Marc Ó Sé
He may be the best , but Cluxton’s had better years
STEPHEN CLUXTON has become the poster boy for injustice in the All-Stars, but Dublin outrage is a year too late. The case for him winning an All-Star this year was strong, but then it will be every season when a player is as good as Cluxton and has exerted such a profound influence on his sport.
However, I think he was harder done by in 2017, when he should have won the award. This year, though, the candidacy of Rory Beggan was formidable. The mistake he made in the All-Ireland semi-final, trying a Hail-Mary shot that was never going to come off, was the one big, black mark against him.
That ball should have been recycled and nobody knows that better now than Beggan. Cluxton’s season wasn’t flawless either with a bad mistake against Galway in the AllIreland semi-final.
His impact on the game of football has been so great, though, that a strong case can be made for him being the best goalkeeper in the country. In time, I have no doubt he will come to be regarded as one of the most influential players to ever lace up a pair of boots.
And it is remarkable that he hasn’t won an All-Star since 2013. Just imagine it: the leader and inspiration on what could be remembered as the greatest football team ever, not honoured in one of the years in which they’ve claimed four-in-arow.
Seen in that light, it looks bizarre.
But certainly, as far as 2018 goes, a good case could be made for Beggan. And there were other players who can feel put out that they weren’t honoured, too. Feeling sore about the All-Star team is a practically a tradition in this country and along with Cluxton, Eoghan Bán Gallagher and Michael Murphy from Donegal as well as Damien Comer from Galway, might be entitled to think they earned a place in the side.
None of the exclusions amount to a miscarriage of justice, though. The team is a formidable one, and starting with Beggan, it recognises some terrific performances.
The 75-yard pass that the Monaghan goalkeeper hit in their Super 8s match with Kerry is one that I’ll remember for a very long time. It takes some skill to pick out a team-mate running towards the opposition goal and, from that distance, land the ball on top of him. That’s how good he is, and between his re-starts and his ability to kick points from frees, he is vital to their side. It wasn’t the only call in this All-Star selection that has appeared somewhat contentious, though. Colm Cavanagh was central to Mickey Harte’s plans in Tyrone, but I’d argue that there is a world of difference between playing at full-back and as a sweeper. I know the selectors had the liberty this year to select players in positions other than the ones they played in and this does reflect the modern game, but sweeper does not equate to a full-back. Much of Cavanagh’s work was done further out the field, but I suppose the point is this: he was very good at it, wherever he was called upon.
Which leads me to the Footballer of the Year. No disrespect to Brian Fenton, but my pick is Jack McCaffrey (left). I have a very simple but compelling logic on this. As the year goes on, the games get more important and the two steepest tests of the year come in the All-Ireland semifinal and final.
And McCaffrey was Man of the Match in both. That temperament for the big occasion is a gift. And factor in that this man suffered a serious knee injury in the 2017 final, yet it hasn’t affected his pace or his overall game. That’s some tribute to his character.
Fenton is another that fits perfectly into the Jim Gavin plan. He’s a player the manager can count upon to front up day after day. And when he does, he can be trusted to produce big performances.
As much as anyone else, he controls Dublin’s performances. He looks comfortable as the responsibility placed upon him grows.
The other player to lose out on the player-of the year award was Ciarán Kilkenny. The biggest compliment I can pay him is that teams now regularly sacrifice their best defender, if not their best player, to try and man-mark him. But now he can slip into the full-forward line, where he causes a whole new set of problems. Strong, aggressive, skilful: he’s got everything.
As for the the player who really lit up this year’s Championship… David Clifford is an amalgam of old-style skill and modern power. I met him recently and I was staring up at him – and I’m six feet tall! He is sensational.
These teams will always stir controversy, but there was no great injustice committed here. 15 fabulous footballers can all feel they’ve earned this honour.