All-Stars 2024

[Armagh18]

6 games, 5 clean sheets.
Another excellent year out the field.
Morgan not a bad shout.

This may be odd from an Armagh man but I really like Morgan. Great keeper. I just don't think he was the best this year and combine that with Tyrone's poor year overall i don't think he should have got it over Hughes. The recent inter provincials could have played a part too.

Yeah agree with this. Morgan is a serious footballer but didnt deserve it over Blaine.

Soupy and Joe McElroy not even getting nominated told me all I need to know anyway.

Was soupy not a sub most of the year??

Irrelevant. Look what he contributed. Far bigger impact than most players. Not saying he should have got an All Star but no nomination is madness

[JoG2]

Novelty can play a big part in the All Stars so Louth putting in a shift in a provincial final, something rarely seen in Leinster, and getting to AIQF, I can see the logic in rewarding someone from the wee county.

But Morgan is a real head scratcher. Very ordinary year for a team with pedigree and AI medals in the arse pocket and bagfulls of previous All Star awards too for the county.

Everyone keeps saying 'team'... These are individual awards. Morgan in the games he played was by a distance the best keeper in the country

He was probaly the best at everything bar stopping the ball from going into the goals.

How many goals did he concede ?

[The Trap]

Fenton is the best midfielder in the country so should have got an All Star.
Clifford and Con are best forwards in the country so should have got All Stars.

Well that's if you are in the Morgan is the best keeper in the country camp.....

[Armagh18]

Fenton is the best midfielder in the country so should have got an All Star.
Clifford and Con are best forwards in the country so should have got All Stars.

Well that's if you are in the Morgan is the best keeper in the country camp.....

Yeah exactly....

[statto]

Hughes should have got one. Morgan shouldn't have been considered.

McKay should have got one.

Turbitt had a yo-yo season and a dreadful final. Shouldn't have got one.

Crealey was no more significant or insignificant than any other last 8 midfielder, and is both lucky to get one, and would have been unlucky not to get one.

TBH I'm not overly sure Rian deserved one. Obviously he's Armagh's poster boy and he kicked some big scores over the season. But he had a number of anonymous games too.

——

On reflection there wasn't 6 forwards worthy of an All Star in 2025. And the committee should have just done what Armagh (and many others do), and filled the team with workhorses.

The only player in Armagh starting forward line who you could label as a work horse is Joe McElroy, Grugan, Conaty, O'Neill, Turbitt and Murnin are all extremely talented forward players with various strengths which is why the forward line functioned well.  They all put in a shift off the ball but that's the expectation for any player these days. 

[JoG2]

Fenton is the best midfielder in the country so should have got an All Star.
Clifford and Con are best forwards in the country so should have got All Stars.

Well that's if you are in the Morgan is the best keeper in the country camp.....

Yeah exactly....

Only if you are missing out on 2 v important words ie 'this year'

[Armagh18]

Hughes should have got one. Morgan shouldn't have been considered.

McKay should have got one.

Turbitt had a yo-yo season and a dreadful final. Shouldn't have got one.

Crealey was no more significant or insignificant than any other last 8 midfielder, and is both lucky to get one, and would have been unlucky not to get one.

TBH I'm not overly sure Rian deserved one. Obviously he's Armagh's poster boy and he kicked some big scores over the season. But he had a number of anonymous games too.

——

On reflection there wasn't 6 forwards worthy of an All Star in 2025. And the committee should have just done what Armagh (and many others do), and filled the team with workhorses.

He's a man for the big moments. The pass to Turbo for the insurance score against Kerry, the catch on the goal line that day too.

Seen a break down of his scores against Galway in the group and they were all at big moments when we were under pressure. He'd a poor day against Roscommon but all in all thoroughly deserved one.

[ClubScene13]

I'd of given it to Hughes. His kickouts are criminally under rated, he was great against Kerry & Galway.

Morgan wouldn't need it for the oul ego anyway!

They're debatable every year - we got 8 in 2021 and I'd of given Michael McKernan one over a number of the Tyrone men who did get one. The Conn Kilpatrick or Brian Kennedy award that year seemed to be a complete coin toss as well, you were never getting both but I'm not sure Brian should've got the nod over Conn that year.

