Excellent post. I'm 47 and the best I've ever seen is Matt Connor. My reasoning is that unlike a lot of the greats like Mullins, Spillane, Jack O'Shea, Martin O'Connell, Mickey Linden etc. he was on a very average Offaly team and he had to do so much for himself. Imagine Matt Connor operating on that Kerry forward line of the late 70s early 80s!
My father (79) played county football for 2 counties in the 50s and 60s, he maintains that the most naturally gifted forward he has ever seend was Packy McGarrity of Leitrim, followed closely by Maurice Fitzgerald.
I agree with you that people are talking on HS about players they have never seen.