Kerry only played one team from the top two divisions come championship time, and lost… yet Geaney will get one, and he was taken off in that game.
Is Geaney one of the top three in the full forward line in the country, yes probably - but nothing he did this year proved it.
My selection outlined below is based on the ‘political’ expedience and narrative as distinct from my own pick!
All Stars Football Nominations
GOALKEEPERS Evan Comerford (Tipperary), Stephen Cluxton (Dublin), David Clarke (Mayo).
DEFENDERS Jonny Cooper (Dublin), Brendan Harrison (Mayo), Keith Higgins (Mayo), Cian O’Sullivan (Dublin), Lee Keegan (Mayo), Colm Boyle (Mayo), Philly McMahon (Dublin), Ryan McHugh (Donegal), Cathal McCarron (Tyrone), John Small (Dublin), Patrick Durcan (Mayo), Shane Enright (Kerry), Declan Kyne (Galway), James McCarthy (Dublin), Kevin McLoughlin (Mayo), Paddy McGrath (Donegal), Robbie Kiely (Tipperary), Killian Young (Kerry).
MIDFIELDERS Brian Fenton (Dublin), Peter Acheson (Tipperary), Matthew Donnelly (Tyrone), Gary Brennan (Clare), Paul Conroy (Galway), Colm Cavanagh (Tyrone).
FORWARDS Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin), Diarmuid Connolly (Dublin), Dean Rock (Dublin), Kevin McManamon (Dublin), Paul Geaney (Kerry), Michael Quinlivan (Tipperary), Andy Moran (Mayo), Conor Sweeney (Tipperary), Aidan O’Shea (Mayo), Paul Murphy (Kerry), Cillian O’Connor (Mayo), Damien Comer (Galway), Diarmuid O’Connor (Mayo), Peter Harte (Tyrone), Danny Cummins (Galway), Patrick McBrearty (Donegal), Seán Cavanagh (Tyrone), Niall Sludden (Tyrone).
Player of the Year Nominees: Brian Fenton (Dublin), Lee Keegan (Mayo), Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin).
Young Player of the Year Nominees: Diarmuid O’Connor (Mayo), Josh Keane (Tipperary), Jimmy Feehan (Tipperary)
Keeper has to be Cluxton.
Forwards first! Harte going in there may mean he loses out as Tyrone will not get two IMO and Donnelly will get the single one in midfield. Quinlivan and Geaney are certain I feel. Kilkenny. Rock and Connolly will also be picked I think - leaving Kev Mc losing out as they will surely give one (undeservedly) to Mayo and that will likely to C O’Connor and not O’Shea.
Midfield: Not a bumper year for midfield performances barring Fenton who is nailed on. Brennan was very good (and could be a springer) but I feel Donnelly will get it for reasons above.
Defenders: As 3 would bring Dublin up to 8 I think we will be lucky to get that but am going to call in on that basis. I think Cian and John Small will lose out with Jonny Cooper, Philly and Jamesy getting the nod. The other three will be Mayo men - Keegan, Durcan and Harrison likely - with McLoughlin unlucky to lose out.
Fenton a shoo-in as PotY and on the basis that his senior form was so down on previous years I would not give to DOC and instead would love to see Josh Keane get it … and he might.
So - very similar to Tower Abu (COC instead of Andy Moran) … but
Cluxton
Harrison
Cooper
Philly
James Mc
Keegan
Durcan
Fenton
Donnelly
Connolly
Kilkenny
C O’Connor
Rock
Geany
Quinlivan
As a dark horse for the Mayo forward position, what about Mammy O’Shea (or Daddy O’ for that matter!)? I’m sure the fact that neither have actually been nominated won’t matter at all…
Have both contributed more this season than Aido so why not!!
I would agree on all of that except James Mc. I think his missing games will count against him. It could well be an all Mayo half back line - I hope not, but I think it will be…
Out scoring Connolly from play in their head to heads probably reminds people of Keegans ability as well
1-4 from play against the best team in the game . With two of the full back line likely to be all stars ?
Have to disagree with WiFi here. Geaney is a class act and just cause Fitz dropped a clanger by taking him off against us shouldn’t obscure the fact that he was having a good game against us.
Is the POTY not picked by the players?
It is.
Geaney deserves one more than a lot of those nominated. Mayo forwards did very little this year - and against mostly lower Div opposition.
So how is this fair, would you give Dermo your vote if he’d roasted you earlier in the year?
Yes, I am not disputing he is very good, and in the top 3 in the country probably in the full forward line. But he only got one serious game to prove it, and he got no other hard games to disprove it. If he had played against another top team and had not done so well, he would not be in the position he is in now in relation to the All Stars. If, for example, John Small was only involved in one game against a top team and it was the drawn All Ireland, he would be a nailed on All Star - but the entirety of his performances from the QF on are taken into account (he could still get it of course).
He only had to prove himself against us, And he did that in spades. There are no other top teams.
We are it.
Just see Durkan got POTM in Independent …
Have a horrible feelin Keegan gonna get POTY …in some way not a bad thing as keeps the delusion for them
Think Fenton will get it.
Actually I fear Keegan will …
Not when it can be argued that his black card in the All-Ireland final cost Mayo victory.
Wouldn’t have a massive objection personally. I think he’s a fabulous player.
I don’t think it would be right for a player to win player of the year when he seen the line on the biggest stage, leaving aside the obvious rule bending in the first match.
Completely agree he is a fabulous player but if the reason for giving the award was based on ability only then Gooch would have a few in his back pocket as would Diarmo.
If the players are choosing, the sympathy vote will probably go to keegan. If the journalists were voting, it think it would be Fenton whose the more deserving IMO, bias aside.
If Dublin get less than 7 All Stars, it would be unjust given that we went all year unbeaten. but the players won’t lose too much sleep if they give us the usual 6.
A lot of Mayo players ( including O Shea and O Connor) have wined and dined on Sympathy all stars and young player of the year which has exploded their heads a bit at the expense of their team