National Forum

Can Jack O'connor Over Take Jim Gavin?

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Beat post of the day.Yeab you are correct about that muppet he has Kerry Cork and Limerick usernames and a Walter Mitty gambler."
Jack is staying on. Great news. Kerry will do the 7in a row. AI title 40 incoming next year.

KerryAllIrelandChampions2025 (Kerry) - Posts: 15 - 20/08/2025 21:55:53    2632887

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Jack might be able to overtake him in terms of net All Ireland's won, but Jim Gavin is just on a different level. That Dublin team from 2015 - 2019 were the best Gaelic Footballing team I have ever seen, the closest to perfection that I have ever seen. Yes they had a lot generational talent at the one time, but it takes a special manager to keep that train going year after year.

Jim Gavin is a manager I greatly admire and respect, its not about the number of All Ireland's won, it was the dominant fashion in how those All Ireland's were won, they systems he had in place, just different gravy.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1457 - 21/08/2025 09:25:20    2632908

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I think there are many factors involved in this debate. It makes the all star selection look easy. Gavin did inherit an All Ireland winning team and there was exceptional players on it and the backbone of it remained right through but that is not taking away from any of his achievements as there was an incredible never say die attitude about them. O Connor won it in 3 different stints though 06 & 09 were similar teams. What does impress me about OConnor is the gap between title no. 3 (2009) and no. 4 (2022) and finally this year. Football changed so much in those years. The change in the last 12 months was challenging with the new rules and he is the first manager to win under them but in the 10 or so years he was away from the senior team was that he went back into the underage setup and won 2 minor all irelands and also took the U21s. Winning All-Irelands 18 years apart is very impressive especially with the change in the game and times. Im not going to call any of the managers the greatest as it is subjective under so many factors but they have all made our games great and none of them will be forgotten.

Dothesimplethingswell (Sligo) - Posts: 18 - 21/08/2025 09:59:55    2632915

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Replying To Dothesimplethingswell:  "I think there are many factors involved in this debate. It makes the all star selection look easy. Gavin did inherit an All Ireland winning team and there was exceptional players on it and the backbone of it remained right through but that is not taking away from any of his achievements as there was an incredible never say die attitude about them. O Connor won it in 3 different stints though 06 & 09 were similar teams. What does impress me about OConnor is the gap between title no. 3 (2009) and no. 4 (2022) and finally this year. Football changed so much in those years. The change in the last 12 months was challenging with the new rules and he is the first manager to win under them but in the 10 or so years he was away from the senior team was that he went back into the underage setup and won 2 minor all irelands and also took the U21s. Winning All-Irelands 18 years apart is very impressive especially with the change in the game and times. Im not going to call any of the managers the greatest as it is subjective under so many factors but they have all made our games great and none of them will be forgotten."
Ill add to that to correct myself!! O Connor won All-Irelands that were 21 years apart his first in 2004 and his latest in 2025. Theres something to be said for that especially with the change in times and football. In one of his first league games in charge Kerry were beaten by Longford of all teams!! He described the journey home that Sunday evening as one of the longest of his life. Let us not forget great men like Liam Kearns & John o Mahony both deceased now who brought counties to great heights over the years.

Dothesimplethingswell (Sligo) - Posts: 18 - 22/08/2025 10:48:25    2633092

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Replying To Commodore:  "Jack might be able to overtake him in terms of net All Ireland's won, but Jim Gavin is just on a different level. That Dublin team from 2015 - 2019 were the best Gaelic Footballing team I have ever seen, the closest to perfection that I have ever seen. Yes they had a lot generational talent at the one time, but it takes a special manager to keep that train going year after year.

Jim Gavin is a manager I greatly admire and respect, its not about the number of All Ireland's won, it was the dominant fashion in how those All Ireland's were won, they systems he had in place, just different gravy."
Both great no? Of course donegal man a sour ine wouldn't give jack any credit as if t wins and did it st every key level u21s minor too . Both legends But of course you lost him recently so can't credit him. Anyway even you don't agree surely agree he is in conversation though

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 936 - 22/08/2025 11:25:05    2633103

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Replying To Dothesimplethingswell:  "I think there are many factors involved in this debate. It makes the all star selection look easy. Gavin did inherit an All Ireland winning team and there was exceptional players on it and the backbone of it remained right through but that is not taking away from any of his achievements as there was an incredible never say die attitude about them. O Connor won it in 3 different stints though 06 & 09 were similar teams. What does impress me about OConnor is the gap between title no. 3 (2009) and no. 4 (2022) and finally this year. Football changed so much in those years. The change in the last 12 months was challenging with the new rules and he is the first manager to win under them but in the 10 or so years he was away from the senior team was that he went back into the underage setup and won 2 minor all irelands and also took the U21s. Winning All-Irelands 18 years apart is very impressive especially with the change in the game and times. Im not going to call any of the managers the greatest as it is subjective under so many factors but they have all made our games great and none of them will be forgotten."
O'Connor's longevity is impressive. What's also impressive is his strike rate of 5 senior All Irelands from 11 attempts with Kerry, 45% success rate. It pales big time however compared to Gavins 6 from 7, 86% success.
Gavin's starting 15 in 2019 showed 9 changes from 2013, so quite a different team.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1006 - 22/08/2025 13:06:56    2633116

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When you look at O Connors and Jim
Gavin's stats it really hits home how ridiculously good of a manager Brian Cody really was.

Cody was in a league of his own, 11 All Irelands.

His first All Ireland in 2000, 4 in a row from 06 to 09 and then his final All Ireland in 2015.

Past hurler (None) - Posts: 978 - 22/08/2025 14:32:06    2633123

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Replying To Past hurler:  "When you look at O Connors and Jim
Gavin's stats it really hits home how ridiculously good of a manager Brian Cody really was.

Cody was in a league of his own, 11 All Irelands.

His first All Ireland in 2000, 4 in a row from 06 to 09 and then his final All Ireland in 2015."
We all look through the prism that suits us, O' Connor, Gavin, Cody? Yes Cody won 11 to Gavin's 6, but and there's always a but, Brian failed to win the McCarthy Cup in 13 of his management years, Jim only missed out once.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1006 - 22/08/2025 20:53:26    2633161

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Replying To Past hurler:  "When you look at O Connors and Jim
Gavin's stats it really hits home how ridiculously good of a manager Brian Cody really was.

Cody was in a league of his own, 11 All Irelands.

His first All Ireland in 2000, 4 in a row from 06 to 09 and then his final All Ireland in 2015."
I didnt realise Cody won 11 All Irelands. He's surely way out in front in both hurling & football so.. I believe he reffed all the training games and not even sure if he ever blew the whistle!! Incredible to think of the size of backroom teams nowadays needed to achieve much less .

Dothesimplethingswell (Sligo) - Posts: 18 - 22/08/2025 22:53:58    2633168

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