GAA politics will come into this to ensure a Kerry player gets it. There will be disquiet in Croke Park and an outcry in the other 3 provinces and Southern media if a 'mad Nordie' gets it even though Peter Canavan is well out there on his own as the most talented consistent influential player of the past 25 years. I mean Owen Mulligan's goal against Dublin only came in at number 5 in the all time list so expect Fitzgerald, Spillane or Dara O'Se to win; you could put your house on a Kerry player but most fair minded people know that it should be Canavan.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9817 - 02/11/2009 18:44:34    473289

Still think Matt Connor and Canavan were the best I have seen.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 02/11/2009 19:17:19    473325

Thats just a northern man's biased opinion.. Peter Canavan was a phenominal player but you couldn't just say he was "The Best", though he should be in the running it'd be hard to pick a winner..

RoyalClass (Meath) - Posts: 789 - 02/11/2009 19:18:52    473328

TheSkipper
County: USA
Some counties never get to an All Ireland final and have great players who were brilliant in all their displays until they were knocked out. Kieran McDonald has had his chances and he flopped on the big day.

i would not say he flopped on the big days - actually he was one of only a handfull of mayo players trying to save a sinking ship in 2004, 2006
and sorry but i personally would not rate eamaon o' hara(a fine player) ahead of ciarian. his dispay for cross against nemo ( the one they lost), was one of the finest individual displays of football i have ever seen.

also i am not one of those mayo fans who thinks mcdonald is the answer to everthing. i think his best days are behind him and have seen him in action a few times for cross this year. he did hold up the ball a fair bit but he made up for this. football isnt all about 15 robots working like horses to win a game.(like the way some teams are playing it nowdays) what makes sport great is the players with natural ability and a spark of genius which can light up a game.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11558 - 02/11/2009 19:55:22    473360

TheSkipper,in all honesty that wasnt a great post of yours,you pretty much said that you wouldnt pick a player as being one of the best because of one bad game,one in which his county was beat out the gate and everyone played poorly?its very hard to look good when your team is beat by 10 points or so.then you accuse me of having blinkers on?not me,i only say things as i see them,i just listed my favourite players from the past 25 years,couldnt care less where they are from.it was your message that stunk of being anti-meath,your county must have been beat by meath in the past and now you hold a grudge against meath.that is how it seems with me.

lyoto.machida (Meath) - Posts: 343 - 02/11/2009 21:33:16    473451

Ulsterman, 'Mad Nordy' ??? Enough said on this one.

I think whoever wins will not suit everyone. Obviously. From a Kerry perspective alone, it would be next to near impossible to gain unanimity on which Kerry player wpould deserve to be called the greatest of the last 25 years. Not to mind picking the greatest from all counties.

But to give the following reasons as justification of any player to be considered the greatest is just not enough and would not sway any reasonable pundit:-


He played at the top level for so long and won many a game on it's own with a skill level that no one comes near. He brightened up many dull McKenna Cup and National League matches on his own with his sublime talent while you could watch his goal in the 2005 All Ireland final time and time again.

Personally, I think Canavan was a great player. Definitely. But just because he scored a sublinely talented goal in an All Ireland and lit up the McKenna Cup would hardly rank as reasons to choose him as the greatest. Canavan was a lot better than that I might add.

thykingdomcome (Kerry) - Posts: 1206 - 02/11/2009 22:35:25    473507

would we have all this talk about pete if he hadnt of won an all ireland? imo mickey linden is as every bit good if not better than pete! micky still playing for mayobridge 2nds an he is well into his 4os an he has still got it! as for greg blaney coming from a hurley stronghold was one of the greatest players of my life to watch in a down jersey! effectively brilliant. imagine the backdoor had of been available all those years ago i think down would have more than 5 all irellands possibly as well as the likes of derry an donegal winning more than 1

dj27legend (Down) - Posts: 641 - 02/11/2009 22:55:30    473534

Usually these awards go to forwards & so Canavan is way up there, Cooper also.