I could see the 2021 and 2024 footballer of the year being jarring in 10 years when you look at some of the names surrounding them on the list (unless Paul Conroy gets it, great player over many years)

[The Trap]

If derry didn't get any all star nominations for winning the league in great style then we can disregard the league.
Tyrone then conceded 3 16 against Cavan.
Next game was 0 21 to 0 14 beat by Donegal and there were no big moments from any Tyrone player in a poor performance.
Beat Clare 3 15 to 10!
Then beat 0 14 to 0 12 by Roscommon in another poor performance.
Niall Morgan is a great footballer but there is no way he is an All Star this year.

[imtommygunn]

I'd of given it to Hughes. His kickouts are criminally under rated, he was great against Kerry & Galway.

Morgan wouldn't need it for the oul ego anyway!

They're debatable every year - we got 8 in 2021 and I'd of given Michael McKernan one over a number of the Tyrone men who did get one. The Conn Kilpatrick or Brian Kennedy award that year seemed to be a complete coin toss as well, you were never getting both but I'm not sure Brian should've got the nod over Conn that year.

I could see the 2021 and 2024 footballer of the year being jarring in 10 years when you look at some of the names surrounding them on the list (unless Paul Conroy gets it, great player over many years)

i thought his kickouts in the semi were as good as cluxton's on his day which tbh means they were as good as it gets. In the final I thought they were poor enough which given his injury was understandable.

League winners getting all stars is long gone especially if there's a mediocre championship following it. Brolly got it when the league meant something and there were only knockout games.

[Blowitupref]

First time in 21 years with no Kerry,Dublin players among the 15 All Stars.

[Captain Obvious]

Blaine Hughes,Aaron McKay unlucky to miss out however those picking the All-Stars must have thought they had to stick to six instead of eight for Armagh?  Six is still decent haul as have been waiting to win another one since 2008 with Ronan Clarke.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

The recency bias of the railway cup has done Morgan a massive favour

I was going to post after those games that it had probably cemented Niall Grimley's All Star! Yet here we are.

The All Stars are what they are, but the omission of Blaine Hughes & Aaron McKay are a bit of a joke imo. I would have had Grimley in ahead of Crealey.

That would give Armagh 9 All Stars?

Some of the Dublin teams who walked to All Irelands, hammering all in front of them didn't get that many.

People losing the run of themselves here.

For perspective, Armagh "drew" with Kerry in the semi final. Kerry didn't get any.

Exactly this. 6 is about right IMO. Morgan probably most controversial of the lot overall but Turbitt definitely not controversial. I did wonder on Morgan and the "recency bias". Kerry should probably have got something I'd have thought.

Yeah Armagh done well enough and a lot of the time arguments for All Stars selections can be made for a lot of players but Morgan is a real outlier, no probably about it. Wouldn't even have him in the conversation and I don't buy that it's an individual award and he was the best in the country in the games he played. Always been your team needs to go on a decent run or cause a bit of a stir to ever be considered. They won a provincial first round and didn't make AI QF. GUBU.

It hasn't always been like that!

Enda Smith got one last year.

I would class that as a strange one but at least there's a novelty factor in that his county hadn't got one in years and he has been a consistently good performer. Morgan already has one and done absolutely nothing of note this year. If it was his first then fair enough.

Aye, that sounds fair enough alright....

[Captain Obvious]

On reflection there wasn't 6 forwards worthy of an All Star in 2025.

Do you own a time machine?

[Armagh18]

I'd of given it to Hughes. His kickouts are criminally under rated, he was great against Kerry & Galway.

Morgan wouldn't need it for the oul ego anyway!

They're debatable every year - we got 8 in 2021 and I'd of given Michael McKernan one over a number of the Tyrone men who did get one. The Conn Kilpatrick or Brian Kennedy award that year seemed to be a complete coin toss as well, you were never getting both but I'm not sure Brian should've got the nod over Conn that year.

I could see the 2021 and 2024 footballer of the year being jarring in 10 years when you look at some of the names surrounding them on the list (unless Paul Conroy gets it, great player over many years)

Probably similar this year with Grimley and Crealey, both were brilliant for us but were never going to get both with Conroy having such a great year as well.

I think Barry McCambridge will go on to have a super career for club and county, been watching him for years for the club and hes a serious talent. Hope he gets it this year.