Yeh yeah..Fine he was great player. So great that Meath could really have done with him starting v Limerick. Any comments on that game Loyal or do I keep having to deal with ya deflecting that question with the...sniff... sad retirement of ...sniff...yet another Meath player/manager?

spudenator (Laois) - Posts: 1052 - 24/07/2008 16:19:25    56075

Any player deserving of the acclaim of greatest player ever would need to have the temperament as well as the ability. Neither Geraghty, Canavan or Mullins had these. For me the greatest ever is still playing. That is Colin Cooper. After that I would have O'Rourke, Giles and Jack Quinn from Meath, Keavney and Bernard Brogan from Dublin, MickO'Connell, Sheehy, and Fitzgerald Kerry and Noel Tierney and Padraig Joyce Galway, Sean O'Neill and Mickey Lindin Down. I don't intend to place these in any particular order but you would definatly get your money's worth watching these unless of course they were playing against you.

The real Árd Rí (Meath) - Posts: 990 - 24/07/2008 17:03:31    56145

Agree with last Meath poster. Had ability, yes. Completrly overshadowed by his temperament. Did not have it and will be remembered for that more than anything else.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 24/07/2008 17:11:53    56152

Of course he wasnt the greatest ever. Dont think ol Loyal even beleives that himself. Fine player though. Big, strong, athletic and could kick points

redandgreen (None) - Posts: 691 - 24/07/2008 17:27:28    56175

Very good player yes, but not even the best meath player never mind the best player ever,
Martin O'connell, Colm O'Rourke, David Beggy, Bernard Flynn, Brian Stafford to mention a few, all better than Graham Geraghty,

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 24/07/2008 18:06:50    56199

Well Loyal it looks like you are still not quite in reality mode after your declarations that it was a FACT that Meath would win SAM '08.

It is an insult to the truly great players we have seen to attempt to put GG in this category. If he was the athlete you claim he was then why was he not snapped up in the same way that Niall Quinn, Kevin Moran, Tadhg Kenelly etc. were?

You are seriously over-rating him, I would put Mick Lyons, Gerry McEntee, Trevor Giles, Darren Fay, Martin O Connell and Colm O Rourke (at least, prob a few more as well if I thought longer about it) ahead of him.

Real Ard Ri got it right, temperament is at least as important as technical ability (which he certainly had) ... but GG always had an unsporting attitude and a cynical approach to the game which always detracted from his performances. I will always remember the talent he had but also the many cynical things I saw him do over the years, shame but there you have it.

Beacaire Gorm (Dublin) - Posts: 597 - 24/07/2008 18:12:36    56202

Obviously not the greatest. But one of the top players in the country. Fay was quality too. Better than any dublin player too in the last 10 years.

rebel99 (Cork) - Posts: 6 - 24/07/2008 18:17:15    56205

class act,hard as nails too.!..liked the dark side of him,nice football will get you nowherwe,every player needs a bit of arrogance,maybe graham like paul galvin had a tad too much!!..always played well on the big days,loved his palmed goal vs tyrone.

mac11 (Mayo) - Posts: 463 - 24/07/2008 18:52:49    56214

Snufalufagus, you say Whelan is a tough footballer, don't make me laugh. Was he not rolling around Croke Park on Sunday like the 'OVERLORD' he is.

Maestro (Meath) - Posts: 586 - 24/07/2008 19:58:42    56232

I actually liked GG as a player, mind the point he scored from near the corner flag at the end line 2 or 3 years ago, against Dublin I think, probably one of the best scores I've ever seen.

Niamh (Derry) - Posts: 2397 - 24/07/2008 20:24:57    56241

wow snuffy I actually can't believe you refer to yourself as a laochra gael and then disrespect two real legends. Any county player has my respect and you cant even show two meath greats respect?...fairly petty don't ye think.....

meathfan1 (Meath) - Posts: 231 - 25/07/2008 00:09:09    56345

Rhodejim County: Offaly Posts: 173 55706 favorite GG moment- just before dessie stepped up to THAT free, GG walked in front of him and had a word in his ear.excellant stuff. Yeah great sportsmanlike behaviour. Grow up Rhodejim. A great footballer, most certainly not the best ever nor the best ever in Meath alone. Although he let himself down so many times. He should have let his talent speak for itself instead. He will be missed for the player we all loved to hate.

Maroonie (Westmeath) - Posts: 105 - 25/07/2008 08:14:09    56406

Nobody will ever know who is the greatest player of all time - I doubt many on this message board can remember much before 1990 so how are we supposed to compare with lads before then? What I do know is that Geraghty was a genius and that he has to be the greatest I have ever seen. While Padraic Joyce, Peter Canavan and Maurice Fitzgerald were and are all genii in their own right, there were/are nowhere near the athlete Geraghty was. You could play Graham in any position and you would be sure to get the supreme performance from him. While the ultimate footballer would probably need to have the right temperament - the one thing Graham lacked admittedly - he was still an unbelievably talented and gifted man. He was a superlative athlete, the one thing that makes him stand apart from Joyce, Canavan, Fitzgerald et all. It is all about opinions but I am firmly of the belief that Graham Geraghty was the closest thing to the perfect footballer that I have seen in my lifetime.

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 25/07/2008 10:01:09    56469

he was no ciaran mac donald and that is the benchmark

ball-boy (Mayo) - Posts: 4211 - 25/07/2008 11:44:02    56607

Mc Donald the benchmark for what??? Playing as an individual, going missing on the big occasions and never winning any All Irelands unlike Geraghty.

Mick O Connell (None) - Posts: 1231 - 25/07/2008 12:59:57    56740

meathfan1

I agree, these two are legends!.......IN MEATH!

Regards,

Snufalufagus......Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 25/07/2008 13:27:43    56788

not because i'm from tyrone but peter canavan is the best in my life time. there prob where better in the past and prob will in the future but canavan is the best iv seen. Peter Canavan-more tricks than harry potter. when ciaran mc keever decided to pull his jersey off in the 05 ulster final replay and all of armagh laughed, well they lernt their lesson in the all-ireland semi-final "YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"

wise_guy (Tyrone) - Posts: 1584 - 25/07/2008 14:13:08    56840

Maroonie, is that the reason that Dessie the great missed a free kick that a 10 year old would of put over? (lame excuse)

soso (Meath) - Posts: 89 - 25/07/2008 14:43:59    56890

your on the ball wise_guy Canavan was the best ever
yez could do with him tomorrow

maroon2gold (Westmeath) - Posts: 551 - 25/07/2008 14:48:26    56898

Loyal2daroyal, you say Graham Geraghty is the best player you have seen in you're lifetime, you must be only 4 years of age bless you, great player yes ,never the best,

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 25/07/2008 21:00:40    57200