The Dubs favourite Kildare Journalist's Team of the year

[ross4life]

I can't quite believe you still can't understand my point, so I'll simplify it further - all stars are individual awards and should be given to those who perform best over the season, if that means one team gets them all or 15 different teams get one each and neither all Ireland finalist gets any then do be it. There will always be a few positions we can argue about but to call Ewan's team is nonsense is rubbish, it is a valid enough selection and certainly not an example of some GAA snobbery towards the west.

As for my point on Mayo footballers, I said ye produce plenty if good footballers but few outstanding ones. Most people, including Mayo people would agree. By the way I was at the cork/Mayo game and I throughly enjoyed roaring Mayo on to victory. I hope you did too.

If you want individuals watch the X-factor.

This is still a team game. It is about winning your province and then winning the All-Ireland. The best individuals are those who did the most to ensure their teams won, titles and the big games.

3 Donegal and 2 Kildare is a bad joke.

For the record Cooper should get one this year, he won a semi-final almost on his won, but in the daft logic of Gaa All-Stars probably won't.

By your rationale, the likes of Declan Browne or Matty Forde or Karl Lacey should never have won an All Star. No player from Leitrim or Fermanagh or Louth should never even be considered, except perhaps during the once in a generation period when those counties happen upon an unusually talented bunch that allow them to reach a provincial final or even AI quarter final. No matter how good they perform themselves, if they're surrounded by donkeys, then they're not All Star material. Is that how you see it?

But eh that is when Leitrim (1 of their 2 in 1994), Louth (only one in 2010 - real Leinster Champs!) and Fermanagh got most of their All-Stars. Browne and Forde on their day were exceptional players who deserved their recognition, none of the 3 Donegal mentioned come anywhere near them.

Ciarán McDonald, Liam McHale and TJ Kilgallon were class for many years, but only got 1 All-Star each. To win them Mayo had to get to All-Ireland finals (TJ excepted).

Hard to figure out your argument here. Do the Donegal 3 deserve All-Stars because they won Ulster? Or is it because they individually played brilliantly as part of a 13 man defense?

What about the 3 All-Stars Mayo got in 1985?

[J70]

I can't quite believe you still can't understand my point, so I'll simplify it further - all stars are individual awards and should be given to those who perform best over the season, if that means one team gets them all or 15 different teams get one each and neither all Ireland finalist gets any then do be it. There will always be a few positions we can argue about but to call Ewan's team is nonsense is rubbish, it is a valid enough selection and certainly not an example of some GAA snobbery towards the west.

As for my point on Mayo footballers, I said ye produce plenty if good footballers but few outstanding ones. Most people, including Mayo people would agree. By the way I was at the cork/Mayo game and I throughly enjoyed roaring Mayo on to victory. I hope you did too.

If you want individuals watch the X-factor.

This is still a team game. It is about winning your province and then winning the All-Ireland. The best individuals are those who did the most to ensure their teams won, titles and the big games.

3 Donegal and 2 Kildare is a bad joke.

For the record Cooper should get one this year, he won a semi-final almost on his won, but in the daft logic of Gaa All-Stars probably won't.

By your rationale, the likes of Declan Browne or Matty Forde or Karl Lacey should never have won an All Star. No player from Leitrim or Fermanagh or Louth should never even be considered, except perhaps during the once in a generation period when those counties happen upon an unusually talented bunch that allow them to reach a provincial final or even AI quarter final. No matter how good they perform themselves, if they're surrounded by donkeys, then they're not All Star material. Is that how you see it?

But eh that is when Leitrim (1 of their 2 in 1994), Louth (only one in 2010 - real Leinster Champs!) and Fermanagh got most of their All-Stars. Browne and Forde on their day were exceptional players who deserved their recognition, none of the 3 Donegal mentioned come anywhere near them.

Ciarán McDonald, Liam McHale and TJ Kilgallon were class for many years, but only got 1 All-Star each. To win them Mayo had to get to All-Ireland finals (TJ excepted).

Hard to figure out your argument here. Do the Donegal 3 deserve All-Stars because they won Ulster? Or is it because they individually played brilliantly as part of a 13 man defense?

