Champions Kerry top GPA nominations list

ALL-IRELAND champions Kerry top the nominations for the Opel GPA Football Team of the Year with 11 Kingdom players shortlisted.

All-Ireland finalists Cork have nine nominees, Ulster champions Tyrone and Leinster winners

Dublin have four each, while Kildare and Mayo both garnered three nominations. Twelve counties are represented with Donegal, Antrim, Meath, Wicklow, Sligo and Derry also having players nominated.

Kerry received one nomination less than their total of GAA All Star nominations, with star attacker Colm Cooper the player to lose out. The county will definitely secure the Player of The Year award, a head-to-head battle between Paul Galvin and Tomás O Sé. Both players are also in the running for the GAA All Star Footballer of The Year along with Cork captain Graham Canty with the winner to be announced on Friday night.

There are 34 players on the GPA’s nomination list who are also in contention for GAA All Stars. The 11 different players on the GPA’s list are defenders Gerard O’Kane (Derry), Colm Brady (Antrim), Mikey Conway (Kildare), James Loughrey (Antrim) and Peadar Gardiner (Mayo), midfield duo Nigel Crawford (Meath) and Ronan McGarrity (Mayo), and attackers Paul Kerrigan (Cork), David Kelly (Sligo), Aidan O’Shea (Mayo) and Eoin Bradley (Derry). Some of the players to lose out include Cork’s Anthony Lynch and Alan O’Connor, Tyrone’s Davy Harte and Kerry’s Cooper.

The shortlists were drawn up by a selection committee consisting of Martin McHugh, Keith Barr and Paddy Heaney, with the winners to be selected by GPA members.

“These type of awards are entirely subjective and don’t always attract everyone’s approval,” said McHugh. “But the over-riding objective is to get the best 15 players for the 15 individual positions. Those of us on the committee believe that the overall aim can be achieved from the 45 players whom we have chosen for the nominations.”

The winners will be announced at the Opel GPA Awards on Friday, November 6 in the City West Hotel, along with hurling team of the year. Each player chosen receives a trophy, €2,500 and a set of gear. The chosen Hurler and Footballer of the Year receives an Opel vehicle to the value of €25,000 in addition.

NOMINEES FOR OPEL GPA FOOTBALL TEAM OF THE YEAR 1 S Cluxton (Dublin), D Murphy (Kerry), A Quirke (Cork); 2 C Brady (Antrim), K Lacey (Donegal), M O Sé (Kerry); 3 T Griffin (Kerry), J McMahon (Tyrone), M Shields (Cork); 4 C Hyland (Wicklow), T O’Sullivan (Kerry), G O’Kane (Derry); 5 P Gardiner (Mayo), J Loughrey (Antrim), T O Sé (Kerry); 6 G Canty (Cork), M McCarthy (Kerry), R McMenamin (Tyrone); 7 B Cahill (Dublin), M Conway (Kildare), J Miskella (Cork); 8 & 9 D Earley (Kildare), K Hughes (Tyrone), N Crawford (Meath), R McGarrity (Mayo), N Murphy (Cork), S Scanlon (Kerry); 10 A Brogan (Dublin), P Galvin (Kerry), P Kerrigan (Cork); 11 T Kennelly (Kerry), P O’Neill (Cork), J Sheridan (Meath); 12 L Glynn (Wicklow), P Kelly (Cork), J Kavanagh (Kildare); 13 E Bradley (Derry), D Goulding (Cork), S O’Neill (Tyrone); 14 M Murphy (Donegal), A O’Shea (Mayo), D O’Sullivan (Kerry); 15 B Brogan (Dublin), D Kelly (Sligo), T Walsh (Kerry).

Nominees for Opel GPA Player of the Year for Football: Paul Galvin (Kerry) and Tomás O Sé (Kerry).