Kildare player of the championship

Now that the intercounty scene is over, for the year who was our best player over the course of the five championship match's?

plenty of players like the team in general mixed some really good performances with poor enough ones such as Moolick and Boston but for consistent displays my top three would be Lyons, Conway and Smith

I would say probably Fergal Conway was the most consistent performer.

Alan Smith, Moolick and Bolton also had a decent champ.

Ollie Lyons for me, asked to mark the oppositions best forward in every game (bar Meath!!) and never let the team down, he held both McManus and Tubridy scoreless from play, I think Laverty only got a point off him!

[quote="topcat"]Ollie Lyons for me, asked to mark the oppositions best forward in every game (bar Meath!!) and never let the team down, he held both McManus and Tubridy scoreless from play, I think Laverty only got a point off him![/quote

I think he only conceded 2 points from play in the 5 games.

For me its between Lyons, Conway and Smith who really came good for us.

Best player: Lyons

Best newcomer: Conway

Most improved: Smith

Mention must go to TOC.....been picked to start on a lot of the match day programmes and not actually starting, not been brought on when he should have been, taken off when he shouldn't have been, been brought on as a sub only to be taken off again when there was no ball been kicked in....the man was slated when he was playing and pityed when he was not playing....wonder some days if he was taken off and nobody replaced him would anybody notice..... health warning with the kildare number 14 jersey.....

There should be no health warning for the no.14 jersey.The best full forward in kildare is James eaton by a mile can score from play and frees always wins the ball.Before some start bitching I'm not an athy man.

Eaton is a very good player and I'd like to see him get a run next year but thats for another thread

Maybe someone should start a Thread on Players that should be looked at, especially with the Club Championship about to resume..

On TOC, At this stage One would wonder why He would bother any longer.

I'd agree that Lyons, Conway and Smith were our most consistent performers. I'd also give a mention to Tommy Moolick and Paidi O'Neill who did a lot of unselfish work in all the games and Eoghan O'Flaherty who came good in the last couple of games.

Ollie Lyons and Alan Smith were consistently outstanding
Moolick & Conway in their debut ch'ship season were excellent and should become leaders of this Kildare team,

Reading on here consantly about leaders in the team and future leaders, would like to know how people define leaders as to me there are none in the current team?

leadership can come in many forms but for me its the guys that set the tone ie never give up, lead from the front and don't go missing when the sh1t is hitting the fan

For consistency, Conway, but I don't think Moolick was a million miles behind despite a tough outing v Clare. Paudie O'Neill ( I keep banging this drum) deserves an honourable mention also, as do Smith and Lyons.

Biggest disappointments for me were Foley, Chalky, Leper and N Kelly

Paudie O'Neill a great shout for player of the year I reckon.
Moolick best young player.

Looking at Eoin Doyle when he came on last Saturday shows what a loss he was earlier in the year. He really does have enormous potential.

If we can get him fit next year along with P. Kelly and P. Cribben we would have a formidable enough defence and platform for launching attacks.

Standout player for me this year had to be Conway - and when finally let off the leash Smithy.

O'Grady, Mulhall : two newcomers who showed great potential until injury curtailed their chances.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Conway gets on against one of the better centre forwards in the country I dont think he's been tested this year. It would be great to see how he would fair against a Declan O'Sullivan to see if he could develope into a top centre back. I dont think he came up against anyone decent in this years champ.

Ohtoohtobe wrote:

Paudie O'Neill a great shout for player of the year I reckon.
Moolick best young player.

I would definitely second Paudie for player of the year, apart from his amazing work rate, he always gives his best, he is willing to take on responsibility on the field, and for the most part uses the ball wisely.

There have been a lot of comments on here stating we lack natural leaders on the field, I would suggest Paudie could be the man to fill this role for Kildare.

If He is a certainty to start, and whats His best position ?.. He did stand out alright, but He has to start taking the right decision, and stop going for the 50 yard shot.. sorry for being harsh Paudie.

SeamusMurphy wrote:

If He is a certainty to start, and whats His best position ?.. He did stand out alright, but He has to start taking the right decision, and stop going for the 50 yard shot.. sorry for being harsh Paudie.