My argument is that top class players who are the best in their positions should be recognized regardless of the quality of team they play in i.e. All Stars SHOULD be individual awards, as they were for the likes of Forde and Browne, and for Lacey with the two he got already (and he is an exceptional player) when Donegal merely made quarter finals. I don't think Donegal deserve three All Stars because they won Ulster. If they get them it should because those players excelled.

And BTW, McGee and Lacey both did. If support in the back line disqualifies them (disregarding the fact that Lacey did a lot more than defend) then Dublin backs should be dismissed from consideration too.

[muppet]

If the All Stars were the best players in their positions then they wouldn't be loaded in favour of the All-Ireland winners all these years. Otherwise Browne and Forde would have more than their token awards and Micheál Meehan would have at least one.

Giving half of the defenders awards to a team that played a 13 man defense is crazy. Imho McFadden is more worthy for slogging on his own than his three teammates.

[J70]

I don't want to get in an endless, futile, time-consuming debate on this, so we'll agree to disagree. I predict that my view prevails however and Lacey, for sure, and McGee, probably, get awards. Most who watched Donegal's games all the way through the championship would agree on their displays and Donegal's record not being down to merely pulling bodies back. Cassidy will lose out, although he'll probably be nominated. McFadden blew his chance with a poor game against Kildare, on a day when there was plenty of support for him, unlike the Dublin game. For sheer influence and leadership against Tyrone, Derry and Kildare, Murphy deserves a nomination ahead of McFadden,  but he didn't do enough either over the season to merit one over players from other counties.

[Donnellys Hollow]

I don't want to get in an endless, futile, time-consuming debate on this, so we'll agree to disagree. I predict that my view prevails however and Lacey, for sure, and McGee, probably, get awards. Most who watched Donegal's games all the way through the championship would agree on their displays and Donegal's record not being down to merely pulling bodies back. Cassidy will lose out, although he'll probably be nominated. McFadden blew his chance with a poor game against Kildare, on a day when there was plenty of support for him, unlike the Dublin game. For sheer influence and leadership against Tyrone, Derry and Kildare, Murphy deserves a nomination ahead of McFadden,  but he didn't do enough either over the season to merit one over players from other counties.

Hughie McGrillen had an outstanding game on him that day alright.

[Main Street]

is it the considered view that Donegal's football in 2011 was defensivly turgid? The semi final was indeed turgid, apart from that, is it not a case of the kettle saying the pot is a little blacker?

[emmetryan]

I'm not sure what you mean by "considered view", I genuinely don't. I know the view that was propagated largely was negative even though Donegal basically looked at the fundamentals available to them and turned that into the most dramatic turnaround of any county in 2011.

Despite the low-scoring, I genuinely believe the All-Ireland semi-final was a classic. I am aware it is a minority view but tactically it was a 70 minute war. I watched it as a Dublin fan but re-watched it after I already knew the result and found it really quite fascinating to take in without being concerned with the result.

[INDIANA]

is it the considered view that Donegal's football in 2011 was defensivly turgid? The semi final was indeed turgid, apart from that, is it not a case of the kettle saying the pot is a little blacker?

Just boring really. like watching paint dry. However one good thing did come out of it. that is there will be a restriction on the handpass soon enough. so every cloud...............

[DuffleKing]

Spot on Emmet. The tactical nuances are lost on many.
The donegal 1/4 and 1/2 finals were fascinating battles of will.

[spuds]

Spot on Emmet. The tactical nuances are lost on many.
The donegal 1/4 and 1/2 finals were fascinating battles of will.

Battle of will I or won't I keep watching

[INDIANA]

Spot on Emmet. The tactical nuances are lost on many.
The donegal 1/4 and 1/2 finals were fascinating battles of will.

It had all the tactical nuances of banging your head off a wall.

[muppet]

Spot on Emmet. The tactical nuances are lost on many.
The donegal 1/4 and 1/2 finals were fascinating battles of will.

It had all the tactical nuances of banging your head off a wall.

More of an arm-wrestle between stick insects.