2016 Season. How did you see it?

[Fuzzman]

Coming into the 2016 most people saw Dublin wiping the floor with every team they would come up against as they dominated the last few years with just one blip against Donegal.
Many saw Kerry and surprisingly Tyrone as their main challengers as they thought both had the ability to play a blanket defensive game which would frustrate them but Kerry having the better forwards to maybe make the difference. Tyrone had the easier path to the final once they won Ulster and could maybe surprise the Dubs in the final but alas things didn't pan out as many expected.

In my eyes Dublin were not as prolific in front of goal this year as they had been in previous years. Even in Leinster, where they usually have teams well beaten by half time, they seemed to be struggling to score goals which they had been doing for fun in other years. Often when the Dubs got their first goal, the lesser team would collapse to them.
I feel Dublin played a lot more cautious this year and realised that it was no longer just Donegal who would be playing with 13 men behind the ball so they too joined this style of play early on in the season in preparation for the tougher games later on.

Donegal lost the Ulster final in a very defensive coy game of cat and mouse to Tyrone, but surprisingly to some, Mayo beat Tyrone at their own game in the quarterfinal and showed the country that this team still have a lot to offer, despite not having many top scoring forwards. Mayo showed us they have what it takes to take Dublin to the line but they still just lack that final push to get over the line. Themselves, Kerry and Dublin all seem at a very similar level.

So all in all I feel it was rather a strange season where the top 3 or 4 teams seem to go into their fearful shell and play a very low risk, defensive possession game where getting lots of men behind the ball mean we rarely get to see the better forward players play well and kick good scores. More often we are seeing wing or corner backs as our man of the match or even player of the year and the game has become much more tactical and dare I say boring for most. I personally felt Tyrone were far too fearful and negative against Mayo and hadn't learned from the final 10 mins v Donegal that they need to take a chance and take the shackles off a little.

Of course some will argue that Galway winning Connacht and Tipperary's great run to the semi final stage was exciting and good for the game, which is true, but realistically both play a rather different game to the top 3 or 4 teams.

How did you see the season pan out and what did you learn from 2016?
I probably learnt that Dublin aren't as far ahead as I thought they were and there is a big difference in the type of football the top teams play as opposed to Tipperary or Cork.

I also think that having a top quality free taker like Dean Rock, O'Connor and even Bryan Sheehan (or the lack of him) can have a huge bearing in tight games now where there is no space for your top forwards to kick 4 or 5 points any more.

[JoG2]

I viewed the 2016 as I've viewed the last few seasons footballing wise. Some good matches and a lot of very defensive matches that were not so easy on the eye and the odd surprise result. Having viewed the final and replay, and the incredible fitness levels required, and more importantly, the money and lifestyle needed to get to these levels, I can't see much changing in the near future. We've had a clatter of men depart the Derry panel, and sadly, I can see this happening all over the country to all but a few counties.  On one hand you've the huge honour of representing your county, on the other you're putting your life and hold and committing everything you have to get to the required levels.

So for me 2016 = unparalleled fitness levels which will unfortunately lead to increased levels of men stepping away leaving teams fielding the most committed as opposed to the best. I realise this isn't new to 2016, but the season just past really drove it home imo

Roll on the The O'Fiaich Cup !

[Dinny Breen]

In professional sport, money wins.

[BennyCake]

Dull and uninteresting championship. Football resembling rugby league. The same 3 teams again. Yawn.

An open draw is desperately needed. To start with.

[Captain Obvious]

Low risk over cautious football. Matches hyped to heavens but rarely delivered on that promise. The top teams with their management teams of twenty plus trained players like robots and few of them could think on their feet. This years All Ireland final was between one team hungover from last years success the other who was unable to find their form of the previous years yet they still only lost the final with unfortunate mistake instead of a moment of brilliance.

Only way is up for 2017.

[seafoid]

There were some high points like Galway getting over Mayo and the runs of Tipp and Clare plus the way Mayo.played but GF is in trouble. The GAA is very complacent. Reffing and tackle definition are poor. I don't think the GAA is on top of things. 
Tyrone and Ros made a lot of noise . It was quiet once they were out.

[Beffs]

Didn't really think Dublin would win it. Not just because of who they were missing, but because no other county, has won back to back All Irelands, with the same management team. Despite all the hype surrounding them, their results in their previous AI semi finals and finals, speak for themselves. Those wins were not so comprehensively convincing, that they had enough under the engine (both mentally and physically) to buck the back to back trend.

Even in last years final, where they were superior to Kerry, they couldn't really make it count on the score board, which is all that matters. There was all that talk about Kerry not showing up on the day, or McMahon keeping Gooch in his pocket, or Kerry having too many old legs. But they were Donaghy getting that penalty decision, or Killian Young not messing up that goal chance, away from Kerry tieing up that game and/or Kerry winning it.

Honestly though that Mayo losing to Galway may have been the making them. Thought it would be the wake up call, kick up the arse that they needed, to get them to play for the full 70+ minutes and not drift in and out of games, which they tend to do. Oh well....maybe next year, it'll happen for them. Can't really see the Dubs doing the 3 in a row. Too many tired bodies.

[Rossfan]

Boring Championship overall with the favourites winning.
Tipp the only good news/bit of romance.
Disaster for us after the hope(hype) of the Spring.
Ah but all will change next year as the new system will "invigorate" the Championship and Carlow will bate Mayowestros in the AI Final

[orangeman]

Slow burner of a football season rescued by 2 very exciting close finals.


Hurling was the same slow burner up until the KK Waterford seemi final and replay with Tipp running out easy winners in the final.

[heffo]

In professional sport, money wins.

Why couldn't Kildare win a raffle so when they bankrupted the county and ran the most expensive setup in the country?

[gammysolo]

In professional sport, money wins.

Why couldn't Kildare win a raffle so when they bankrupted the county and ran the most expensive setup in the country?

buying property for players and poaching players from other counties wasn't cheap either! Micko was on top dollar during the Celtic Tiger too 

[heffo]

In professional sport, money wins.

Why couldn't Kildare win a raffle so when they bankrupted the county and ran the most expensive setup in the country?

buying property for players and poaching players from other counties wasn't cheap either! Micko was on top dollar during the Celtic Tiger too 

That wasn't bought, was kindly made available by a gentleman who wanted a vote at the top table and resigned when he didn't get one arising from it.

[Fuzzman]

Heffo, how did you see the season? Do you think Dublin weren't as good as last year or maybe played a bit more defensively and so Brogan and Connolly didn't get as many scores?

[heffo]

Heffo, how did you see the season? Do you think Dublin weren't as good as last year or maybe played a bit more defensively and so Brogan and Connolly didn't get as many scores?

You'd have to be happy with winning League Div 1, Leinster & AI even if they weren't shooting the lights out & missing two of the best defenders in the game.

[mup]

In professional sport, money wins.

Why couldn't Kildare win a raffle so when they bankrupted the county and ran the most expensive setup in the country?

buying property for players and poaching players from other counties wasn't cheap either! Micko was on top dollar during the Celtic Tiger too 

Niall Quinns son?