Carey notable absentee from list of Allstar nominees

DJ CAREY, an award-winner for the ninth time last year, is a notable absentee from the list of nominees for the 2003 Vodafone GAA Allstars who were chosen in Dublin yesterday by a panel of national journalists.

Kilkenny's All-Ireland winning captain is one of three members of the double-winning side to be excluded, the others being defender James Ryall and midfielder Paddy Mullally. Championship runners-up Cork have 10 players nominated, among them brothers Seán Óg and Setanta Ó hAilpín, while midfielder Colin Lynch one of eight of the 2002 Allstars side is the sole Clare nominee.

Among five Tipperary players nominated are brothers Paul and Eoin Kelly, both award winners last year. And, the selection includes two players from Dublin, midfielder Conal Keaney (a member of the All-Ireland U21 football team against Tyrone) and forward Tomás McGrane.

The selection is also significant for the reason that it includes Antrim's Ciaran Herron, who excelled at left half-back this season. To date, Dessie Donnelly is the only defender from the county to gain an award (1989). Terence (Sambo) McNaughton and Paul McKillen won awards at midfield, while Ciaran Barr is the only forward to gain the ultimate accolade.

True to form, the list is dominated by the All-Ireland champions and, while Carey's omission will provoke considerable debate, the same cannot be said about the other two who failed to make it. James Ryall only came into the team midway through the League after a loss of form caused by a back injury forced Philly Larkin out of contention. Paddy Mullally, a former Kilkenny football captain, came into the side later after a reshuffle caused by an injury to his brother Richie. Five of the Cork players nominated are defenders, Pat Mulcahy being the unlucky one to lose out.

The group features Tom Kenny and Ronan Curran, who only came into the team last year the same as John Gardiner at midfield and Setanta Ó hAilpín in attack.

Wayne Sherlock and Ben O'Connor, also included, were the only Cork nominees last year and the county failed to gain representation in 2001. Interestingly, the goalkeepers nominated Brendan Cummins, James McGarry and Damien Fitzhenry were the three chosen in 2001 and 2000. Last year, McGarry and Fitzhenry were also named, along with Davy Fitzgerald, who ended up winning the award.

McGarry is the only one never to have been named in an Allstars team.

Seven Wexford players are nominated, among them Liam Dunne who had an excellent campaign which was characterised by his disciplined play, and Larry Murphy who played a major role in the surprise win over Waterford in the qualifier competition in Nowlan Park.

Offaly have four players named all of them first-time nominees, while Waterford have just two, John Mullane and Paul Flynn who each notched hat-tricks in the Munster championship against Cork and Limerick.