Thats a ridiculous statement. Paudie should be encouraged to shoot from the 50 and beyond and I'd like to think the management supports it too. APlenty of other lads able to take long range scores like Podge, Moolick, Hurley,Lynch, P Cribben etc. A number of occasions Ive seen our Guys reluctant to shoot from long range and instead lay the ball off to someone in no better of a position than themselves.

I have bitten my tongue, cringed, been disgusted with and plain old laughed at some of the things I have seen on this thread throughout this championship campaign.

My take on things having had to have a week or so to reflect is that we are slightly better off than we were this time last year.

Firstly given the injury problems we had relegation I felt was a certainty from the get go. Especially given Derry's good form whom I expected to be our closest rivals for the second drop spot. So from the point of view of blooding a few players like Moolick, Mulhall & O'Grady we still took a great deal from the campaign. Injuries of more established players seemed to clear in time for the summer but our two form players in the league, O'Grady & Mulhall were loses come championship.

I see above on this thread Crofter (not the only one to say this but using his post as an example) said he was disappointed with Kelly & Leper. Just to put a bit of perspective on it, both players had surgeries and lengthy layoffs over the off season and only really got back out on the pitch in the middle of the spring so I think both guys most be given the benefit of that before judging them. They didn't have the pre-season base that most other intercounty players would have had. If their injuries are fully cleared I expect with a full pre-season and national league campaign under their belts we will see them back to their very best come summer 2015. Eoin Doyle had similar injury woes and judging from his performances from the bench this summer should be nailed on for a slot in the half back line in 2015.

Ryan appeared to pick his team on training form and no one will argue with that but I think expectations can be made for every rule. I would have liked to have seen a fit Darryl Flynn start every game in the league and see if he can grow back into the form of 2011. He is the kind of player we lack. A tough physical player who takes no shit from no one. Moolick did well and gave his all and will continue to improve but I'd like to see Flynn, if his fitness indicators are up to scratch be given a run of games to get him going! Lynch looked to be growing into the game on Saturday night and is another one who with game time and luck on the injury front I can see recapturing his best form. Being in Division 2 next year I feel gives Ryan the scope to do this even if the boys are not firing in training games.
Up front Smith was class and another who will get better in 2015 when he gets a run of NFL games. He and Brophy have potential to form one of the more exciting inside forwards lines in the country.

The Monaghan game reminded a lot of people of the Donegal game in 2011 in so many ways but I remember in the aftermath/post mortem of that game thinking the end of the line has come for that team. Now we have a new team and I feel if they stick at it, better days lie ahead. Perhaps losing to Monaghan and avoiding a moral sapping drubbing off the Dubs will prove more fruitful in the long run.

Whilst never anti Ryan I for one was in favour of McGeeney being given another term of 2 years. In fairness to Geezer he acknowledged the decline of his original team and in 2013 started to blood a new one. That said, barring a few bizarre interview quotes sound bites and the slowness on the line v Meath I think Ryan has acquitted himself quite well. It was always going to be a big ask to fill Geezer boots as everyone in the set up worshiped him.

Looking to next year I think we have lots to look forward too... If we can get and maintain everyone fit we can really push on. Peter Kelly, Eoin Doyle, Paul Cribben and Darroch Mulhall will all press hard to start plus we might have a surprise or two emerge also. If we can just sort out the free taking...


Back to the thread.... Paidi O'Neill for me. First name on the team sheet as far as I’m concerned. Either in the middle or half forward line, I have been saying that for years.


Roll on the club championship.

gmaccc, Paudies conversion rate in terms of Points scored versus shots taken is fairly poor imo, and Im pretty sure the stats would back Me up here.. any decent Forwards Coach will tell You to shoot in the scoring zone and not from 50 Yards and behond, any moron would / should know that.

Umpire that's a fabulous post I agree with 95% of it.Only thing is d Flynn I'm saying this for a long time all he does is pull and drag .Watch the game in two weeks against athy if its goin bad for them he will hit usually the smallest player our he will get a black card.He had one good game in 2011 that's a long time ago.

I see Westmeath didnt hang around and have shown Mr Bealin the front door.. and after only One Year..