Most Natural Gaelic Footballers?

OK we're talking about elegance, poise and gracefulness here! Players who were born to play Gaelic Football, not athletes or "hard-hitters", just pure footballers who were a joy to watch when they had ball in their hands. Lads who could do anything with a football, who could single-handedly carry their team through games.

I first seen this thread on AFR and the two mentioned there were Ciaran McDonald and Maurice Fitzgerald. And its hard to argue with either, McDonald was nothing short of majestic. Type him in on YouTube and just look at some of the scores he got for Mayo, he was like a swan. Maurice Fitz was also a class act, everything he did he did it so easy. Out of the last 15 years, you probably won't find better than these two.

Trevor Giles and Michael Donnellan would be two more that would be high up this list and for a back, Seamus Moynihan deserves a mention too. Of players still playing, Padraic Joyce, Colm Cooper, Jason Sherlock and even Alan Brogan stand out. Dessie Dolan was another favourite of mine too, in a lot of the games against Meath in the early part of this decade, he used to carry Westmeath. I seen Ja Fallon mentioned elsewhere too so I better throw him in. And another from Meath would be Ollie Murphy, some of the scores he used to get were unbelievable, left or right, didn't matter to him.

I suppose the most interesting thing about this complitation is the lack of Ulster footballers who would stand out in your mind. Like what really brilliant footballers have Ulster given us in the last 10/15 years? None and thats the sad reality of it, I really hope the game dosen't go down this route.

Of the top of my head Loyal and i will give this more thought later Adrian Cush from Tyrone would be out of place being mentioned alongside McDonald and Fitzgerald.

I'll come back to you on this one but needless to say i think your assessment of Ulster is just another wind up.

Its not a wind-up, who exactly have Ulster produced? I'll give Canavan a mention on account of the of the time when Tyrone were playing Fermanagh and Canavan got the ball 35 yards from the Fermanagh goal, soloed it twice and hopped it twice but stayed rooted to the spot waiting for something to happen in front of him. Then Pascal came running through, Peter gave it to him and Pascal put it over. It was a great move, not many players would have the brains to do what he did, but is was so simple.

Peter had his moments and got some great scores but outside of him, there's not been an Ulster footballer that could be put in the same sentence as McDonald or Fitzgerald.

you didnt even acknowledge Cush in your reply there

Mickey Linden
Greg Blaney
Ger Houlihan (Armagh)
Brian Mc Guigan
Ger Cavlan
Tony Boyle (Donegal)
Joyce Mc Mullan (Donegal)
John McEntee
Enda Muldoon

The answer to the following question is zero.

How many of those names could score a point like this?

have a look at this one then Loyal

or this one

Oh dear Dooher is been compared to McDonald. A more appriopiate comparison would have been Dooher and Gabresaillse!

Dooher has very little natural ability. He just runs all day and makes himself a nuisance. The likes of McDonald, Fitzgerald, Giles did everything with so much ease and elegance! Elegant and Brian Dooher are not two things I would assiociate with each other.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Oh dear Dooher is been compared to McDonald. A more appriopiate comparison would have been Dooher and Gabresaillse!

Dooher has very little natural ability. He just runs all day and makes himself a nuisance. The likes of McDonald, Fitzgerald, Giles did everything with so much ease and elegance! Elegant and Brian Dooher are not two things I would assiociate with each other.

i wasnt comparing them at all Loyal and well you know it. You showcased a point that McDonald scored to back up your claim that he was in a league of his own, i was merely pointing out that if you were only using spectacular points as your criteria for pigeon holing footballers then both points i showed were up there too..............

bocerty wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Oh dear Dooher is been compared to McDonald. A more appriopiate comparison would have been Dooher and Gabresaillse!

Dooher has very little natural ability. He just runs all day and makes himself a nuisance. The likes of McDonald, Fitzgerald, Giles did everything with so much ease and elegance! Elegant and Brian Dooher are not two things I would assiociate with each other.

i wasnt comparing them at all Loyal and well you know it. You showcased a point that McDonald scored to back up your claim that he was in a league of his own, i was merely pointing out that if you were only using spectacular points as your criteria for pigeon holing footballers then both points i showed were up there too..............

Right fair enough. At least we are agreed that Dooher would not come next or near McDonald in terms of natural ability.

There were very few footballers would have done what McDonald did in that clip as well, certainly not Doober.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:
There were very few footballers would have done what McDonald did in that clip as well, certainly not Doober.

Cavlan could. He was the more naturally gifted footballer Tyrone have produced since Frank McGuigan. Long passing, scoring, two-footed, high fielding, blistering pace, vision, he had it all.

Cavlan's problem was the lack of a strong personality. I Know Gerald reasonably well, and he is a very shy fella (not what you'd expect at all). If he had Peter Canavan's head/heart, he'd have 4-5 all-stars by now. As it is, he has none.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

bocerty wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Oh dear Dooher is been compared to McDonald. A more appriopiate comparison would have been Dooher and Gabresaillse!

