Yeah and my father played a junoir C match at 47 last year. By longevity we mean consistent performances for years on end for his county. Its irrelevant that he can still play ball for his club team. Fitz had 3-4 campaigns where he was out of this world for Kerry. The rest he was fairly average. Hence why Joyce wins in the "longevity" stakes. Its regarding consistency more than anything else.

jafallon (Galway) - Posts: 489 - 01/02/2010 11:08:48    547942

OK Jafallon since your going to continue to harp on this longevity thing which doesn't mean an thing really when/if you have to consider the competition for places. But lets just give you that just for this point. Lets pretend that Joyce has all kinds of competition at his postition and lets pretend that there really has been an All Star kept off the team cuase of Joyce being so good. Anyway I think Joyce is 32 or 33 now if I'm not mistaken. Fitzy is 41 around. In 2004 at the age of 35 O'Connor tried to get Fitzy to come back to the Kerry team. Now this wasn't a weak Kerry team as we know this one went on to win an All Ireland. So this should end you harping on about longevity as it has no relevance. Fitzy didn't have "a period" of 3-4 years as was ignorantly put he's been great for way more than that but I understand your sticking with Joyce despite the overwhelming evidence against it.
I'm surprised you aren't toting your Dad more at 47 isn't that the greatest case ever for longevity right there and using your rule he must be the best of all time.

SmerwickMan (Kerry) - Posts: 20 - 01/02/2010 12:18:39    548025

Im not sticking with Joyce. I've already stated on this thread that if you were picking a team in the morning you would rather have Fitz in it. The flip side is though that you would be almost guaranteed a good performance from Joyce, whereas you might get brilliance from Fitzgearld, but you would also be likely to get a poor, sulky performance. Maybe longevity is a bad term. He doesnt have Joyce's consistency over a sustained period is the point I was trying to make

jafallon (Galway) - Posts: 489 - 01/02/2010 12:46:31    548073

Joyce for me so! Great finisher and overall vision also.

curious George (Offaly) - Posts: 861 - 01/02/2010 14:06:12    548174

Jafallon sure that's the point some have been trying to make to you, maybe you don't agree with it. Fitzy has been consistent it's just that consistency or longevity ain't the defining factors and they don't mean anything when competition for places come into it. I don't know where you get this "sulky" notion from maybe you've been reading too much of the Cork Examiner (can of worms open now) or something. You saying that with Joyce that you are guaranteed a good performance is another statement pulled out of the air, Joyce has been missing on occasion too. Maybe a guarantee means something else that I am unaware of (getting in the way of my message there I'm sure or maybe file under juneville twit). The only thing Joyce has over Fitzy is that he has more starts for Galway but then again Fitzy has more starts for Kerry. You tell me which one of those look better on the auld resume?

SmerwickMan (Kerry) - Posts: 20 - 01/02/2010 14:45:39    548213

Wellallon, considering at 40 that he made a South Kerry Team that is made up of 9 clubs and that he won man of the match in the Kerry County Championship final against the mighty Dr. Crokes in a match where 12,000 people watched Killian Young, Declan O'Sullivan, Bryan Sheehan, Sean o'Sullivan, Eoin Brosnan, and Colm Cooper makes him a slightly more influential player at a very high level than maybe your 47 year old father was when he played for your junior club.

The fact that he won an All ireland on his own 10 years after he scored 10 points in a Munster Final might be a more impressive longevity statistic for you to ponder than the 23 year gap between his man of the match performance last month and his first senior outing.

I'm not going to argue this point about who is best because that's for others to decide but Longevity is not a defining case for argument for anyone who wants to side with Joyce.

thykingdomcome (Kerry) - Posts: 1206 - 01/02/2010 21:52:55    548867

Probably Maurice Fitz, at his best he'd be picked ahead of most players, Joyce or otherwise. It's by no means as totally clearcut as some people seem to think though, as Joyce was a seriously good player in his own right. People talk about Maurice's freetaking and no doubt he was very good off both feet, but again Joyce was also a superb freetaker and rock-solid under pressure. People also mention Maurice's club exploits but many outside Galway might be unaware that he carried an otherwise ordinary Killererin team to a couple of county titles almost singlehandedly. There's no denying Maurice Fitz was a very gifted player, but he seems to be revered like some sort of deity round here.

aidangalway (Galway) - Posts: 648 - 02/02/2010 14:40:56    549306

I can't believe there is anyone who would suggest that Joyce is better that Fitzy. Joyce was a good player. He had a great ability to get onto his left foot and was a good score taker. But Fitzy was the complete footballer. He could kick equally good with left and right from the hand or placed ball. Joyce was a good free taker but again not in the same league as Fitz. I don't recall Joyce ever kicking points from 60-70 yards. Fitzy had a beautiful style and it was a pleasure to have seen him play in the flesh. His goal agains Armagh in 2000 was pure genius. A true legend and remember a World Kicking Champion. Those who suggest logevity forget that Fitzy took up when the great Kerry teams run ended. He played for about 13 years at senior intercounty and was always a primary threat. He often played on weak kerry teams before the advent of the qualofiers so he was not afforded due exposure during his 8 or 9 years with Kerry

footballman (Louth) - Posts: 126 - 03/02/2010 10:21:16    550079

this is a ridiculous thread, maurice fitzgerald is better then joyce every day of the week and twice on sunday

The.Rock (Meath) - Posts: 582 - 03/02/2010 10:56:21    550115