It’s always tough to decide on these end of season awards.

The 45 nominations for the 2018 All-Star hurling team were released on Thursday morning. All-Ireland champions Limerick lead the way with each of their starting 15 earning nominations and they’re followed by beaten finalists Galway with nine, Cork with seven, Clare and Kilkenny five, Wexford two while Tipperary and Dublin received one nomination each.

The list is made up of 3 goalies, 18 defenders, 6 midfielders and 18 forwards.

It’s hard to please everybody but we feel Clare’s Jack Browne and Kilkenny’s Paddy Deegan were very unlucky to miss out on a nomination at the very least.

Clare corner back Jack Browne had a brilliant year in defence for the Banner this year. Skilful and composed in possession, the Ballyea man is so tigerish and tight without it. He was class for Clare all year long performing expert marking jobs on some of the game’s best corner forwards. He also has a penchant for a long range score as Tipperary found out to their cost in Munster. One of the tightest, teak tough inside back men around.

He has right to feel very aggrieved not to at least get a nomination for an All-Star.

Kilkenny’s Deegan came into his own this year with some standout performances for the Cats. He struggled against Limerick alright in the quarter final but nobody would have held an inspired Aaron Gillane that day. Faultless up to then, he was surely one of the top 18 defenders this year.

His ability under the dropping ball was noteworthy all the year long, he’d stick up the left hand and drive Kilkenny forward.

Galway’s Tuohy and Harte an count themselves lucky to be nominated in these lads’ places.

Without further ado, here’s the full list of nominations.

Goalkeepers

1. Anthony Nash, Cork
2. Eoin Murphy, Kilkenny
3. Nicky Quaid, Limerick

Defenders

1. Mark Coleman, Cork
2. Colm Spillane, Cork
3. David McInerney, Clare
4. Chris Crummey, Dublin
5. Dáithí Burke, Galway
6. Adrian Tuohy, Galway
7. Aidan Harte, Galway
8. Padraic Mannion, Galway
9. Cillian Buckley, Kilkenny
10. Padraig Walsh, Kilkenny
11. Sean Finn, Limerick
12. Mike Casey, Limerick
13. Richie English, Limerick
14. Diarmaid Byrnes, Limerick
15. Declan Hannon, Limerick
16. Dan Morrissey, Limerick
17. Paudie Foley, Wexford
18. Liam Ryan, Wexford

Midfielders

1. Colm Galvin, Clare
2. Darragh Fitzgibbon, Cork
3. David Burke, Galway
4. James Maher, Kilkenny
5. Cian Lynch, Limerick
6. Darragh O’Donovan, Limerick

Forwards

1. Peter Duggan, Clare
2. John Conlon, Clare
3. Shane O’Donnell, Clare
4. Daniel Kearney, Cork
5. Seamus Harnedy, Cork
6. Pa Horgan, Cork
7. Joe Canning, Galway
8. Conor Whelan, Galway
9. Cathal Mannion, Galway
10. Jonathan Glynn, Galway
11. TJ Reid, Kilkenny
12. Kyle Hayes, Limerick
13. Gearoid Hegarty, Limerick
14. Tom Morrissey, Limerick
15. Aaron Gillane, Limerick
16. Seamus Flanagan, Limerick
17. Graeme Mulcahy, Limerick
18. Jason Forde, Tipperary

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10