Saffron in 2006 he turned it on when required. In his 97 season he was exceptional too. When needed Mcdonald turned it on. If some of the other mayo players played the game he played it they maybe wouldn't have went from 51 without an all ireland.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 14/04/2015 16:01:52    1714125

not exceptional enough to win an All Star in 97 and given the nature of those awards when shuffling the formations to make room for players...hmm nah long way behind the thorough breads. I know loads of players who've only won one All Star ;-)

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2558 - 14/04/2015 17:46:47    1714198

Matt Connor slipped my mind totally
I'd have him alongside Cooper and Fitz and Mc Donald as the most naturally gifted
He got 2-9 I think in 1980 SF V Kerry
Pure genius

What moron above had COLM COOPER only 5th or 6th - my betting is its Antrimman or someone from Ulster but I haven't checked

Before Ulster sides starting having success the best side I saw in the 1980's were the Monaghan side - Id rate them above Tyrone 1986 every day of the week

Ulster greats after Canavan - McConville - Geeney in defence - Sean Cananagh MF -

After Cluxton as a GK I'd have Martin Furlong Offaly and the. Charlie Nelligan Billy Morgan

Elvis1935 (Mayo) - Posts: 46 - 14/04/2015 19:37:59    1714243

Geeney in defence
who?

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 14/04/2015 19:58:24    1714254

Jimmy Doyle

tiobraidArann (Tipperary) - Posts: 362 - 14/04/2015 20:05:37    1714257

fabio8...........canavan and Cavanagh
sounding more like a lost son of Tir Eoghan with each post

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 14/04/2015 20:11:59    1714261

they are two of the best players of the last 20 years..are you disputing that?..strange that saying a great player is a great player means im from a certain county

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 14/04/2015 20:50:09    1714287

Canavan was class. Cavanagh still has some of the class but he's at the twilight of his career, unfortunately.

I agree Ciaran Mc wasn't great in every game, tried too hard at times, sometimes went missing, but not often. Sometimes I thought it was because the players inside he was supplying or the midfielders or backs supplying him weren't on the same wavelength. He's a footballing genius, I know I'm biased, but many agree with me. Most of his Mayo games he was class but everyone's entitled to their opinion.

Speaking of opinions, Willie Joe Padden wasn't one of the great midfielder, in my opinion. I saw his inter-county days from his early days. There's a difference between being a great fielder of a ball and being a great midfielder. To use boxing parlance he was, arguably, pound-for-pound the greatest fielder of the ball in Gaelic football because he wasn't even six foot tall and could outfield men a way bigger than himself with ease. Unfortunately when he landed with the ball he didn't always distribute it that well. McHale or TJ were better Mayo midfielders for me.

For what it's worth, my favourit Mayo player of all time will never be on a Greats list. Had many brilliant games, a good few very good ones, but the thing I liked most about him was when he was having a bad game he never let the head go down and tried til he dropped. James Nallen.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7976 - 14/04/2015 21:11:59    1714296

ciaran mcdonald just a superb player..hard to say anything negative about the man..gave it his all....i would have a bias towards the kerry and tyrone teams of the 00s as they were the best teams iv seen in my opinion and by a distance

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 14/04/2015 21:42:01    1714308

fab208 .....like I said............

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 14/04/2015 21:58:57    1714321

None of the midfielders mentioned on this thread from last 20 years with exception of darragh oshea, even come close to John McDermott..exceptional fielder, powerful carrier, unbelievable work rate, intimidating....he would have made Sean kavanagh look like a child out there. This isn't just a biased opinion... It's fact

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 978 - 15/04/2015 10:02:49    1714330

southmeathgael

I am stunned nobody mentioned John McDermott to be honest,I defo agree with Tohill too when it comes to midfielders,clearly John is underrated,he also outplayed Dara O'Se and John was past his peak at that stage!

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 15/04/2015 10:31:20    1714340

McDermott was a class midfielder alright, a better midfielder than Cavanagh. But Cavanagh's a better footballer than McDermott.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7976 - 15/04/2015 10:34:38    1714344

Id still say Toehill is better than John McDermott although still a very good player

MacRory Cup and one Hogan Cup
Sigerson Cup
Ulster titles 2
All-Irelands 1
NFL 4
All Stars 4
Irish News Team of the Decade in 2004
6 railway cups
four International Rules Series (captain 2001) (manager 2010)
And on top of all that played AFL and even had a spell with derry city and man utd

All that for a average team when there was a lot less games. That and the man is a complete gent. Never heard a bad word. No Spillane
or O'Shea but still would make a 15 of the last 20 years i reckon

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 15/04/2015 10:44:01    1714349

GreenandRed

ya if you are talking about pure skill then,yes you are right,but John was pretty much the perfert midfield player

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 15/04/2015 11:18:57    1714365

Yea well John McDermott won 4 leinsters, 2 all Ireland's, and an egg and spoon race in curraha national school. Jesus it's not all bout what you've won, it's not necessarily linked too greatness, sure Peter the great didn't win that much actually but he's still up there. Tohill and McDermott very close and our county bias will always argue each case so probably no winner here

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 978 - 15/04/2015 11:33:02    1714380

southmeathgael
County: Meath
Posts: 6

McDermott struggled badly on physically stronger players, Tohill, Walsh of Galway and Buckley from Kildare. Great midfielder but an average ball player. Sean Kavanagh would also be a physically stronger and more powerful player who was also a more complete footballer. Dara O'Se in a different class also.

sportsfan14 (USA) - Posts: 281 - 15/04/2015 11:34:56    1714383

Is that a wind up....ask.any of them lads who was one of there toughest opponents and they'll say McDermott and he'll probably say them. Sean kavanagh a skillful player but in same midfielder league as then lads u mentioned and John mc. John mc the most complete specialist midfielder of that era along with oshea.McDermott dominated the game for the late nineties and 2001...Giles Geraghty Murphy..None of these would have got the ball with JM and Meath were the dominant team so ipso facto, he dominated.

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 978 - 15/04/2015 11:45:47    1714384

I agree sportsfan14

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 15/04/2015 11:56:01    1714392

Google "rival in awe of Meath ace McDermott". It's an article from the independent at that time with opinions from midfielders he played against including tohill rather then tit for tat opinions from us. This proves more then I can argue, not the most skillful but the best in the business at the art midfield play. Case closed

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 978 - 15/04/2015 11:56:59    1714393