Over the last 40 years, The Sunday Game has brought the GAA football and hurling championships into your homes.
And now, we want you to help us choose the best XV in each code of the TV era - picking the best XV from All-Star winners of the Sunday Game era (1979-present)
Cast two votes for your All-Star football midfielders of choice below or email teamselection@rte.ie to make any more considered contributions. We will be debating these teams across our platforms in the coming weeks.
******
With the goalkeeper and defence in place, it's time to focus on the engine room.
Stephen Cluxton's transformation of the role of the goalkeeper may be the biggest change in the last 40 years, but similarly, what is required of a player at centre-field is far removed from what it was back in 1979.
That is in no way to demean the talents of those from a previous generation - the 1979 midfield pairing of Dermot Earley senior and Dublin's Bernard Brogan would hold its own in any era - it is an acknowledgement that the role has become more fluid.
While many modern-day midfielders remain physically imposing and often the leaders in the team, they are expected to assist in defence as well as contribute to attack. Sticking rigidly to the middle third of the pitch is now virtually non-existent.
This is partly down to a change in how the game is played. The reduction in kick-passes and long kick-outs means aerial battles are far less prevalent than they were in the 80s and 90s in particular, while the combative nature of some would undoubtedly quickly get them on the wrong side of the modern rules.
Some of the most iconic players of the Sunday Game era have worn the number 8 or 9 jerseys.
Chief among them is Jack O'Shea. The Kerryman's dominance of the skies paved the way for six All Stars and the Footballer of the Year accolade on an incredible four occasions. He was an ever-present talent in one of the most gifted teams of them all.
Mayo's eye-catching Willie Joe Padden claimed two All Stars during the 80s, which surprisingly is one more than Meath's Gerry McEntee, a key figure for the Royals during their four All-Ireland final appearances between 87 and 91. Liam Hayes was a partner in crime for a period and the Meath - Cork clashes during the later part of the decade were not for the faint-hearted.
They came up against Teddy McCarthy (the dual player never received an All-Star in hurling for the Rebels) and the teak-tough Shea Fahy.
Derry's Brian McGilligan would retire with a Celtic Cross and two All-Stars, and the 90s saw an emergence of some outstanding fetchers, including McGilligan's 1993 centre-field partner Anthony Tohill.
Tohill will go down as one of the finest exponents of midfield play, with four All-Stars to prove it (his first, in 1992, was at wing-forward), but he was in exalted company.
Meath's John McDermott finished with a trio of personal accolades, similar to two-time All-Ireland winner Kevin Walsh. Walsh's time in charge of the Galway footballers ended with many critics pointing to a defensive outlook, but during his pomp, the Killannin man was a force to be reckoned with.
Similar to Jack O'Shea during Kerry's golden period, Darragh Ó Sé was a fulcrum for Kingdom success, lording it over most opponents in a career that yielded four All-Stars. Dublin's Ciarán Whelan, who missed out on Sam Maguire, was a regular adversary, even if the Dubs collectively was far from the force of today.
Armagh's Paul McGrane and Kildare's Dermot Earley Jnr, following in the footsteps of his father, were consistent performers, while it is interesting that Bryan Sheehan's sole All-Star for Kerry came in the middle of the field.
The first couple of Seán Cavanagh's five All-Stars came at centre-field as Tyrone announced themselves on the national scene, including 2008 when he was crowned Footballer of the Year, a fate that befell Michael Darragh MacAuley five years later. Cavanagh's brother Colm, a versatile performer in his own right, also picked up an All-Star in the middle of the field in 2017.
Cork's Aidan Walsh and Donegal's Neil Gallagher have two All-Stars each to show for their efforts, while Aidan O'Shea has also been honoured, though only one of his awards have come in that area of the pitch.
Dublin's dominance in recent times has been backboned by the stellar performances of Brian Fenton. The Raheny man is yet to taste a Championship defeat, and a Footballer of the Year award and four All-Stars go nicely with five All-Ireland titles. His versatile clubmate Brian Howard has won personal accolades in both defence and midfield in his two seasons to date with the Dubs.
Perhaps Fenton's strongest competitor in the last few years has been Kerry's David Moran, who pushed the Kingdom to within a whisker of September success in 2019, while Mattie Donnelly has excelled in a number of positions for Tyrone, including an All Star in midfield in 2016.
* Voting is now closed
