All-Ireland champions Dublin have claimed 12 PwC All-Star football nominations, one less than last year as all one of the Super 8 teams were represented in the 45-strong cohort.

The game from the gods with a Championship to boot, selecting All-Stars right now is a difficult exercise. There’s the increased quality obviously; so too the additional number of games from last year’s competition.

Seven players from the 2016 All-Star team are nominated for awards again.

Bernard Brogan will captain Ireland in this month's International Rules tests against Australlia, as manager Joe Kernan names five Dubs in the squad.

Galway, Waterford and Tipperary are the other counties represented in the team.

Things can change over the next six weeks — ask Kieran Donaghy — but if football’s All Stars were handed out in August, our GAA correspondent would be shaking hands and back-slapping with the following summer achievers.