Barry Owens hangs them up

[Syferus]

Exceptional full back in his prime

I honestly doubt there's been a better full back in the history of the game.

Not the place to be in any way disparaging but that's way wide of the mark in my view

Obviously I disagree.

In my mind, the role of a full-back changed forever in 1990, once frees started to be kicked from hands. Before that, a full-back was a big sturdy man with great hands and a greater presence. His principle role was to commandeer dropping balls into the big square. Pace was optional. Man marking wasn't a major factor as most of the traffic came through an aerial bombardment. The ability to get a good block in was a bonus.

With the change to quick frees from hand, the role started to evolve to require sharper man-marking.

With football later evolving to regularly featuring two-man full-forward lines, the role of a full-back meant they have to be every bit as competent at corner-back play as a corner-back, but with better positional awareness. But they still needed to be strong under the high ball, as every once in a while Kieran Donaghy and co come along.

So the full-back is now a 6' 2" man with exceptional pace, brilliant hands, amazing doggedness, superb awareness, and the all-important presence. Basically a freak of nature.

That's why, in my time watching football (mostly from 1990 onwards), I can only think of a half-a-dozen genuinely top-class full-backs. Players who ticked all of those boxes. There's probably been 30+ exceptional corner-backs in that time, which shows (to me) how much more simpler that role is to fulfil.

There might have been wonderful full-backs in the 60s, 70s or 80s. I wasn't around then to gauge if they had the rest of the tools needed to be an exceptional full-backs in the noughties. My guess is that most actually did not have all the tools required. Barry Owens did, Darren Fay did. Hence why I doubt there's been a better full-back in the history of the game.

There has.
You just mentioned him there.

So that's why they call him Star..

[moysider]

Exceptional full back in his prime

I honestly doubt there's been a better full back in the history of the game.

Not the place to be in any way disparaging but that's way wide of the mark in my view

Obviously I disagree.

In my mind, the role of a full-back changed forever in 1990, once frees started to be kicked from hands. Before that, a full-back was a big sturdy man with great hands and a greater presence. His principle role was to commandeer dropping balls into the big square. Pace was optional. Man marking wasn't a major factor as most of the traffic came through an aerial bombardment. The ability to get a good block in was a bonus.

With the change to quick frees from hand, the role started to evolve to require sharper man-marking.

With football later evolving to regularly featuring two-man full-forward lines, the role of a full-back meant they have to be every bit as competent at corner-back play as a corner-back, but with better positional awareness. But they still needed to be strong under the high ball, as every once in a while Kieran Donaghy and co come along.

So the full-back is now a 6' 2" man with exceptional pace, brilliant hands, amazing doggedness, superb awareness, and the all-important presence. Basically a freak of nature.

That's why, in my time watching football (mostly from 1990 onwards), I can only think of a half-a-dozen genuinely top-class full-backs. Players who ticked all of those boxes. There's probably been 30+ exceptional corner-backs in that time, which shows (to me) how much more simpler that role is to fulfil.

There might have been wonderful full-backs in the 60s, 70s or 80s. I wasn't around then to gauge if they had the rest of the tools needed to be an exceptional full-backs in the noughties. My guess is that most actually did not have all the tools required. Barry Owens did, Darren Fay did. Hence why I doubt there's been a better full-back in the history of the game.

There has.
You just mentioned him there.

So that's why they call him Star..

Well he can t mean the fella that was scalded by PJ in 2001.

[Jinxy]

Mark O'Reilly?

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Such a player.

I honestly doubt there's been a better full back in the history of the game.

It must be what he did post 2007 then.

http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=4410.msg147185#msg147185

Or maybe not:

Absolutely. He was completely peerless there in the early noughties, before injuries took their toll and he ended up playing everywhere else.

The best full backs ever lists tend to be quite short, and someone like Mick Lyons will make it on reputation as much as ability. I'd have Owens marginally ahead of Fay as the best I've seen (and then there's a very considerable gap).

[thewobbler]

That's some might fine stalking there champ. I guess though it's okay to evolve thinking over a 7 year period?

Looking at my 2007 team, I'd be finding room for Owens, McConville and Cavanagh somehow. I should have done so then.

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

That's some might fine stalking there champ. I guess though it's okay to evolve thinking over a 7 year period?

Looking at my 2007 team, I'd be finding room for Owens, McConville and Cavanagh somehow. I should have done so then.

I just used the search facility because I reckoned there would be threads like that. I re-read that whole thread and didn't spot Barry Owens getting a mention, never mind a place on anyone's team. It's not just your thinking that has evolved.