For quite a few years now it has become quite popular to see ex footballers, pundits, journalists and the like pick their best 15 footballers. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of so called experts that don't consider Trevor Giles as a player that should walk on to the team. I watched Canavan pick his team and not a mention of Giles. I guess there is bad blood there after the lesson Meath gave Tyrone in 96 but Canavan should still be astute enough to recognise the brilliance of Giles. For the time in which he played the man was head and shoulders above all the others when it came to a footballing brain( with Moynahan being a close second) He played his college football at centre back where some think he was even better.His strength was playing between his own half back line and the mid field. He was great off both feet, he had fantastic leadership qualities, he had composure and he was as hard as nails. I am not taking way from the likes of McCartan, Fallon, Donnellan or Dooher but Giles was a step above. Does anybody else hold him in the same regard?

JohnMitchel (Dublin) - Posts: 178 - 31/10/2014 11:40:22    1668593

yes he was classy for sure. But you should rename the thread the peter canavan/trevor giles thread.

I think that Canavan no doubt has still bad blood about the match that he was taken out of it in, but Im not sure that giles would have been a hatchet man on that team. He was a very clean player.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 31/10/2014 11:56:59    1668604

People have different opinions.

If you picked your best 15 I can guarantee you will have to leave out several players as good as Giles.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12118 - 31/10/2014 12:30:45    1668620

Lads Giles twice player of the year when Meath won all irelands in 96 and 99. That sums up to me how good he was in a team that contained Geraghty, Fay and McDermott all off whom would be almost certainties in the best team of the last 20 years..

As for him being over looked, Terevor was never a flashy spectacular player he did things without being noticed. He never sought the lime light and thats why he's not as popular as the Canavan's or players of that ilk (thats not a pop at anyone BTW)

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 31/10/2014 12:49:29    1668626

Giles is up there with Tompkins and Greg Blaney as the best centre forward of the last thirty years. Brilliant footballer.

beir_bua (Kildare) - Posts: 746 - 31/10/2014 13:10:24    1668636

Giles was a good player but he was never this "great player" that Colm O Rourke made him out to be, when we were playing Meath back then we feared Geraghty, Ollie Murphy, Brendan O Reilly up front for Meath but never Giles , Giles was a good link man for them but he was overrated IMO, good player no doubt

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 31/10/2014 13:25:17    1668642

Peter Canavan was a genius , wow what a player. when fit he's was unstoppable the man was unreal, him and the Gooch the greatest forwards I've ever seen.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 31/10/2014 13:28:00    1668643

Giles made Meath tick brilliant player how many balls did he spray inside to Gerathy, Murphy and co. Brilliant football one of the best Centre half forwards I have seen.

Michael Hegarty, Brian McGuigan and Trevor Giles three exceptional passers of the ball.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 31/10/2014 14:17:02    1668662

Clondalkin take of your blue tinted glass there kid...
Who put the balls into the Murphy's Reilly's and Geraghtys that you feared..
thats right Trevor giles...

Thats like me saying Paul Flynn is a good link man!!! He is in his whole, Flynn is a bloody exceptional footballer. I wish we'd a few like him on the Meath team..

That Meath team was like a Ferrari and without Giles it would've run like a Fiat...

For a supposed footballing man you can talk some fierce bull.. just because he's not a dub doesn't make him an average footballer

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 31/10/2014 15:33:50    1668689

brian
County: Meath
Posts: 339

Clondalkin take of your blue tinted glass there kid... For a supposed footballing man you can talk some fierce bull.. just because he's not a dub doesn't make him an average footballer
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To be fair, he complimented several players, some were Meath men, and none of them Dubs.

As for bias, you might want to re-evaluate your assertion that Giles, Geraghty, Fay and McDermott would all be virtual certainties in a team of the last 20 years. Fay would probably make mine and Giles would be worth considering amongst others, too but Geraghty and McDermott wouldn't be close.

Giles was a brilliant footballer, but I don't see how Canavan can be accused of bias by not including him in his side. I'm not sure what era Peter was selecting from, but in the last 30 years alone we've seen half-forwards such as Pat Spillane, Ogie Moran, larry Tompkins, Greg Blaney, Brian McGuigan, Brian Dooher, Paul Galvin, Declan O'Sullivan, Ja Fallon, Michael Donnellan, Ciaran McDonald, Graham Geraghty, Tommy Dowd, Martin McHugh, Alan Brogan, Dessie Farrell, Oisin McConville and Paul Flynn. Colm Cooper, Stevie O'Neill, Eamon O'Hara, Eugene McKenna, Maurice Fitzgerald, John Doyle, Diarmuid Marsden, Dermott Earley, James McCartan and Canavan himself all won all-stars in the half forward line too.