I would always pay to see Maurice Fitz, just coolness & class!

blu (Down) - Posts: 1240 - 02/11/2009 22:55:42    473535

hmmmmmmmmmmmm Peter Canavan or Maurice Fitzgerald, there is no debate about it, only a Dilusional Nordie would pick peter Canavan

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 02/11/2009 23:02:41    473541

thykingdom

Those were just a few examples I used the point being that even during these dull games where some players looked disinterested you could always bet that Canavan would be up for the match. I could also have used Peter's one man show against Dublin in 1995 and his skill and coolness in pointing a last minute score against Armagh in Croke Park. If there was one player I think belongs in the same category it would have to Maurice Fitzgerald. I will row back and concede that you couldn't really argue if it was between the two.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9817 - 02/11/2009 23:11:52    473552

Don't worry ogall the West isn't even on the subs bench for this award. Move along now nothing to see here.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9817 - 02/11/2009 23:14:04    473554

You mean Willie Joe Padden, Paraic Joyce and Michael Donnellan arent going to be considered Ulstersaysno even Eamon O Hara who is in my opinion was a better Midfiielder is his prime then Sean Cavanagh, it appears you dont know a great deal about "Southern" Gaelic footballers Ulstersaysno especially those pre 2003

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 02/11/2009 23:25:41    473566

Eamon O'Hara better than Sean Cavanagh??????? HA HA HA HA HA HA and you call me delusional? Put down that keyboard and step away from the computer, a visit to the physician for an upping of the dosage is required ogall, your current tablets aren't strong enough obviously. How are the 'moon is made of cheese' and 'flat earth' societies these days? Thanks for the laugh anyway.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9817 - 02/11/2009 23:57:14    473603

paddywack09 County: Tyrone Posts: 26 473111 Canavan was the best! in the 90s he carried an average Tyrone team. In this decade he was even better. His goal in the 05 final was first class- not a tap in! Look at where he had to place the ball. I did, just now on YouTube. He has the sense to kick it STRAIGHT, as he was in line with the corner. A tap in, unless someone has doctored Youtube. Speaking of a single goal and a single year, Pat Spillane was the BEST I have seen. He scored the goal in the 1986 final, having received the ball about twenty yards from his OWN goal. So having played in 1984, 85 and 86, Spillane should have won. Canavan was a great player, so was Fitzgerald, as was O'Shea. All of those were all time greats, the others such as Donnellan and Giles were merely "ordinary" greats LOL.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 03/11/2009 01:02:21    473630

Anthony Tohill, Peter Canavan, Colm O'Rourke, Maurice Fitzgerald, Trevor Giles and...Mickey Linden. It's hard for defenders to be chosen for things like this but Mick Lyons of Meath and Ciaran McKeever of Armagh, I would give Seamus Moynahan a shout too for it.

Down_man94 (Down) - Posts: 90 - 03/11/2009 09:11:25    473675

paddyogall
County: Mayo
Posts: 1978

473541 hmmmmmmmmmmmm Peter Canavan or Maurice Fitzgerald, there is no debate about it, only a Dilusional Nordie would pick peter Canavan

And only a pathetic nordie-hater would say something like that.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12332 - 03/11/2009 10:47:03    473747

Down_man94
County: Down
Posts: 61

and Ciaran McKeever of Armagh,



That's a bit like discussing the GREATEST golfer ever and someone throwing in Paul McGinley.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 03/11/2009 12:17:30    473834

patrique
County: Antrim
Posts: 5180

473834 Down_man94
County: Down
Posts: 61

and Ciaran McKeever of Armagh,



That's a bit like discussing the GREATEST golfer ever and someone throwing in Paul McGinley.

He must mean Kieran McKeever of Derry??

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12332 - 03/11/2009 12:38:16    473858

Or McGeeney? No disrespect to Armaghs Ciaran McKeever but he's not in that league yet.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12332 - 03/11/2009 12:51:30    473877

If Eamon O Hara played for Tyrone in the last ten years rather than Sligo then he would be mentioned in the same breath as Sean Cavanagh, can you imagine the damge he could have done with the likes of Conor Gormley, Phillip Jordan and Davy Harte backing him up rather than some of the Sligo lads, it is clearly easier for Cavanagh to stand out when he has outstanding team mates to help him along, O Hara has to carry less talented players, I think Cavanagh is a bit better but not a huge amount better but for anyone to "laugh" at O Hara clearly does not know their football or has not seen him play. On the other point, some of the above who say Peter Canavan is average are absolutely insane, he was brilliant for Tyrone when they had an average team and was brilliant when they had a great team, the man was an incredible footballer, was he better that Maurice Fitzgerald, hard to say, two unreal footballers, different styles but both unmarkable

Trucker1 (Galway) - Posts: 426 - 03/11/2009 13:24:41    473916