and Copper McFadden came on the scene.

They went up to senior and won three senior championships. Murphy was captain each time and won MOTM in the three finals.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9155 - 10/05/2023 14:21:23    2477340

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Replying To Breffni40:  "Looked it up and Paddy Moriarty and Seán Lowry have also"
Ah good man Breffni

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 10/05/2023 14:47:47    2477349

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Replying To Breffni40:  "Looked it up and Paddy Moriarty and Seán Lowry have also"
Maybe look it up again . Because Anthony MC Gurk also won 2. One as a forward and one as a half back .

Breffni1969 (Cavan) - Posts: 510 - 10/05/2023 15:16:50    2477357

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Ah good man Breffni"
And Derry's Anthony McGurk!

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12122 - 10/05/2023 15:19:35    2477358

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Best team I've seen

Cluxton
Keith Higgins John o Keefe Paidi o Shea
Keegan Kevin Moran James mc carthy
Mullins Jack o Shea
Connolly Larry Tompkins Spillane
Matt Connor Clifford John Egan

Matt Connor best of the lot

FearBeag (Mayo) - Posts: 75 - 10/05/2023 16:16:14    2477382

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Replying To FearBeag:  "Best team I've seen

Cluxton
Keith Higgins John o Keefe Paidi o Shea
Keegan Kevin Moran James mc carthy
Mullins Jack o Shea
Connolly Larry Tompkins Spillane
Matt Connor Clifford John Egan

Matt Connor best of the lot"
You saw that? Like a verse of Christy Moore's delerium tremens....

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3460 - 10/05/2023 16:42:29    2477391

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Replying To FearBeag:  "Best team I've seen

Cluxton
Keith Higgins John o Keefe Paidi o Shea
Keegan Kevin Moran James mc carthy
Mullins Jack o Shea
Connolly Larry Tompkins Spillane
Matt Connor Clifford John Egan

Matt Connor best of the lot"
Moran played for only 2 years and I never remember paidi o Shea playing left corner back ever.

Breffni1969 (Cavan) - Posts: 510 - 10/05/2023 16:43:38    2477392

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Replying To Breffni40:  "Looked it up and Paddy Moriarty and Seán Lowry have also"
Indeed. Lowry was a great footballer, one of my favorites. I think Paudie Lynch is the only football player to have won All-star awards in three different positions (mid-field, half-back, and corner-back). He was a mighty forward as a minor, too, kicking 2-11 one night against Cork. In hurling, Tommy Walsh has won all-stars in three different positions, also.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 1931 - 11/05/2023 01:34:02    2477465

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Replying To letsgetgoing:  "Graham Geraghty and James McCarty were the best two right half backs I have ever seen. I had G. Geraghty in my team on page 2 and had to move one of them from their best position. I moved J. McCarthy which says something!
I also agree with another poster that Harry Keegan (Roscommon) was a fantastic corner back and it was a toss up between himself and Lee Keegan for inclusion on my team. Both were fantastic players also. Very subjective exercise but some very interesting proposals and conclusions.
I liked the response to someone proposing Dublin's Alan Brogan " Not even the best player in his gaf"
Was he better than his brother Bernard or his dad Bernard who played on the great 1970s
team? No 100% correct answers, but a bit of crack."
I'd agree with all of this

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 11/05/2023 09:11:37    2477479

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Graham Geraghty was indeed a brilliant footballer but he is not the only player to win an all star as a back and forwards. A few have won midfield and backs and Eugene Nudie Hughes (Monaghan) and Ger Power (Kerry) have won all stars as backs and forwards."
You may be right. I should have said one of the few.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 11/05/2023 09:14:29    2477480

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "Indeed. Lowry was a great footballer, one of my favorites. I think Paudie Lynch is the only football player to have won All-star awards in three different positions (mid-field, half-back, and corner-back). He was a mighty forward as a minor, too, kicking 2-11 one night against Cork. In hurling, Tommy Walsh has won all-stars in three different positions, also."
The irony of that observation is that imo Tommy Walsh was an iconic no5, and I wouldn't attach legendary status to him in any other position, playing for KK.

Tommy Walsh's 'multipositionallstars' tells you more about the 'fiddling about' that frequently occurs with all-star selections, than it tells you about Tommy Walsh's achievements for KK in positions other than no5.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3460 - 11/05/2023 12:10:46    2477561

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "The irony of that observation is that imo Tommy Walsh was an iconic no5, and I wouldn't attach legendary status to him in any other position, playing for KK.

Tommy Walsh's 'multipositionallstars' tells you more about the 'fiddling about' that frequently occurs with all-star selections, than it tells you about Tommy Walsh's achievements for KK in positions other than no5."
Tommy Walsh started his Senior Inter-County career as a forward.

Some Kilkenny posters will remember when the move to the half back line was made but I think he had a couple of All-Ireland's in the bag by then.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 11/05/2023 12:56:36    2477575

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Players are judged by different standards depending on their position. I mean a corner back is judged on how he marks his man while a half back can get away with a bit more relaxed marking if he gets forward. Centre back can dictate a game and often recall center backs getting man of the match awards in big matches in both codes while their direct opponents had brilliant games also. A backs first job is to contain their opponent. Forwards especially inside forwards are judged on scoring. One of the greatest corner forwards ever was Gooch and yet he was held scoreless from play in two all ireland finals. Diarmuid Connolly one of the most talented players I've ever seen was scoreless from play in 3 or 4 finals even at full forward. Graham Geraghty was a brilliant player but spent most of his career as a forward not a half back. Midfielders are also judged differently and I've been lucky to see some brilliant ones as in Jacko Shea Brian Mullins Brian Fenton Anthony Tohill and Dermot Earley. The corner back will never get the same plaudits as the rest of the team but I've seen some brilliant ones too like SM Lockhart Keith Higgins Mick Fitzsimmons Marc Ó Sé Davy Dalton.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 11/05/2023 14:15:52    2477615

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Replying To MesAmis:  "Tommy Walsh started his Senior Inter-County career as a forward.

Some Kilkenny posters will remember when the move to the half back line was made but I think he had a couple of All-Ireland's in the bag by then."
'Bagged' one in 2002 I see, before he even made his debut for Kk seniors. Was selected at halfback as early as the 2006 final.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3460 - 11/05/2023 14:20:41    2477619

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