Well something I have noticed is freee taking is very poor. Kerry have Brian Sheehan who is a sub. Very flaky under pressure and some people in Kerry still accuse him of that 45 miss against tyrone as the changing of the game. Since the best free taker in modern times Maurice Fitz gearld we had O Cinneide. Jack O Connors son for me this year in croke park in the minors gave a lesson against Armagh in free taking but he isnt going to make it as his overall game is poor I think. Barry John Walsh is a fantastic free taker some roll hm out next year. Tyrone dont seem to have a consistant man since Canavanand like Kerry get by. Cork have Donacha O Connor but he isnt the real man under pressure, since Colin Corkery have had to make do. I guess Cian Ward done alright against Kerry from sideline kicks as well. But under the pressure cooker in an All Ireland what would he be like. Doubt he will be the real deal. So who is best out there? Michael Meehan for me.

castlemaine (Kerry) - Posts: 546 - 15/09/2009 21:27:48    427081

1.Bryan Sheehan
2.Donnacha O'Connor
3.Michael Meehan
4.Johnny Doyle
5.Daniel Goulding

AdamG (Mayo) - Posts: 309 - 15/09/2009 22:06:30    427133

Cian Ward is an unreal free-taker he just lacks consistency.

Royal_Girl2k9 (Meath) - Posts: 2107 - 15/09/2009 22:09:15    427144

Mark Vaughan is damn good on his day. Shame he brings nothin' else to he team.

JimmyK (Dublin) - Posts: 240 - 15/09/2009 22:19:18    427176

Barry Grogan can be frustrating to watch at times but there is no question his accuracy from frees put Tipp in with a chance in every game they played.

Any one find it strange that so may top counties don't have anyone to kick a 45 accurately and more often than not not even get the distance.

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 15/09/2009 22:23:09    427194

Jack O'Connor's son is the best free taker I have seen this year. In fact, the long range frees have been better all round at minor level, with Armagh, Mayo and Down all having specialists. But young O'Connor is the boy.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 15/09/2009 23:31:02    427333

Royal girl how can you be an unreal free taker but lack consistency? Consistency and free taking go hand in hand with one another. If he sticks one over from the 65 and misses 4 within 21m then he's a **** freetaker despite how unreal the 65 effort would be. Im not calling Cian Ward a rubbish freetaker btw he's slightly above average, just pointing out the error in royal girls comment. Noone from my own county really inspires the title best free taker, perhaps James Kielt if he was allowed to take them all as he's very accurate from 50m in. Paddy Bradley can be hit and miss at times.

bosch (Derry) - Posts: 873 - 16/09/2009 08:26:15    427403

But under pressure he wouldn't do it?Your having a laugh right?Or did you not see his sideline kick against Dublin in 2007 to level the game with the last kick of it!

paddym123 (Meath) - Posts: 367 - 16/09/2009 09:28:19    427427

Colin Corkery was one of the best in the buisness of freetaking

Redhot (Cork) - Posts: 739 - 16/09/2009 09:48:52    427442

Yawn. Cian Ward's sidline efforts were very impressive. Couldn't do it uner pressure? Good man. Donncha O'Connor after this year wouldn't be on my top ten. The mayo minor midfielder probably impressed me most this year with his free taking. O'Shea.

Anyway.

1. Meehan
2. Vaughan
3. Tiernay
4. Emlyn Mulligan
5. Ward

johnnos bulls (None) - Posts: 527 - 16/09/2009 10:17:45    427464

Johnnos i think thats Aidan Walsh your talking about, our minor midfielder and captain. Hopefully he can knock over a few more on sunday.

Nationally it was hard to look past Dara O'Cinneide. Currently paddy bradley is probably the most consistent free taker.

mayonews (Mayo) - Posts: 254 - 16/09/2009 10:43:47    427492

Emlyn Mulligan

mac21 (Leitrim) - Posts: 677 - 16/09/2009 10:59:29    427501

Henry Shefflin and Joe Canning.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 16/09/2009 11:11:52    427526

keep an eye on aidan walsh the mayo minor captain on sunday - excellent free taker

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11717 - 16/09/2009 11:12:02    427527

Tierney is the best by a good bit. End of story. Cluxton gave a bit of an exhibition in this fine art for Parnells in the Dublin club champo last week. Meehan is not bad either. Anybody notice that left footers are generally alot more accurate than right footers??

Dan_Toal (Leitrim) - Posts: 244 - 16/09/2009 11:23:15    427532

Royal_Girl2k9
County: Meath
Posts: 216

427144 Cian Ward is an unreal free-taker he just lacks consistency.

There's a contender for paradox of the year folks...

banner_boy (Clare) - Posts: 1285 - 16/09/2009 14:14:36    427757

It is a bit weird that the top teams in football at the moment don't have a top class free taker.

Bryan Sheehan "potted" everything against us in 2008 but had a nightmare in the final and now can't get on the team and considering his lack of mobility I can't see him featuring on Sunday

Cork's free taking against Tyrone was very, very poor and a repeat on Sunday would mean defeat.

Stephen O'Neill has gone backwards since 2005 where he was scoring frees blindfolded, in fact if Kildare had beaten the Red Hands in the QF, then the 4 missed frees within 35 yards by Tyrone (not all O'Neill) would have been the main reason.

This is a far cry from even 10 years ago when every team had a free taker

The Face (Monaghan) - Posts: 890 - 16/09/2009 16:01:01    427876

sheehan
meehan
vaughan thats about it
kernan
tierney

rubywalsh (Dublin) - Posts: 356 - 16/09/2009 16:07:07    427883

Shefflin, DJ Carey, Joe Canning. Ryan from Clare proving to be deadly accurate too

solo (Kilkenny) - Posts: 314 - 16/09/2009 16:14:47    427895

Ok let me rephrase what I said. On his day Cian ward can kick some unreal frees from tight angles and long distances. Everyone happy?

Royal_Girl2k9 (Meath) - Posts: 2107 - 16/09/2009 16:15:58    427897