Colm Cooper set to retire?

[dublin7]

What a player! Shame his last few seasons in a Kerry jersey were dogged by injuries. One of very few truly great forwards in the modern game!

http://www.punditarena.com/gaa/thepateam/colm-cooper-retire-intercounty-football/

While it's clear the Gooch is coming to the end of his career none of the papers carried this story this morning or on their websites. Wasn't mentioned on the sports news on newstalk or RTE either.  I don't know much about this website, so what are the chances this story is actually true?

[imtommygunn]

I hope it's not. I think a guy like him could have a big say in helping with bringing the good minors through if he were still playing.

[TabClear]

Devastating that he never got a Player of the Year. Surly he had to deserve one, in one of the years Kerry won the AI.

Is that true? Best forward of the noughties and a joy to watch.   So accurate from play and never looked hurried.

I remember watching him early in his intercounty career and proclaiming that he was too slight to make it at that level ......

[EastTyrone]

Devastating that he never got a Player of the Year. Surly he had to deserve one, in one of the years Kerry won the AI.

Is that true? Best forward of the noughties and a joy to watch.   So accurate from play and never looked hurried.

I remember watching him early in his intercounty career and proclaiming that he was too slight to make it at that level ......

Yeah, it is unfortunately.



2015   
Jack McCaffrey
Dublin
2014   
James O'Donoghue
Kerry
2013   
Michael Darragh MacAuley
Dublin
2012   
Karl Lacey
Donegal
2011   
Alan Brogan
Dublin
2010   
Bernard Brogan
Dublin[3]
2009   
Paul Galvin
Kerry
2008   
Sean Cavanagh
Tyrone
2007   
Marc Ó Sé
Kerry
2006   
Kieran Donaghy
Kerry
2005   
Stephen O'Neill
Tyrone
2004   
Tomás Ó Sé
Kerry
2003   
Steven McDonnell
Armagh
2002   
Kieran McGeeney
Armagh
2001   
Pádraic Joyce
Galway
2000   
Seamus Moynihan
Kerry

[twohands!!!]

Devastating that he never got a Player of the Year. Surly he had to deserve one, in one of the years Kerry won the AI.

Is that true? Best forward of the noughties and a joy to watch.   So accurate from play and never looked hurried.

I remember watching him early in his intercounty career and proclaiming that he was too slight to make it at that level ......

In fairness he resembled a blade of grass when he first appeared on the county scene.

One of the all time greats - played the game at a different speed to most other players.

[Rossfan]

Was one if the best right from the first day I saw him play for Kerry v  Laythrum in the League in Kenagh!
Carrick unplayable as was the Hyde that day.
He was so small and frail looking on an extremely soft pitch yet you knew you were seeing a good one.
If true then best wishes on your retirement.

[twohands!!!]

Looks like a serious clearout in the kingdom so

O'Se, Donaghy, O'Mahony, Sheehan and Cooper all out the gap

Lot of big names there.

[Esmarelda]

Below Maurice Fitz in terms of pure elegance and natural ability

In what way was Gooch below Maurice Fitzgerald in terms of natural ability or elegance?

Elegance is in the eye of the beholder, but elegance to me is ability to beat a man with the drop of a shoulder, to pass the ball into the net in the blinking of an eye, to split a defence wide open with a single pass.

He is/was as elegant and naturally talented as players come.

4-18 from play in All-Ireland finals as opposed to Fitzgerald's 0-4 from play in finals.

Has anybody else hit 4-18 from play in All-Ireland finals?

The elegance of execution.

A post that shows the irrelevance of isolated statistics.

[Unlaoised]

Hope he stays on for another year didn't look out of place this year...still has plenty to offer...


Great player in his prime one of the best !!!!

[rosnarun]

The greatest flat track bully and player who could steamroll cannon fodder to play the game.

are you Martín very very beag Mchugh ?

[Syferus]

Looks like a serious clearout in the kingdom so

O'Se, Donaghy, O'Mahony, Sheehan and Cooper all out the gap

Lot of big names there.

Few of them make Kerry any weaker. The first three are well past it and the fourth never really set the world on fire at any point.

Hopefully Cooper doesn't do a Marc/Tomas/O'Mahony and hang on too long so that your lasting image of them is them being laid out by younger bucks. Johnny Cooper had Gooch in his pocket this year. Really ever since Turbo Tom helped do in his knee he's been far easier to close out of games.

[twohands!!!]

Looks like a serious clearout in the kingdom so

O'Se, Donaghy, O'Mahony, Sheehan and Cooper all out the gap

Lot of big names there.

Few of them make Kerry any weaker. The first three are well past it and the fourth never really set the world on fire at any point.

Hopefully Cooper doesn't do a Marc/Tomas/O'Mahony and hang on too long so that your lasting image of them is them being laid out by younger bucks. Johnny Cooper had Gooch in his pocket this year. Really ever since Turbo Tom helped do in his knee he's been far easier to close out of games.

Yeah Cooper hasn't looked anything like the same player since the same since the knee injury unfortunately.

It's more the fact that it will be a lot of familiar names moving on.

Even with those lads moving on, Kerry will still have a couple of over 30s in the squad - Donnacha Walsh, Maher, Darran O'Sullivan are all past the 30 mark aswell

[Fuzzman]

No more news on this story. I'd say we'll not hear for sure until the New Year.
Replacing Bryan Sheehan's free taking could be Kerry's biggest problem.

[Syferus]

No more news on this story. I'd say we'll not hear for sure until the New Year.
Replacing Bryan Sheehan's free taking could be Kerry's biggest problem.

Seeing as he warmed the bench most games recently Fitzmaurice isn't of the same opinion.

[5 Sams]

Looks like a serious clearout in the kingdom so

O'Se, Donaghy, O'Mahony, Sheehan and Cooper all out the gap

Lot of big names there.

None of them out the gap yet..