Seven the magic number again for Kingdom's All-Star standard bearers 

Kerry’s seven football All-Stars equals the county’s largest haul over the past 40 years, but not among them is corner-back Tom O’Sullivan

STARS IN ARMS: Paudie Clifford, left, and David Clifford of Kerry celebrate after the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Kerry and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Kerry’s seven football All-Stars equals the county’s largest haul over the past 40 years, but not among the seven is corner-back Tom O’Sullivan.

Seven was the magic number at the end of the county’s 1984 and 2009 All-Ireland winning seasons, and that is again the case in 2022. The 1981 haul of nine gongs remains untouched for another 12 months at least.

Goalkeeper Shane Ryan and the three Kerry defenders given the nod - full-back Jason Foley, right half-back Tadhg Morley, and left half-back Gavin White - are four of the 11 first-time winners on this year’s All-Star team.

Their defensive colleague, Tom O’Sullivan, who had been an All-Star frontrunner prior to the All-Ireland final for the smart execution of his defensive duties and the 0-7 he contributed across Kerry’s Munster final, All-Ireland quarter-final, and semi-final wins, misses out.

The absence of a Kerry player in the middle of the field is the first time since 2004 that an All-Ireland winning Kerry side has not had a midfielder make the team of the year.

The three remaining Kerry All-Stars are selected in attack. And unlike the Kingdom defenders recognised, none of Seán O’Shea, Paudie, or David Clifford are debutants on an All-Star team.

It’s a second award each for the half-forward pair of Paudie Clifford and O’Shea. The latter won his first in 2019, the former 12 months ago. As for David Clifford, it’s a fourth All-Star on the shelf.

The 23-year-old inside forward is also in the mix for the player of the year award, which has been selected by a players' vote and will be announced during tomorrow evening’s televised ceremony.

His fellow nominees for the player of the year gong are Galway duo Cillian McDaid and Shane Walsh, both of whom are part of Galway’s five All-Star winners.

Galway’s total is the county’s largest since their 2001 All-Ireland winning campaign when six members of John O’Mahony’s team made the final cut. In the intervening 21 years, the county has had just two All-Star winners - midfielder Kevin Walsh (2003) and forward Ian Burke (2018).

Completing the Galway quintet on the 2022 selection are corner-back Liam Silke, centre-back John Daly, and full-forward Damien Comer. The inclusion of the Galway centre-back means a third All-Star for the Daly household given John’s father, Val, was twice a winner in 1987 and 1990.

Corner-back Chrissy McKaigue and midfielder Conor Glass are the two Ulster winning Derry players honoured. Their selection bridges a 15-year gap to the last time a Derryman brought an All-Star back to the Oak Leaf County.

Dublin, who suffered the same All-Ireland semi-final fate as Glass and McKaigue’s Derry, are represented at left-half forward by Ciarán Kilkenny. The 29-year-old is by some distance the most decorated member of this year’s team, collecting as he is a third All-Star on trot and sixth in total since 2015.

The hurling All-Star team will be revealed tomorrow evening, along with the player and young player of the year award winners in either code.

2022 PwC All-Star football team: Shane Ryan (Kerry); Chrissy McKaigue (Derry), Jason Foley (Kerry), Liam Silke (Galway); Tadhg Morley (Kerry), John Daly (Galway), Gavin White (Kerry); Conor Glass (Derry), Cillian McDaid (Galway); Paudie Clifford (Kerry), Seán O'Shea (Kerry), Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin); David Clifford (Kerry), Damien Comer (Galway), Shane Walsh (Galway).