Top Scorer

[Schkite]

No one think there might be a bit of value in cavanagh at 20-1? Third highest last year I think.

Doubt he'll get near it again with O'Neill back and Mulligan fit.

[Logan]

I'd stick a few bob on Eoin Bradley this year as a dark horse
A goal a game last year which you can't often get
Playing better than Paddy to date also

[moysider]

dont know about meehan, mayo always do a great job of keeping him quiet. After tyrone NFL game against dublin i was ready to put my house on Stephen O neill. If he can keep fit and tyrone take the back door then he is the man. But will he stay fit..... doubtful.
I genuinely believe mayo will reach last 4 at the very least so Conor Mort would stand out but will he play against Leitrim/ Roscommon. John Doyle a great bet, fancy Kildare to go far, Mcgeeney has them in some shape.

Christ, dont be tempting fate. We re not sure we ll be playing them at all yet. Only messing. I ve factored that in. He plays London, then Sligo. Sligo at home no daws but you d expect Galway to be mean about this after 2007. So you d expect them to reach the Connacht final where I would hope Mayo will be as well. Thing is we might do a reasonable holding job on him from play but he can nail 45s and loads of dead ball. And even from scraps he could bag 1- 2 from play besides no problem. What I m saying is even well held he could score 1-8.

Fact that Conor did nt play against NY gives him zero chance. Even in 2004 he only scored one goal (v New York). He s not a real goal threat. Surprised he s so mean odds now. Dillon and O Sé as likely maybe.

[Ball Hopper]

You'd think that whoever loses the Kerry/Cork clash could have a run of extra games through the qualifier route...I think they join the qualifiers in round two since their clash in early June is a provincial semi-final.

So Gooch or Goulding would be the choice following that logic.

A lot goes on the luck (or fix) of the qualifiers draw though.

[whiskeysteve]

Freeman at 33/1 is the best value bet ive seen on here. If Monaghan can make an all ireland semi or draw a weak team or 2 in the qualifiers he will have to be right up there.

Eoin Bradley at 50/1 isnt bad either but not as generous as the odds for Freeman who apparently has scored 5-18 in division 2 this year. He is a proven, consistent scorer who takes the frees and penaltys and plays for a consistent, solid, top 7/8 team.

[Foreverhopeful]

mayo have a meaner defence this yr but see ur point about meehan, always has a few scores in the bracket no matter how bad he is playing. Still wouldnt be my bet, galway very flaky, nice footballers but missing a kevin walsh/dara o se. Until they get someone right to partner bergin (at full fitness) then they wont be doing anything special...

My top 4 bets:
John Doyle (kildare will get to quarter finals at the least)
Tommy Walsh ( will we see him take over the right footed frees for kerry with sheehan presumably losing his place, goal threat also and with donaghy out will be right in small square. I think cork gonna win munster with all kerrys injury probs and failure to get a no.3 in the league. Kerry will have a few extra games in the qualifiers)
Paddy Bradley (Derry could win ulster this year, i expect tyrone to go back door route)
Colin Cooper (will take more frees with sheehan gone)

[Our Nail Loney]

LoneShark goes for Meehan

http://betdiary.ie/kevinegan/2009/05/13/mm-the-sweet-selection/

Call it a team ethic thing, or perhaps it's simply the result of a culture where being too public is to put yourself in the firing line, but one thing we don't really do in Ireland is the cult of the MVP. Followers of American sports will know all too well of our transatlantic cousins' fondness for nominating one player to rule them all, the famed Most Valuable Player -  but in Ireland, that's not really our thing. We do hurler and footballer of the year certainly, but how many hurling fans out there, if picking an All Ireland XV, would have Eoin Larkin as the first name on their teamsheet? That's not meant as any disparagement towards the James Stephens forward who had a fantastic season in 2008, however not even his most fervent admirer would say that Larkin is likely to be remembered in the same revered way as Mullinahone's Eoin Kelly, or King Henry, or even Joe Canning.

In football, the title of Ireland's best player is even more contentious. Does one go for the unstoppable power of Kieran Donaghy, or the tireless work ethic and immaculate support and link play of Brian Dooher? Perhaps Mattie Forde's lethal scoring instinct or Seán Cavanagh's dynamism is what floats your boat, or even the utter dependability and impregnability of Graham Canty? Any one of these answers would be legitimate shouts for the accolade, as would four or five others, but as far as Off the Ground is concerned, if any one player could be persuaded to move to his native Ferbane and to don the green jersey of the west Offaly club, his first choice would be the magical citóg from Caltra, Michael Meehan.

Any great player steps up on the biggest stage and last season's display by Meehan against Kerry in Croke Park was one of the finest individual displays that this writer has ever witnessed. In the absence of any great scoring support from his team-mates, Meehan single-handedly took the fight to Kerry in a crucial challenge match and converted scores from all over the field. He was utterly unstoppable in a vital game against top class opposition and as a player, that's essentially ticking all the right boxes.

However Player of the Year, as we have covered above, is usually a sop to the All Ireland winners, so instead Off the Ground is going to endorse Meehan in another fashion - by backing him to be top scorer in the All Ireland Football Championship.

Despite the championship getting underway last weekend, this market has only just hit the streets and while it is a very open contest, Meehan looks to have a lot of cards in his favour. He opens his campaign with a nice turkey shoot against London, while another large tally is likely to be on the cards in the Connacht semi final against Sligo. From there on the fixtures will be competitive, but Galway look very well equipped to perform strongly this year and this writer likes their chances of playing at least five games this year.

Unquestionably other counties who hit the qualifiers early on will play more, but very few other counties have players who are guaranteed to score six or seven points per game in the same way that Meehan is. Allowing for a goal or two along the way and maybe a few extras against London, Meehan should take no more than four games to cross the thirty point barrier which is generally the line that players have to cross to get into the top four places in this market. Galway are all but guaranteed to play four games, so Michael Meehan at 7/1 is well worth a 2pt each way bet on the Top Scorer market for this year's football championship.

The bulk of the value is in the place part of the bet, but even at 7/1, it's a good way to get involved in Galway this year. Off the Ground has put it on the record several times already this season that he expects good things from the Tribesmen this year (in the BIG BALL code only folks!) and if that happens, it's a safe bet that Michael Meehan will be one player who'll be getting his name on the scoresheet with regularity. Get this bet into your antepost book and unless you happen to be a native of Tourmakeady or Tourlestrane, you'll be cheering on every one of them.

[meathie]

Goulding or Doyle. If Kildare get a good start they could be a force to be reckoned with in the championship, Doyle is one of the best when on form

[The GAA]

Does joyce not hit frees for galway any more?

[dodo]

Does joyce not hit frees for galway any more?

He only hits the bookies nowadays ! 

[Our Nail Loney]

You cant go each way on Bet365, boo!!! They have 8s on Meehan but are win only

Boyles have cut Meehan to 6/1

Ladbrokes still have 7/1

[GalwayBayBoy]

galway very flaky, nice footballers but missing a kevin walsh/dara o se. Until they get someone right to partner bergin (at full fitness) then they wont be doing anything special...

That one came straight out of the big book of footballing cliches anyway.

[Foreverhopeful]

nope made that up myself! It is the truth though. Lacking someone around the middle 3rd.

[GalwayBayBoy]

nope made that up myself! It is the truth though. Lacking someone around the middle 3rd.

I was thinking more the first part.

[moysider]

You cant go each way on Bet365, boo!!! They have 8s on Meehan but are win only

Boyles have cut Meehan to 6/1

Ladbrokes still have 7/1

Grumble. Should have kept me mouth shut.