Best dead-ball kicker - ever?

[blanketattack]

Seen them all, Maurice Fitz was the best.

For my money Maurice Fitz is the most over romanticised footballer of my lifetime. There is no doubting his class, and his languid, effortless style was lovely to watch. But his fans would have you believe he was always on his game, when he really wasn't. Kieran McDonald has a similar resonance with how he's remembered, but Fitz fans won't hear any other tell.

When I see someone scoring a point off the ground from the 13 metre line out by the sideline with their weaker foot in an All-Ireland final, or a last second equalising sideline from 45 metres out with the opposing manager roaring in his ear, or scoring two sidelines one with the left and one with the right in the same match, I'll stop romanticised Maurice Fitz as the best ever dead ball kicker.

[rosnarun]

Here is a comparison with data

https://dontfoul.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/the-best-free-taker/

O'Connor's consistency is beyond reproach and it is this, alloyed to his proven accuracy, that surely gives him the title of "the best free taker".

[tonto1888]

Sean O'Shea's was as good as it too. O'Neill didn't have the posts shaking at him 

I don't remember many, if any, as good as either of them tbh.

for me, Rian's was slightly better as it was miss and theyre out. If SoS missed then there was extra time. Slightly less pressure IMO. Still a fantastic free

[Kidder81]

Sean O'Shea's was as good as it too. O'Neill didn't have the posts shaking at him 

I don't remember many, if any, as good as either of them tbh.

for me, Rian's was slightly better as it was miss and theyre out. If SoS missed then there was extra time. Slightly less pressure IMO. Still a fantastic free

O'Sheas looked like it had another 20 yards of distance

[Armagh18]

Here is a comparison with data

https://dontfoul.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/the-best-free-taker/

O'Connor's consistency is beyond reproach and it is this, alloyed to his proven accuracy, that surely gives him the title of "the best free taker".

Did he not cost them an all ireland one year missing a tough but very scorable free?

[mouview]

Derek Duggan's in '91 worthy of mention; last kick of game to equalise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3eW_QhfrRA

[Kidder81]

Former kerry player Bryan sheehan needs to be included in this discussion

Totally agree. Him and Maurice Fitz.
Absolutely mental shoutout to yer man Shelly something from Antrim who kick about 15 points from frees V Down in the 00's. Can't mind his surname or exactly how many points he scored but he had two different boots and had a crazy good game.

Sheeny McQuillan ?

[tintin25]

Former kerry player Bryan sheehan needs to be included in this discussion

Totally agree. Him and Maurice Fitz.
Absolutely mental shoutout to yer man Shelly something from Antrim who kick about 15 points from frees V Down in the 00's. Can't mind his surname or exactly how many points he scored but he had two different boots and had a crazy good game.

Sheeny McQuillan ?

Sheeny McQuillan lol...he was barely putting them over

[weareros]

Derek Duggan's in '91 worthy of mention; last kick of game to equalise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3eW_QhfrRA

Was there that day, standing on the embankment, McHale was a very different ground back then, and had resigned myself to the loss. Derek was also kicking into a very strong breeze. I know people joke that the distance gets exaggerated with everyone who tells the story. But that was a miraculous kick, a moment I will never forget.

[trailer]

Former kerry player Bryan sheehan needs to be included in this discussion

Totally agree. Him and Maurice Fitz.
Absolutely mental shoutout to yer man Shelly something from Antrim who kick about 15 points from frees V Down in the 00's. Can't mind his surname or exactly how many points he scored but he had two different boots and had a crazy good game.

Sheeny McQuillan ?

Sheeny McQuillan lol...he was barely putting them over

Yeah think that's him. Rose tinted glasses lol! He had two different boots on, seemed to work.

[grounded]

The cleanest kicker of a dead ball I've seen was Matt Connor of Offaly

A fantastic free taker. Having seen both though, i'd still say Maurice Fitzgerald was better at frees. Matt Connor was a better all round player though!

[blanketattack]

Derek Duggan's in '91 worthy of mention; last kick of game to equalise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3eW_QhfrRA

Was there that day, standing on the embankment, McHale was a very different ground back then, and had resigned myself to the loss. Derek was also kicking into a very strong breeze. I know people joke that the distance gets exaggerated with everyone who tells the story. But that was a miraculous kick, a moment I will never forget.

How far out was it? The camera work was appalling, it's hard to make it out.

[blanketattack]

On a related note, why do players insist on kicking those eminently missable frees from 30 odd yds out, a little off centre, from their hands?
Those kicks are probably over 90% off the ground for a dead ball kicker, but more like 70-75% out of the hands - with all the stats analysis going on, it baffles me that this continues.
As for keepers taking frees, grand, but we need a time limit, typically at least a minute is used up when the keeper comes up to kick - strict 38 sec rule or something of that nature.
The worst example was cluxton in 2011 who successfully wound down the clock with his last kick, couple of minutes iirc.

I always presumed footballers take frees off their hands because they can get away with taking it 5 yards closer to goal than off the ground.

[imtommygunn]

McConville was a master at stealing yards. He used to be take off the ground - I assumed that his hamstrings wouldn't let him kick off the ground as much.

[Walter Cronc]

Surely Ross Carr up there!