They’re a very good team, those Dubs.
A third All-Ireland in-a-row, six championship games in 2017 that they worked through effortlessly with minimum fuss. Business as bloody usual.
In the aftermath of the All-Ireland final, it’s very easy to forget the rest of the championship and the rest of the stand-out performers that lit the summer up.
But Dublin were so dominant and so damn beautiful throughout the season that seven players making the All-Star team doesn’t even feel like enough.
On the SportsJOE 15, five different counties are awarded on the team of the year.
Stephen Cluxton is currently favourite for Footballer of the Year, whatever you think of that. He composed himself unbelievably again in the final on Sunday when things weren’t going well. He is the rock of Dublin.
Christ Barrett had a stupendous semi and an even better final. Colm Cavanagh spent most of the season manning the edge of his own square whilst Jonny Cooper gets in having played most of the season in third gear.
Tiernan McCann is eating up yards for fun and he’s scoring with frightening ease. Colm Boyle just got better and better whilst Jack McCaffrey just picked up from where he left off in 2015.
James McCarthy had a stunning season in midfield and should be awarded man of the match for the final whilst Enda Smith was the leader of one of the feel-good stories of the championship.
Paul Mannion never let up throughout the whole campaign. Always a threat. Always had men on toast.
Aidan O’Shea had his best season in a long time.
Con O’Callaghan? Christ alive.
Paul Geaney just had another Geaney type of season. Dean Rock had a Dean Rock type of season with the added bonus that he won Dublin the All-Ireland with his seventh point of the day. Andy Moran should be a serious contender for Footballer of the Year.
