The 2018 championship has finished, you may go in peace.
As expected Dublin are once again All-Ireland champions, they can celebrate this week, but one imagines that the ‘drive for five’ wheels will be in motion soon enough.
In truth, the 2018 football championship wasn’t one of the best in living memory. It was one of the most controversial though.
The ‘Newbridge or nowhere scandal’ and the super 8 series that failed to ignite made it a difficult summer for football fans.
On top of this, the hurling championship was rated by many as the greatest of all time, which piled even more pressure onto football.
It wasn’t all bad though…
We had the Carlow rising, Laois’ Leinster final appearance, the arrival of Brian Howard, and David Clifford to name just a few.
There were some highlights. It wasn’t all bad really.
As Dublin celebrated their victory, the rest of us settled in to watch the Sunday Game panel announce their team of the year.
You can check out the SportsJOE team of the year here.
On paper the team is excellent, however Monaghan’s Rory Beggan will feel hard-done by to have been left out of the team. He had an excellent season for the Farney army.
Graham Brody had a great year too. Niall Sludden had a good season up to the final as did Drew Wylie for Monaghan, Dean Rock for Dublin and Comer for Galway.
Here’s their team.
1. Stephen Cluxton
2. Jonny Cooper
3. Padraig Hampsey
4. Eoghan Ban Gallagher
5. Karl O’Connell
6. James McCarthy
7. Jack McCaffrey
8. Brian Fenton
9. Colm Cavanagh
10. Shane Walsh
11. Ciaran Kilkenny
12. Brian Howard
13. Paul Mannion
14. Conor McManus
15. David Clifford
