People will complain either way but you’d find it hard to be put out if either of these seven players won Footballer of the Year.
The inter-county season is over again, Dublin are champions again and all that’s left is to pick the bones out of who should win an All-Star and to shame the journalists on the judging panel into a daily reminder that they haven’t recognised Stephen Cluxton since 2013.
Whilst he can count himself not just hard done by in the previous four seasons but screwed over, Rory Beggan was the best goalkeeper in Ireland in 2018 and it’s reflected in SportsJOE’s All-Star team compared to The Sunday Game team of the year.
For Footballer of the Year though, any one of four Dubs could and should be in line for the gong.
1. Rory Beggan (Monaghan)
Kicked 0-18 throughout the championship, including five 45s, as he chalked up some of the finest scores of the year.
Cluxton is often given credit for redefining the game because of his kickout distribution but no-one controlled the play as much from his own tee like Beggan did in this campaign – at one stage, he even hit the opposition 21′ to set up a score.
As the sweeper ‘keeper, coming out as the extra man and pinging passes, he’s started to influence the game the whole way down as much as Cluxton has been doing for a decade.
2. Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin)
Always looks tired, never once slows up.
Kilkenny has had his best year yet in a Dublin jersey, combining the best of that thrilling 2013 season when he first burst onto the scene as a lethal finisher with the work ethic and link play he’s been detailed with in recent years, he’s becoming the complete forward.
Eats up kilometres unnecessarily but he runs every marker into the ground and gets on so much ball on so many different areas of the field. Not only was he controlling the tempo of Dublin’s game, deciding to either slow it up, call for calm or take men on with speed and skill, he was the top scorer from play in the whole championship.
Favourite to win Footballer of the Year and there could be no complaints if he does.
3. Brian Fenton (Dublin)
After just four seasons – four bloody seasons – Brian Fenton is already suffering from what is known as The Cluxtons.
His base level is that high now that he’s made the extraordinary so easily ordinary that he’s not always appreciated like he should be.
Some of Fenton’s everyday performances – when he wins primary possession, forces turnovers, drives straight and fast through the middle and kicks scores – are the sort of one-off days that are remembered for generations in other counties. Remember that day *insert big midfielder* scored three points against *insert county* and ran the show? For Fenton, that day is every day.
4. Karl O’Connell (Monaghan)
He’d be the blue print for wing backs if anyone could get anywhere near him.
Pure drive, pure energy. Assisted some chunk of Monaghan’s scores and kicked some screamers for himself with the outside of that glorious right boot. Unstoppable when he gets going and he got going in every one of Monaghan’s nine championship games this summer.
5. Jack McCaffrey (Dublin)
He’s not just fast, he’s not just a marauding wing back, he hasn’t just been performing magic going in one direction for Dublin, Jack McCaffrey is a dog too. He’s mad for it, loves the battle, scraps for inches and always wins.
Whenever a kickout or a kick pass or a stupid run goes down Dublin’s left hand side, the ball comes straight back out like it just hit off a brick wall.
Started the season recovering from an ACL injury. Ended it as man of the match in the All-Ireland semi-final and final.
6. David Clifford (Kerry)
Four goals in three games in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
14 points from 19 shots in the same period. Five off his right, nine off his left.
Started off doing the simple things really well for Kerry. He won ball, he made the right decision, he didn’t try to live up to the hype and talk. He just kept doing the right thing and, by the end of the season, he was the leader in a Kerry side that was being criticised from all corners.
7. Brian Howard (Dublin)
Might win Young Player of the Year ahead of Clifford but he could also take the Footballer of the Year title and no-one would bat an eyelid.
Began the year in January by refusing to go on the team holiday so he could play the O’Byrne Cup. Went into February and opted out of a midweek Sigerson Cup game so he could prepare for the league with Dublin. Held his place the whole season, first through sheer honesty and heart, then through swagger and dominance.
Cluxton picked him out for fun throughout year. He was plucking balls around midfield like he had been there for a decade and he was the firefighter they were sending into full back in the semi and final when Dublin were under pressure and they needed a strong, assured presence to guide them home.
Has the best side-step in the game and that’s astounding considering the size of him.
