The omission of Stephen Cluxton divided the opinion of football fans following the announcement of the PWC All Stars for 2018.
Despite guiding Dublin to a fourth All Ireland title in a row he has been overlooked in favour of Monaghan’s Rory Beggan.
Dublin fans vented their frustrations online and the outrage and sense of injustice was not confined to the city limits of the capital.
Kerry legend Tomás Ó Sé believes Cluxton can feel hard done by being once again overlooked for one of the top individual honours in football.
The veteran shot stopper has won the award on five occasions, but it has been 5 years since the selection committee, made up of senior gaelic games correspondents, picked Cluxton.
Ó Sé told the Irish Indo it was the wrong decision: “"Basically, it's the wrong decision, you'll have arguments about what Beggan did and don't get me wrong, he was outstanding.
"It's not about that he has more than 200 appearances for Dublin or that he has lifted the cup five times (as captain), which is phenomenal. It's about the greatest football team arguably we have ever seen and this fella is the heartbeat of it every single game.
"He is the most important player in the GAA in the last 50 or 60 years and he has changed the way the game is played.
"It's now a possession game after him. You don't beat it away anymore. I played with goalies who wore rugby boots and their job was to beat it out to Darragh ó Sé. The fielding midfielder is gone, it's now all about possession.
"And the fact that the greatest man on the greatest team hasn't received one since 2013… it's not about that he deserves one after all this time. And it's not personal on Rory Beggan, but I'd be giving it to him every year.
"Arguably the three greatest footballers of all time in Kerry football are Seamus Moynihan, Pat Spillane and Jack O'Shea. Seamus Moynihan has three All-Stars; it's a farce that I have five and he has three. And they are a victim of their own brilliance these types of fellas. I know he lost just two kick-outs in the All-Ireland final, but I'd say he's well over 90% in most games."
Beggan had a phenomenal season and his inclusion has resulted in some over the top indignation, the issue perhaps is that Cluxton who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to mind the nets, has not been included now for five years.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It’s a disgrace the Astars how this man, greatest keeper of all time, has changed the game and position of a keeper for ever, gets over looked again, Dublin players should boycott the awards <a href="https://twitter.com/Hill16Army?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hill16Army</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/offtheball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@offtheball</a> and ToS names him as his player of the year <a href="https://twitter.com/tomas5ky?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomas5ky</a> <a href="https://t.co/4WyR9yQFw4">pic.twitter.com/4WyR9yQFw4</a></p>— nigelmcevoy (@nigelmcevoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/nigelmcevoy/status/1057933788590866433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">To do four in a row and get seven players??? Nothing against Beggan at all he had great season, and forget last few years but Cluxton was best keeper this year. Kerry only other team to do four in a row in all star era and they got 9 that year. I’d have 9/10 Dubs this year <a href="https://t.co/GS75GometN">pic.twitter.com/GS75GometN</a></p>— Tomás Ó Sé (@tomas5ky) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomas5ky/status/1057923679898791936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can’t believe Stephen Cluxton left off, again!</p>— Michael Duignan (@DuignanMichael) <a href="https://twitter.com/DuignanMichael/status/1057934274110910464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the big moments beggan was left wanting imo. An excellent keeper but cluxton had a better year</p>— Shane Davoren (@shane16dav) <a href="https://twitter.com/shane16dav/status/1057938235672969216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Ciarán Whelan presented a left of field conspiratorial theory on why the selection committee don’t pick him, he feels they just don’t like him:
"The talk is that it wasn’t even close, which is a worrying thing as well in terms of the votes," Whelan said Morning Ireland.
"If you call a spade a spade, Stephen hasn’t engaged closely with the media over the last nine or ten years and you wonder if that has come against him.
"It’s disappointing. The only thing is it won’t bother him, he will push on and go for another All-Ireland.
"He has been hugely influential in everything that is good about Dublin, he was cool and calm in the All-Ireland final second half.
"He had a 100% return on his kick outs, it’s hard to believe at times the way he has been treated over the last three or four years when he hasn’t been in the team.”
