I heard Tony McTeague from Offally was unbelieveable from a dead ball. Apparently it just looked like he was tapping over 45s. M.J Tierney of Laois is the best I've seen in years. Effortless technique.

Daith (Kildare) - Posts: 1172 - 17/07/2009 20:27:21    350187

In hurling it's Joe Canning

mondred (Wexford) - Posts: 872 - 17/07/2009 21:49:50    350245

The best free taker in football currently is Emlyn Mulligan from leitrim. Anyone who has seen him would agree. Big loss this year for leitrim through injury

leitrim4sam (Leitrim) - Posts: 699 - 17/07/2009 22:07:40    350268

Tony Mc Teague,
Brian Stafford.
Jimmy Keavney/

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 17/07/2009 22:14:34    350285

Martin Reilly has an amazingly accurate technique

mmcf (Cavan) - Posts: 76 - 17/07/2009 22:29:55    350311

mmcf, you obviously were not at the Antrim match. That day he would'nt have hit the ground with his hat in three attempts !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 17/07/2009 22:44:44    350326

Past - Peter Canavan, M Fitz and before M Meehan starting taking them for Galway P Joyce. The latter is such a brillant footballer that free taking was only a small part of his game. How he has not being mentioned in this thread is beyond me. A footballing genius over tha last 11 yrs.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1973 - 17/07/2009 23:36:55    350363

what about trevor giles he was fairly consistent for the amount of years he played

Batman.No.1 (Meath) - Posts: 36 - 18/07/2009 01:51:17    350413

Maurice Fitzgerald great technique and could kick with two feet of the ground very hard to do, Emlyn Mulligan 10 frees against galway last year, Ciaran Lyng for wex ford doesnt miss too many either, Bryan Sheehan is probably the best round at the moment and Mark Vaughan for Dublin couldn't miss in 2007 and Peter Canavan from tyrone, Also Paddy Bradley is brilliant at frees.

gerryb10 (Sligo) - Posts: 48 - 18/07/2009 06:47:23    350435

I think M.J Tierney is the best in the business at the moment.brilliant technique and great accuracy.

Townie4Life (Laois) - Posts: 24 - 18/07/2009 07:05:20    350438

The best free taker, as much as i hate to say it, is Maurice Fitz.

But another one that i haven't seen on this list at all is Michael Fitzmaurice from Lacken, Mayo.

One of the most underated free takers.

vk (UK) - Posts: 2 - 18/07/2009 07:45:33    350442

No Free taker of late has come close to Maurice Fitzgerald.
The best by a country mile

campbelltommy (Mayo) - Posts: 103 - 18/07/2009 09:39:11    350460

one of the best free takers would be ciaran McDonald on a good day. Do ye not remember that he used to put a few over from sidelines from way out the field. for example the first point he scored against dublin in the all ireland semi final in 2006. now that was a good score!!!

Other great freetakers would be Maurice Fitzgerald, Colin Corkery and Oisin McConville

xxfootiexx (Mayo) - Posts: 5 - 18/07/2009 10:25:56    350476

Tony McTeague
Mick O'Dwyer
Jimmy Keavney
Larry Tomkins
Mickey Kerins
Maurice Fitzgerald
Mikey Sheehy
Brian Stafford
Mattie Forde
Colin Corkery
Matt Connor

dingle1 (Clare) - Posts: 805 - 18/07/2009 20:56:19    350923

In football Currently id say Ciaran Lyng and ever Ross Carr.............. Hurling Henry Shefflin is the best free taker to set foot on a GAA pitch.

MrWingForward (Wexford) - Posts: 66 - 18/07/2009 22:41:55    351117

young micky murphy is gettin there

10DLSAM (Derry) - Posts: 266 - 28/07/2009 09:10:52    365609

Maurice Fitz. But I remember the Semi Final in 1998 when he missed every one he kicked. Even straight in front of the goals on the 21. Now it has to be Cian Ward. He put a free over from at least 55 metres out in the league game versus Kildare.

sammaguire09 (Kildare) - Posts: 101 - 28/07/2009 18:47:12    366878

Micheal Murphy of Donegal, very young at 19 but such a class act. His free taekn is top class from the hands and from the ground. Could kick it over from over 50 metres from ground

giver.in.long (Donegal) - Posts: 24 - 28/07/2009 23:57:58    367563

Fitzgerald, Corkery and Stafford. These guys set the standards on accuracy, distance and consistency more than any freetakers before them for all others to attempt to break and as far as I have seen only Meehan and Sheehan have come close. What free taker out there at the moment are you 100% sure about pointing from 40 yards out from any angle all the time? There are none but these 3 were in that category.

thykingdomcome (Kerry) - Posts: 1206 - 29/07/2009 09:31:17    367737