I will always have DJ in my top 3 kk.
He carried us for the guts of the 90’s despite getting serious treatment from any defence he played against. I’m still waiting for a player to appear who heightens anticipation when ball is in hand as much as DJ. Joe is close but still not quite there.
The man was a genius hurler.
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And never got so much as his name taken for all the punishment he received
The issue here is that so many TFK posters are very immature. They’re simply too clannish and parochial to select players from outside their own counties. There are, of course, notable exceptions like @Breaking_my_balls. Great characters.
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If he’d done it more often in All-ireland finals then maybe I’d agree with you.
Do you remember the match programmes from around the time, nearly every back they asked the famous who is the best player you’ve ever played against? They all answered DJ
Cian lynch will be so it’s all the one. The lad is lording games and is only going to get better. Skill wise there hasn’t been anyone yet to reach this level. But if your on about playing with a team of all stars and pulling a lads helmet and been a filthy cunt then Tommy Walsh is yer man.
Yep he was electric and I remember the buzz in the crowd when he got the ball. Alls I’m saying is that his performances in All-Ireland finals leave a question mark on whether he should be placed ahead of Shefflin. It’s a bit like the Ronnie/Hendry debate, one was obviously more talented but who would you trust more when it counts most?
Ronnie Whelan or Colin Hendry?
Yep, discussed on another thread. It was agreed Ronnie would have broken Gazza’s kneecap if he lobbed the ball and tried to run around him.
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That’s not the question though.
How do you compare Carey in finals with Joe Canning?
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It’s part of the question. Selecting a GOAT would have to take into account temperament and talent. DJ’s temperament in finals would have to be questioned.
Joey Holden got the better of Joe Canning a few times. At least Ollie was actually a decent hurler
Shefflin was probably more effective alright… he had all the attributes: skill, strength, drive, leadership, reliability, consistency… unbelievable reader of the game
Nobody matched the excitement DJ could bring to a game. Poetry in motion. Purity of striking, speed, awareness and courage. Thousands used turn up to Gowran’s club games to watch him.
Corcoran, Eoin Kelly and Big Joe the best outside KK in my memory.
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He has 5 all Irelands won mate
Are you proposing to replace Eoin Kelly with Joey Holden in your top 3?
Shockingly low number in Kilkenny.
He hurled a couple of special junior game for them 2 or 3 year ago iirc. Nobody knew he was togging out in the first one. Word got round he’d go again the next day out and a couple of thousand showed up to watch him.
Well into his 40’s.
A fuckin special junior game is all it was yet they came to see DJ anyway. There’s a youtube clip of it somewhere. I’ll dig it out later.
Hardly a couple of thousand mate. Although I suppose ye did get thousands to go to trainings back in the day so could be possible. Is special junior Junior B or what?
As someone who watched Carey fuck his county over numerous times, there always was that dread when he got the ball. “oh fuck, what is this cunt going to do now.” I suppose that was excitement for the Kilkenny cunts. He was a superb player and hugely talented and did things at the time no one else matched.
As for Shefflin, as mentioned above, there are other qualities in a hurler than just pure talent. Shefflin would never scare me on the ball like DJ did, but Shefflin lifted those around him, he made other players better just by bringing them into the game, picking the right pass, and making the right choice. He scored at will too. Shefflin was always involved in play, Carey would be a spark in play. 2 different players with different attributes but both Kilkenny cunts at the end of it all.
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If you had the choice of one which would you pick?