Dooher has very little natural ability. He just runs all day and makes himself a nuisance. The likes of McDonald, Fitzgerald, Giles did everything with so much ease and elegance! Elegant and Brian Dooher are not two things I would assiociate with each other.

i wasnt comparing them at all Loyal and well you know it. You showcased a point that McDonald scored to back up your claim that he was in a league of his own, i was merely pointing out that if you were only using spectacular points as your criteria for pigeon holing footballers then both points i showed were up there too..............

Right fair enough. At least we are agreed that Dooher would not come next or near McDonald in terms of natural ability.

There were very few footballers would have done what McDonald did in that clip as well, certainly not Doober.

two very different footballers Loyal, and i bet if you surveyed every inter county manager in Ireland as to which player they would have on their team most would say Dooher (i am talking about when both were in their prime).

McDonald was a wizard with a ball but he faded in and out of games way too often - dont ask him to track back or tackle he wasnt interested much like Fitzgerald and Gooch ..........

Thomas Clarke wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:
There were very few footballers would have done what McDonald did in that clip as well, certainly not Doober.

Cavlan could. He was the more naturally gifted footballer Tyrone have produced since Frank McGuigan. Long passing, scoring, two-footed, high fielding, blistering pace, vision, he had it all.

Cavlan's problem was the lack of a strong personality. I Know Gerald reasonably well, and he is a very shy fella (not what you'd expect at all). If he had Peter Canavan's head/heart, he'd have 4-5 all-stars by now. As it is, he has none.

TC i would have put Cush in between the 2 you mentioned i thought he was an outstanding footballer - yet always seemed to live in the shadow of Canavan.

Talking about All Stars i have just noticed that neither of the McEntee twins from Armagh ever won an All Star, that is hard to believe...........

Yes but that is the point Bocerty. The term wizard is one I like, what other wizards were/are there? North, South, East or West?

Sworn to silence, what!?

Don't tell him anything! He knows too much already!

Was Ger Cavlan that much of a natural TC? I wouldn't have said so but maybe......

What others spring to mind? Anyone from the lesser counties?

Yes, he was Loyal. Think Trevor Giles with more pace and better in the air (although not as good defensively). In fact, they came up against each other inthe 1993 minor semi final. Cavlan was excellent that day, roasting Paddy Reynolds. Unfortunately Dooher, Collie Holmes and the rest of the Tyrone team weren't so good, and we were destroyed by Giles, Fay, Barry Callaghan and the magnificent Ollie Murphy (what a player!). Dooher was a decent footballer back then, but Cavlan was the best in the country at that age.

Other stylish, gifted Ulster footballers? Enda Muldoon is hugely talented. Benny Coulter. Seanie Johnstone to a lesser extent. Rory Gallagher was lazy and slow, but he had great skill. Michael Lyng of Cavan is another who would be very good, but has had bad luck with injuries.

Aye Boc, Cush was a very good player also, although he was cursed by injuries. He was a bit one-footed also, and not always the best under pressure, but he was very skillful and so fast. Fine player.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Sworn to silence, what!?

What others spring to mind? Anyone from the lesser counties?

Declan Browne.

Declan Browne was a player I considered but for some reason, I never really bought into all the hype that used to go with him. Maybe I am wrong.

Seanie Johnstone is a good shout. He carries Cavan and he is a terrific player in every sense. He'd be another who you could possibly place in wizard company because when he's on song, he is unmarkable. But not up there with the very best of them yet!

Adrian Cush, in the words of Micko, "a marvellous footballer".

And Cavlan was brilliant against Meath in 1996, they forgot to "do" him, foolishly concentrating on McBride instead.

I can, and will, mention many more.

Mind you, loyal said the last ten years. Not sure if some of our choices, or his, get in there.

Keep talking.

Meant 15 years, say 1995-2009!

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Keep talking.

Meant 15 years, say 1995-2009!

Ah well in that case, Ja Fallon. You can lock this thread now.

mossbags wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Keep talking.

Meant 15 years, say 1995-2009!

Ah well in that case, Ja Fallon. You can lock this thread now.

Mossy - he's looking for Ulster footballers - is Galway in Ulster? I know you had to go to Ulster for a decent manager but your still in Connaught

Padraig Joyce and Michael Donnellan are two class players -Galway always seem to breed them. Ciaran Mac another I'd watch all day. Trevor and GG special talents too. Declan Browne was one of the best. For current good young ones look no further than Donegal's Michael Murphy ...

Adrian Sweeney from Donegal had a sweet left on him too ..................

loyal, i cant believe you showed that point of Ciaran McDonalds to highlite your case. I dont think i have ever watched a game of football where someone has not scored a point like that. Feck, i have scored ones like it myself.