Had a look and I don’t think this has been done before. Either hurling or football, obviously I’ll be going for hurling. I’m going to keep it to players I’ve seen in my lifetime. So I’d have 82/83, 91-93, the 00’s and the 10’s.
James McGarry - Great leader, organizer and team player. How the man didn’t get an All Star is beyond me. Skehan never like Callan so fuck him. The Puck was good but won nothing in goal.
Willie O’Connor - Not everyones cup of tea but he was a great character and everyone in KK loved him when he played for the county. Great skill too and was tough out. Hard call between him and Mick Kavanagh
Noel Hickey - Tough out, filthy when he had to be but what a full back. In fact everything a full back should be.
Dick O’Hara - Complete legend!! Wild looking and knew how to wield the ash. Great corner back
Tommy - No words needed
Pat O’Neill - Nailer! Brilliant in his prime. Watched him from minor and he was magnificent against Cork in 92. Always at the right/back of team photos looking away to the side.
JJ - See Tommy
Frank Cummins - The other of my picks from 82/83, he was coming near the end of his career. Just a mountain of a man, huge hands and could look after himself. Met him at a wedding and he’s a gent, gave great time to us and had some great stories to tell.
Michael Titch Phelan - Powerful hurler with a great engine. Would get through a world of work for you and could play centre forward too.
DJ - Outstanding player, the player of his generation. The buzz of expectation that would go up whenever he got the ball when he was in his prime was electric. Carried the team during the 90’s with only 2 AI medals to show. Got a few more when he was on the wane and didn’t score v Cork in 3/4 attempts in AI finals but still magnificent.
John Power - Have to put the Fox in. Callan man to boot. Tough as an auld boot and mad as a hatter but he was class. Started as a minor at corner forward, started as a senior as a half back. Shipped a world of punishment to break up play and set up scores for others. Abiding image was hobbling off to the sideline before being substituted during play only for the ball to break to him. Lobbed it over the bar from under the Cusack Stand and then continued on his way. Brilliant
TJ - He’s going to go on and be one of the greats, makes the team for his efforts in recent years. Class act
Richie Hogan - Much like TJ, he’s been hurler of the year and in the running the last few years and is just a naturally gifted hurler. Half Callan man too and I’d know him personally but he’s just a class act. Much like TJ he’ll go on to be one of the greats.
The King - No explanation required, 10 AI’s says it all.
Eddie Brennan - Could have put Liam Fennelly in as he was captain in 83 and 92 but Eddie, and in fairness he had some bad days too but he was a magnificent player and got better over the years.
I’ll give this a rattle on the phone and keep it to lads of my era '94 - present. I wouldn’t say greatest, I’ve shoehorned a few of my personal preferences in.
It’s the sad reality. We’re managed by a gobshite, overseen by idiots. The players have no belief, focus or general clue. You’ll have the earnestly sincere brigade picking suggested teams and switches over the coming weeks in what will be the absolute epitome of futility.
2016 will be a non-event. We may over-perform on one of our few outings but we will ultimately exit the championship on a hiding.
I’m sure I’ll leave a few out here but I’m on a bus and my head ain’t right. But from the late 80s onwards, and more so from the 90s when I can remember games:
Brendan Cummins
Paul Delaney
Philip Maher
Paul Curran
Eamon Corcoran
Conor O’Mahony
Conal Bonnar
Tommy Dunne
John Leahy
Michael Cleary
Declan Ryan
Pat Fox
Eoin Kelly
Lar Corbett
Nicky English
No.4 was problematic for me. I was going to go Mickey Cahill but his last few years have been quite injury prone, so I switched Paul Curran, who played a bit at corner back to there. Other options were current manager Michael ‘Church’ Ryan, the underrated and also injury prone Paul Ormonde. Plenty of others too.
I’ve also facilitated Pat Fox at no.12, which he didn’t frequent either (but, sure, he did play his underage hurling for the county at corner back). I’ve no current players on the team, which probably doesn’t bode well for the year ahead, but I’ll judge these lads more when their career is over.
Good breakout season. Was excellent from 08-11. Had a pretty decent 2014. Won three all stars on the bounce. Scored 29 championship goals in 60 games. Worthy of a spot in this team.