Will the real Allstars please stand up

FORGET last night, those Allstars are a farce.

1: I reduced this position to two, eventually. In their fanatical approach to hurling, Davy Fitz and Donal Óg Cusack are almost identical. Both are on top of their game; they are outstanding shot-stoppers and have incredible courage. Each is also a commanding presence, organising the defence in front. Both have added new dimensions to their game, in particular with puck-outs and clearances, revolutionising the position.

So who loses out in this selection? Davy Fitz, to my mind, is the more natural keeper, he has cat-like reflexes and added to his reputation this year, but after some soul-searching, I go for Cusack. What swung it? Cusack’s importance to Cork on and off the park. He is Cork’s number one, in every sense.

2: My first automatic. Pat Mulcahy (Cork) was the most impressive performer in any full-back line. A boa constrictor; his victims might put up a fight initially, but it’s useless. He wraps them up and chokes the life out of them. Not alone does he win his own position, he covers everywhere danger occurs.

3: At full-back, simply, Diarmuid O’Sullivan had the best year. He’s not the best natural full-back, Clare’s Brian Lohan and Wexford’s Darragh Ryan were the two who came closest and are both ahead of him on that count.

Despite being rattled by Micheál Webster of Tipperary in the Munster final, the Rock was just that this year, The Rock.

4: I am tempted by another Cork man here, Brian Murphy, who I rate very highly. I looked also to Limerick’s Damien Reale and Wexford’s big Doc O’Connor, but I went for the inevitable.

Ollie Canning (Galway) may well be reaching the stage where he isn’t the best hurler in his own house (precocious Joe is coming on like an express train), but he is the best pure man-marking hurler in the game.

5: There was only one. Derek Hardiman (Galway), Tony Browne (Waterford) and Ollie Moran (Limerick) had strong claims, while Brian Whelahan (Offaly) stirred the blood, as did Richie Mullally (Kilkenny).

I go for John Gardiner (Cork), one of only two candidates I have for Hurler of the Year. He didn’t just do the job in his own position, but, like Mulcahy behind him, covered for others, and filled in at centre-back on a couple of vital occasions.

6: Not a sterling year for centre-backs, Declan Ruth (Wexford), Ken McGrath (Waterford) were in contention, but I go for a sterling performer over the years. Clare gave Cork the biggest fright this year; like Brian Lohan behind him, another veteran, Seanie McMahon, played a central role in that surge. He was back to his imperious, commanding best and when Seanie is holding the middle, Clare can play.

7: An automatic last year when he was Hurler of the Year, Sean Óg Ó hAilpín had real opposition this year in Peter Lawlor (Limerick), Gerry Quinn (Clare) and David Collins (Galway), but holds the position. As Cork captain, he led by example and even got forward for a couple of points, his first in the championship.

8 & 9: Colin Lynch (Clare), Paul Kelly (Tipperary), David Tierney (Galway) and Fergal Healy (Galway); any two from the above would grace this position but I’m going for the Cork duet. Jerry O’Connor is my Hurler of the Year, a phenomenon, and Tom Kenny isn’t far behind. Midfield is about effective work rate, linking, dropping back to assist defence and going forward to join attack. Nobody does it better than the Cork pairing.

10: Who could argue with Ben O’Connor? Good forwards are a rarity, and this was a poor season for forwards, but Ben strutted his stuff all year.

11: I am going for another Clare man, Tony Carmody. Like the centre-back position, it was not a vintage year for centre-forwards. David Forde (Galway) staked a claim, as did Seamus Prendergast (Waterford) and Eoin Larkin (Kilkenny), but Carmody stepped forward this year and stood apart.

12: Again, not a lot of contenders. Alan Markham, while not an out-and-out wing-forward, impressed for Clare, Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny) did the job on a number of occasions, but my man is Galway’s Alan Kerins.

He worked his socks off and was a major part of the Galway rise this year.

13: Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly. I would have him on any team.

14: A right old tussle here. Niall Gilligan (Clare) impressed and carried the Banner challenge almost on his own up front on a couple of occasions; Micheál Webster (Tipperary) burst through and caused havoc, TJ Ryan (Limerick) merits mention, as does Seamus Prendergast (Waterford) again.

But Brian Corcoran.

What can you say that hasn’t been said? Corcoran is the ultimate clutch player. When the game’s on the line, as it was many times this year, for Cork, Corcoran was the man.

15: The final position, and again, a number of contenders. Henry, obviously (and if you need to know his surname and county, you shouldn’t be reading this), but it wasn’t his best year; Joe Deane came up with some critical points for Cork, from frees mostly, Tony Griffin shone for Clare, but I go for the little big man from Galway.

Damien Hayes was a tiger; his goal against Tipp in the All-Ireland quarter- final was goal of the season.