GAA Player of the Year Nominations

KevIRL

Vodafone and the GAA today announced the shortlist of players in line for the individual awards of Hurler of the Year, Young Hurler of the Year, Footballer of the Year and Young Footballer of the Year in the annual All Stars scheme.

The winners will be announced live on television at the GAA All Stars banquet at Dublin’s City West Hotel on October 19th.

Players from Kilkenny, Waterford, Limerick and Galway feature in the lists for the hurling awards, while a Kerry clean sweep of the football nominations is prevented by the entry of talented Laois player Michael J Tierney in the Young Footballer category. To qualify for a Young Player award a player must have been eligible to play in the under-21 grade during the year under review.

Recent winners of the Young Hurler awards have been Brian Murphy (Cork) in 2004, David Collins (Galway) in 2005 and James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick (Kilkenny) in 2006, while Young Footballer award winners have been Niall Tinney (Fermanagh) in 2004, Aaron Kernan (Armagh) in 2005 and Keith Higgins (Mayo) last year.

Neither of last year’s Players of the Year, Henry Shefflin and Kieran Donaghy make the shortlist on this occasion. But Shefflin’s teammate Tommy Walsh is on the list, while Donaghy’s teammates Colm Cooper, Marc O’Se and Declan O’Sullivan make it an all-Kerry line-up for the top football award.

The following is the full list of nominations for the individual awards (in alphabetical order):

Vodafone GAA All Star Hurler of the Year

Ken McGrath (Waterford)

Dan Shanahan (Waterford)

Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny)

Vodafone GAA All Star Young Hurler of the Yea

Mike Fitzgerald (Limerick)

Seamus Hickey (Limerick)

John Lee (Galway)


Vodafone GAA All Star Footballer of the Year

Colm Cooper (Kerry)

Marc O’Se (Kerry)

Declan O’Sullivan (Kerry)



Vodafone GAA All Star Young Footballer of the Year


Padraig Reidy (Kerry)

Michael J Tierney (Laois)

Killian Young (Kerry)

An Citeog

I wouldn't begrudge either Dan Shanahan or Tommy Walsh the hurler of the year award. Seamus Hickey for young hurler, Declan O'Sullivan for footballer and Killian Young for young footballer.

It seems like there is a lack of candidates for young footballer this year. Michael Tierney was good but Laois didn't even make the quarter finals. Don't really know who else you could put in there though. 5 Kerry players out of 6 aswell, were they really that good?

kevmy

Agree with ^^^^

Could they not give a young player nomination to O' Rourke?

yahoo_moe

An Citeog wrote:

were they really that good?

more a case of lack of competition I think, esp. for the Young Footballer award - in terms of Footballer of the Year, I think they've probably picked the three best footballers in the country... probably the only other player I think is guaranteed an All-Star would be Tomás Ó Sé (and I'm a Dub in case you're wondering)

I think Hickey and Young should be nailed on for the Young player awards and Dan the Man should take Hurler of the Year - although Ken McGrath was quality all year, he was just up against a force of nature. Not just the goals (phenomenal record) but he also turned in possibly his best all-round game (3 points from play) when the team struggled big time in the semi against Limerick and he certainly deserves it.

I'd like to see Marc Ó Sé take the football I think. Certainly (for me) the toughest category to decide but i think he just shades it, probably cos it means I don't have to decide between two forwards who paired up and played off each other so well all year

enda1

Would James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick be too old for young player of the year? He should probably win both young and overall player of the year i think.

scaramanga

enda1 wrote:

Would James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick be too old for young player of the year? He should probably win both young and overall player of the year i think.

u have to be eligibile for u21s to go for young player. gooch will get player of year even though marc deserves it

An Citeog

scaramanga wrote:

u have to be eligibile for u21s to go for young player. gooch will get player of year even though marc deserves it

I'd rank Cooper 3rd in that list. Marc O'Sé had a brilliant season but I think Declan O'Sullivan showed real leadership and got some vital scores for Kerry when they were in dire need, particularly against Monaghan and Dublin. For that reason, he shades it for me.

They should probably just set up another awards scheme for the O'Sé brothers anyway!

KevIRL

I think Dan has the hurler of the year, altho i put a tenner on Ken McGrath at 12/1 to win it back in May