Is it biased to exclude Giles in favour of 3 of those? Now, I'm a big fan of Giles, but he certainly wouldn't be nailed on for a place in my top 3 half forwards given the company that I've just mentioned.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 31/10/2014 16:09:39    1668700

He was certainly an class player and one of best of his geneation.
I guess ranking him in a top 15 or top 6 forward will depend on what time period you want to use.
20 years mentioned above being a selectively convenient horizon


In this millenium I'd rate Canavan,Gooch and MAurice FitZ as being stand out in any benchmark
If you want to go back 30/40 years then I'd include Spillane, Mikey Sheehy and MAtt Connor

Therefore Giles wouldnt make that top 6


IF you want to keep it 20 years then as I said Canavan,Gooch and MAurice Fitz then 3 from


Dec O sullivan, Stevie McDonnell, Alan Brogan, Michael Donnellan, Stevie O Neill, Michael Donnelan, MacDonald, Geraghty, Giles, Joyce

so in my view

Not one of the top 6 forwards of all time
Not one of the top 3 forwards of the last 20 years but one of the top 6 -I think there is a fair argument that he is - but the same argument could be made for another 10 players

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 31/10/2014 16:13:51    1668702

Giles was a great player. Top forward in the country for a number of years.

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 31/10/2014 16:15:58    1668703

Jesus Brian did you read my post? I mention geraghty Murphy and O Reilly who were great footballers but cause I didn't think Giles was im wearing blue tinted glasses? I can appreciate a great player I don't care where there from, also O Rourke Flynn Stafford were great footballers. For me O Rourke was the best Meath forward of the Boylan era. I also think Ciaran McDonald has got better since he retired for me he was never as good as people are making out now. I also think Maurice Fitz wasn't as good as everyone makes out.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 31/10/2014 18:05:51    1668733

Giles was probably the best in his position at his time but I don't feel he was the best of all time

shrek95 (Meath) - Posts: 77 - 31/10/2014 18:47:47    1668743

Giles had a fantastic football brain, perhaps the best I've ever seen that's including the gooch etc, he wasn't as flashy or in your face as Graham geraghty who was IMO the most naturally gifted player of the last 50 years . Who was better? Is a debate that will long be had and not only in Meath. If I'm been honest I'd rate both of them a fair bit ahead of cannavan himself a good footballer. Best? Simply for the way the dubs hated him I'd pick geraghty but its a very close call if I'm honest.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 31/10/2014 20:39:31    1668759

Graham Geraghty or Trevor Giles better than Canavan haha not a hope in hell , Geraghty was a great player but come on Canavan was from a different planet , it's like saying rooney is better than Ronaldo nope never. As I said geraghty was a great player but the best footballer of the last 50 years no chance.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 31/10/2014 21:36:44    1668771

CD never said Graham was greatest player of last 50 years I said he was most naturally gifted player of last 50 years and that IMO is in no doubt. Would cannavan (himself a excellent player) won all star for backs as well as forwards? . Graham was so natural and versatile. As for Trevor he had a football brain that was unequal his passes and vision was sublime.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 01/11/2014 08:10:43    1668783

It would be true to say Meath would not have been as successful without Giles. He was my type of player, kept his mouth shut, shunned the limelight and was the perfect CF for the game that was played back then. Super player, intelligent, smart, clean (on that Meath team!!!) and grounded.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8591 - 01/11/2014 16:02:37    1668850

clondalkindub
County: Dublin
Posts: 5535

1668771
Graham Geraghty or Trevor Giles better than Canavan haha not a hope in hell , Geraghty was a great player but come on Canavan was from a different planet , it's like saying rooney is better than Ronaldo nope never. As I said geraghty was a great player but the best footballer of the last 50 years no chance.

Trevor Giles was every bit as good as Canavan if not better, his scoring, passing, tacking, leadership, ability to read a game all the attributes a great player should have plus despite all the hits and blows Giles took he never moaned or complained unlike Canavan or his Tyrone compatriots who still moan about one tackle 18 years afterwards. Geraghty had the ability to turn a game on its head and possessed great speed, skill and awareness and again in terms of contributing overall to a game he was very close to Giles and Canavan

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 01/11/2014 17:20:01    1668868

Some strange stuff from the Meath posters. Canavan has as many all stars as Geraghty and Giles combined. He was the best forward in Ireland for about 10 years, an absolute genius. Tyrone fans still complain about 96 but never Canavan. If you listen to him that Meath game taught Tyrone a lesson and brought that toughness that helped win us all Ireland's.

MB1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 360 - 01/11/2014 20:43:35    1668926