All-Star awards are a subjective thing.
Our All-Star hurling team makes a couple of changes to the Sunday Game team’s one. Then Corbett and McGrath’s chosen 15 is different again.
Invariably, no two teams are the same. Different players impress different people in different ways. Almost every onlooker has a different view on the game.
Here are an example of three All-Star teams out there.
GAA JOE All-Star team
The Sunday Game All-Star team
1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)
2. Sean Finn (Limerick)
3. Ronan Maher (Tipperary)
4. Cathal Barrett (Tipperary)
5. Brendan Maher (Tipperary)
6. Padraig Walsh (Kilkenny)
7. Pauric Maher (Tipperary)
8. Noel McGrath (Tipperary)
9. Diarmuid O’Keeffe (Wexford)
10. Lee Chin (Wexford)
11. TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
12. Colin Fennelly (Kilkenny)
13. Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
14. Seamus Callanan (Tipperary)
15. Patrick Horgan (Cork)
Corbett and McGrath’s All-Star team
And while you will always have a couple of minor differences, here are a couple of players who can count themselves very unlucky at not getting a mention at all.
Players who can count themselves unlucky
Joey Holden (Kilkenny)
Goes about his business quietly but always gets his business done. One of the safest and most assured corner backs in the land, he again barely put a foot wrong for Kilkenny this year. Every ball won on Joey Holden is hard earned and though Bubbles did some damage in the second half of the final, Holden could hardly be blamed too much given the space Tipp’s inside line was afforded.
John Donnelly (Kilkenny)
When you consider that the Thomastown club man only started three championship games for Kilkenny this year, his mere mention here is fairly outrageous.
But those three games were the most important games of the year and Donnelly, who failed to make the DCU Fitzgibbon Cup team in February, was one of their best performers and hardest workers in each one. His teammate Adrian Mullen shades the 12 spot, but Donnelly wasn’t far off.
Enda Rowland (Laois)
If the All-Star awards were picked in July, Enda Rowland would be a shoo-in. Against Dublin his save from Danny Sutcliffe was special but it wasn’t even his highlight of that game. His free from under the Portlaoise stands had a county going crazy and stands out as one of the moments of the summer. In the mean-time, other goalies such as Brian Hogan impressed and he gets the nod, but only just.
Liam Óg McGovern (Wexford)
Alongside his club-mate O’Keeffe, Mogie was a fount of energy, skill and selflessness for Wexford. His return from two cruciate injuries is incredible but this is no sentimental choice. Won so much ball and gave so many key passes as a fundamental cog in Davy Fitz’ machine.
Conor Fogarty (Kilkenny)
A slightly underrated performer, the Érin’s Own club man was back at his very best in the closing stages of the championship. Against Cork he hurled the field and he was also effective against Limerick. Also fared well in the final, on a day when he was under intense pressure.
