Nine Tyrone players made the cut.
The Sunday Game selected Ciarán Kilkenny as the sole Dublin player in their team of the year, however, the Sky Sports team didn’t feel that any of the capital’s players deserved a spot.
They instead went for nine Tyrone players, three Mayo, two Kerry and one Kildare, to make up their starting 15.
Goalkeeper: Nial Morgan
The sweeper keeper has had an excellent season. His half-way line point against Kerry will always stand out but he has only conceded one goal in the entire championship, and his pin-point kick out to Con Kilpatrick that went on to create Darren McCurry’s goal in the final was immense.
Full-back line: Pádraig Hampsey, Lee Keegan, Ronan McNamee
Padraig Hampsey became only the third man in Tyrone history to captain his side to All-Ireland success, and his performances as a defender have been stellar, but his contribution going forward can’t be underestimated and he kicked a fine score in the final to get the Red Hand team going.
Lee Keegan was back to his best this year, bombing up and down the field, making crucial tackles and setting up scores at the other end, he was Mayo’s most consistent player, and a real servant to his county.
The Sunday Game didn’t pick Ronan mcnamee, but Sky Sports felt that his performances throughout the campaign should earn him a spot. His heroic block against Aidan O’Shea was a real highlight-reel moment.
Half-back line: Patrick Durcan, Kieran McGeary, Peter Harte
Patrick Durcan was excellent in defence all season, but his contributions going forward made him a real handful to play against.
Kieran McGeary produced the season of his life this year, a ball of energy and absolutely bull-like when attacking or defending, he has been at the heartbeat of everything good about Tyrone this season.
Peter Harte just joined Tyrone as their All-Ireland success came to a halt so he never got to experience those great heights, until now that is. He has been a loyal servant to Tyrone this last decade, and solidifying his position at half-back has allowed him to stay consistent and put in the performances that he was clearly capable off.
Midfield: Con Kilpatrick Matthew Ruane
Ruane was definitely a contender for Player of the Year going into the final, but he was probably bested in that midfield battle against Tyrone.
Kilpatrick has been the finding of the season for the Ulster side, as many Tyrone fans wonder where he has been this last few years. The high-fetching midfielder was definitely something that they have been missing.
Half-forward line: Niall Sludden, Paudie Clifford, Conor Meyler
Niall Sludden wondered if he was going to be playing a big role this season for Tyrone as he didn’t feature as much in the league as he would have wanted, however when the championship kicked off he was right in the middle of it all. He knits everything together from that half-forward line, is creative going forward and dogged working back.
Paudie Clifford was the biggest positive to come out of Kerry this season. The energetic half-forward was in the middle of everything that was positive from a Kerry point of view and will surely only get better,
Conor Meyler is another who has put in performances to put him into contention for Player f the Year. With some asking if he is the fittest man in the game, his work rate is second to none, and that’s coming from a team who place work rate as their top priority.
Full-forward line: David Clifford, Darren McCurry, Daniel Flynn
David Clifford did everything in his power to get Kerry over the line against Tyrone, and he was doing a good job too until an injury forced him off, and The Kingdom couldn’t find any answers without him. He is easily their most important player, but it could be argued that the importance laid on him is part of their problem, as they are over reliant on him.
Darren McCurry is another who finally fulfilled his potential. Anyone with a half a brain could see that McCurry had what it takes to be at the very, very top, but for whatever reason it just hasn’t happened for him. Will this year it happened, as the Dazzler dazed defenders from the opening game to the last and a Man of the Match performance in the final was just the icing on the cake.
Daniel Flynn was the surprise choice, but his performances for Kildare was nothing short of spectacular, and his goal against Dublin typified what he is all about. Regardless of the score line, he will still get his head down and try to make things happen.
