Football All-Stars 2014

[imtommygunn]

Michael Murphy midfield??

[nrico2006]

Connolly is a cert in that team.  Murphy shouldnt get a spot in midfield, be lucky enough to get a spot full stop. 

[J70]

Connolly is a cert in that team.  Murphy shouldnt get a spot in midfield, be lucky enough to get a spot full stop.

Murphy will get an All Star, as will Donaghy. Non-finalists will make way, if necessary.  That's the way it always goes.

[rodney trotter]

Why would Murphy be lucky to get an All Star?  Crap talk

[macdanger2]

No David Moran either 

[J OGorman]

No Diarmuid Connolly, whats going on?

the great GAA PR machine must have told the editorial team to throw in a couple of curve balls to get people talking.

Any team of the year without D Connolly is pretty much a farce

[nrico2006]

Connolly is a cert in that team.  Murphy shouldnt get a spot in midfield, be lucky enough to get a spot full stop.

Murphy will get an All Star, as will Donaghy. Non-finalists will make way, if necessary.  That's the way it always goes.

Spot on.  I would just love to see the all stars based on the best players in each position, irrespective of whether their team got to a Munster Semi and beat in the next qualifier.  Shane Walsh had a year that should see him get one but he obviously wont due to Galways early exit.

[Syferus]

Connolly is a cert in that team.  Murphy shouldnt get a spot in midfield, be lucky enough to get a spot full stop.

Murphy will get an All Star, as will Donaghy. Non-finalists will make way, if necessary.  That's the way it always goes.

Spot on.  I would just love to see the all stars based on the best players in each position, irrespective of whether their team got to a Munster Semi and beat in the next qualifier.  Shane Walsh had a year that should see him get one but he obviously wont due to Galways early exit.

Walsh was far from the best CHF in the country this year.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Connolly is a cert in that team.  Murphy shouldnt get a spot in midfield, be lucky enough to get a spot full stop.

Murphy will get an All Star, as will Donaghy. Non-finalists will make way, if necessary.  That's the way it always goes.

Spot on.  I would just love to see the all stars based on the best players in each position, irrespective of whether their team got to a Munster Semi and beat in the next qualifier.  Shane Walsh had a year that should see him get one but he obviously wont due to Galways early exit.

Walsh was far from the best CHF in the country this year.

He had a legitimate chance of getting an All-Star up to the quarter-final weekend. He was the leading scorer in the entire championship up to that point. Granted helped by 1-6 against London but then others have played some bad teams as well.

Unless you play in the semi-finals or final though you have very little chance of an All-Star unless you had an exceptional year before that. He'll get a nomination but not an award which is probably just about right.

[Asal Mor]

The bookies odds for the All-stars

All Star football odds

Goalkeeper: Paul Durcan 1/2, Brian Kelly 2/1, Rory Beggan 7/2, Stephen Cluxton 9/2

Full backs: Neil McGee 1/33, Keith Higgins 1/33, Paul Murphy 1/5, Aidan O Mahony Evens, Eamon McGee 7/4, Drew Wylie 4/1, Andy Mallon 4/1, Marc O Se 5/1, Shane Enright 10/1, Philip McMahon 10/1, Paddy McGrath 14/1

Half backs: Peter Crowley 1/33, Colm Boyle 4/5, Frank McGlynn 5/4, Karl Lacey 2/1, Dessie Mone 4/1, Fionn Fitzgerald 7/2, Killian Young 4/1, Aaron Kernan 13/2, Lee Keegan 7/1, Anthony Thompson, 8/1, James McCarthy 10/1

Midfield: David Moran 1/16, Neil Gallagher 1/5, Aidan O'Shea Evens, Johnny Buckley 13/8, Anthony Maher 5/1, Michael Dara MacAuley 7/1, Thomas Flynn 16/1

Half forwards: Diarmuid Connolly 1/20, Paul Flynn 1/6, Ryan McHugh 4/7, Donnchadh Walsh 4/7, Odhran Mac Niallais 3/1, Leo McLoone 7/1, Shane Walsh 12/1, Bryan Sheehan 16/1, Stephen O'Brien 14/1, Kevin Dyas 25/1, Tony Kernan 25/1

Full forwards: James O'Donoghue 1/500, Michael Murphy 1/6, Cillian O'Connor 1/6, Kieran Donaghy 8/15, Paul Geaney 3/1, Declan O'Sullivan 7/1, Conor McManus 7/1, Bernard Brogan 10/1, Paddy McBrearty 14/1, Jamie Clarke 14/1, Colm McFadden 14/1, Colm O'Neill 25/1, Conor Sweeney 33/1

According to the bookies the team will be
1. Durcan - probable
2. Higgins - cert
3. N McGee - cert
4. P Murphy - cert
5. Crowley - cert
6. Boyle - maybe
7. Aidan O Mahony - maybe
8. Moran - cert
9. Gallagher - cert
10. Flynn - cert
11. Connolly - cert
12. Cillian O' Connor - cert
13. JOD - cert
14. M Murphy - cert
15. K. Donaghy - probable


The odds are very stingy actually. Even though they have five forwards as pretty much nailed on, the next 3 are Donaghy 8/15, Ryan McHugh 4/7 and Donnacha Walsh 4/7. Those are pretty horrible odds if it's a 3 horse race for the final spot in the forwards.

[Jinxy]

I like Michael Murphy, I think he's a very good footballer but I also believe he is a bit overrated, particularly by Ulster folk.
Connolly is the superior player at this point and that's coming from someone who didn't rate Connolly a few years ago as I thought he hadn't the temperament.

[imtommygunn]

I don't see how you can put Murphy and Donaghy in the one team. In my view O'Connor and O'Donoghue have to get it in the full forward line. The other one should be between Murphy and Donaghy. Flynn and Connolly should be certs too.

The two finalists were more the "sum of their parts" as opposed to outstanding individuals so should be reflected on the all star team however that is unlikely...

[GalwayBayBoy]

I like Michael Murphy, I think he's a very good footballer but I also believe he is a bit overrated, particularly by Ulster folk.
Connolly is the superior player at this point and that's coming from someone who didn't rate Connolly a few years ago as I thought he hadn't the temperament.

Probably doesn't help Murphy having to do as much donkey work out the field as he does. Would be interesting to see what he'd do if he was stationed a bit closer to goal.

As for Donaghy, normally you'd say a lad who played only two games would not really deserve an All-Star but the fact that he had such a big influence over the semi-final and final has to put him into the reckoning at least. Kerry almost certainly would not have won the All-Ireland without him.

[Crete Boom]

I still don't think Cillian O' Connor will get one even though I think he deserves one because last year he finished top scorer in the championship , scored back to back hattricks in championship football and played 3 '1/2 games to achieve this but low and behold no Allstar!!

Connolly , Donnacha Walsh , Murphy, Donaghy, O' Donoughue and Aiden O' Shea ( he is our big name in the national meedja/Allstar committee men) but can't be picked for midfield this year!!) will be picked ahead of him I think

It did mean the hacks could roll out the marquee forward shite ad-nauseam over the winter last year!!

If we get any Allstars we will probably get two with Higgins and Aidan O'Shea.

Boyler probably deserves one but will lose out to a couple of Kerrymen in the half back line I think.

[Jinxy]

I think Boyle deserves one more than O'Shea.