There are 12 teams left in the championship, 21 have fallen.
There have been some tales of woe, some surprise packages and some superb individual performances and, whilst none of these guys will make the 2017 football All-Star team at the end of the season, they deserve to be recognised.
As usual, the 15 selected will be comprised of the two finalists with some token gestures to each of the provincial champions but, outside of that, you’ll be doing well to find anyone else.
Don’t forget about the little folk though. Don’t forget about the ones who have lit up the first two months of an enjoyable summer that would usually be waiting to kick into life by this stage.
Not this year though, thanks to a select group.
Here is the SportsJOE 2017 football All-Star team from counties no longer involved in the championship.
- Carlow – 3
- Meath – 2
- Clare – 2
- Tipperary – 2
- Derry – 2
- Cavan – 1
- Laois – 1
- Offaly – 1
- Westmeath – 1
15 players from nine different counties.
Robbie Molloy (Carlow): Came into the Carlow team for the qualifiers and kept two clean sheets during two victories and was only beaten against Monaghan by a ball palmed home from two yards.
Brian Darby (Offaly): An ever-present. An ever-reliable. A tough, passionate and skillful defender.
Brendan Rogers (Derry): He’s really made a name for himself, this lad. He’s proven he can man-mark the best of them and the biggest of them too if he has to and he’s also shown the country that there might not be a full back in the land who can break into attack like he can.
Marty McMahon (Clare): Moved around the Clare team and showed himself to be as game in the tackle as he is as relentless at driving forward.
Danny Moran (Carlow): He might be small in stature but he’s big in heart and he’s equipped with so much pace you’d start a forest fire if you tried to burn it.
Robbie Kiely (Tipperary): Excellent league campaign, another brilliant championship. He drives the Tipp machine from centre back, he goaled against Cavan and his influence has been so huge that Armagh resorted to man-marking him in Round 3.
Donal Keogan (Meath): Was given a more attacking role throughout the league and thrived in that position but also picked up danger men as required. Did a good job on Paddy McBrearty against Donegal but the best players will always get a chance.
Seán Murphy (Carlow): Jesus, what a player. Explosive, direct, the sort of boy who just seems to love going out on a Sunday and running wild.
Gearóid McKiernan (Cavan): There wasn’t much to shout home about for Cavan this year but he was definitely one man you could talk up. The county’s only problem was that they needed him in midfield, centre forward and at the edge of the square and they seemed to be trying that too often.
Eoin Cleary (Clare): An example of the real potency of this Banner outfit. He’s sharp, he’s nippy, he’s deadly accurate and he ripped Laois a new one too.
Cillian O’Sullivan (Meath): Seemed to pick up possession during every passage of play and when he did, he was running at defences with pure pace and pure intent. Brought a real incisive edge to the Meath attack and opened things up every time he got on the ball.
Niall Loughlin (Derry): Became one of the leaders of the Oak Leaf pack with his running power, his set pieces and his constant showing for the ball. Went toe-to-toe with Footballer of the Year Lee Keegan in a thrilling duel in Castlebar and came out covered in some glory.
Conor Sweeney (Tipperary): Racked up the scores as per usual. Won ball – any kind of ball – that was lumped in his direction and, in the absence of Michael Quinlivan for large spells, still managed to lead the charge for the Tipp men.
John Heslin (Westmeath): Kicked at least 29 points every game from February onwards.
Donie Kingston (Laois): A one-man show at times for Laois – the amount of scores he racked up in such a bad season was incredible.
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