GAA Top 20: 'Geezer', Kernan or Moriarty - who is the greatest Armagh footballer of the last 50 years?

Armagh won only one All Star (Ger Houlahan, 1993) between 1982, when Joe Kernan took his second award, and 1999, when Kieran McGeeney and Diarmuid Marsden were honoured.

Three years later, Armagh won the All-Ireland title for the first time, with McGeeney as captain (he was later that year chosen as Footballer of the Year) and Kernan as manager. It’s a marginal call for No 1 on their playing careers with McGeeney getting the nod.

McGeeney was a major driving force, even during Armagh’s disappointing years, but it was in the new era from 1999 onwards that he really excelled as a centre-back and leader.

Kernan’s role as manager was equally important as he set about changing the county’s mindset, having earlier achieved it with Crossmaglen. The process was helped by his long experience as a player, which included reaching the 1977 All-Ireland final.

They were well beaten by a more experienced and cuter Dublin outfit on a day when Kernan, whose career lasted 16 years, joined the small club reserved for players who scored two goals in an All-Ireland SFC final and still ended up on the losing side.

Paddy Moriarty also ticked the versatility box, having been equally comfortable in defence and attack for the Orchard County. He has All Star awards to show for both, having been selected at No 15 in 1972 and at centre-back in 1977.

The next three places go to Oisín McConville, Steven McDonnell, and Paul McGrane, powerhouses from the great team of the noughties. Between them, they won six All Star awards and were unlucky not to have added a few more.

Jimmy Smyth, a great centre-forward in a 15-year career, had wonderful vision and an innate capacity to pick the right pass.

Brian McAlinden was one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and while All-Ireland and All Star glory eluded him, he was chosen on the best team of the 1980s, drawn from players who didn’t win All-Ireland medals.

ARMAGH

1. Kieran McGeeney, 2. Joe Kernan, 3. Paddy Moriarty, 4. Oisín McConville, 5. Steven McDonnell, 6. Paul McGrane, 7. Jimmy Smyth, 8. Brian McAlinden, 9. Diarmaid Marsden, 10. Ronan Clarke, 11. Tom McCreesh, 12. Jarlath Burns, 13. Martin McQuillan, 14. Denis Stevenson, 15. Francie Bellew, 16. Ciarán McKeever, 17. Ger Houlahan, 18. Peter Loughran, 19. Enda McNulty, 20. Aaron Kernan

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