Kerry's 12 and Cork's 10 lead the way

GAELIC GAMES 2009 ALL STAR FOOTBALL NOMINEES:ALL-IRELAND champions Kerry and finalists Cork lead the way with nearly half of the nominations for this year's GAA Football All Stars sponsored by Vodafone. Twelve of the Kerry side that started last weekend's final are included among the nominations whereas 10 of Cork's are similarly honoured.

Two of the champions’ team, Paul Galvin and Tomás Ó Sé, are short-listed for Footballer of the Year together with Cork captain Graham Canty.

All told, 12 counties are represented on the list and whereas there are some surprising omissions, none are likely to impact on the final selection, which will be announced next month and the awards presented in Dublin’s City West Hotel on Friday 16th October.

Kerry’s Tadhg Kennelly rounds off a remarkable return to football after a lengthy career in the AFL with Sydney. Within days of emulating his late father Tim and brother Noel in winning an All-Ireland medal, the Listowel forward has been nominated in the half forwards for the award that his father won at centre back twice in 1979 and 1980.

Cork’s Anthony Lynch is nominated for an award 10 years after winning his first.

The county will none the less feel disappointed for Colm O’Neill, whose performances during the championship included calmly rapping over a 45 to equalise against Kerry in Killarney back in June as well as kicking three points from play in the memorable defeat of All-Ireland champions Tyrone and bagging a 1-1 total in last weekend’s final.

He is, however, short listed for Young Footballer of the Year, together with Donegal’s Michael Murphy and Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea.

The other provincial champions attract lower-key representations than Cork’s. Dublin have four, of whom only Bernard Brogan hasn’t previously been honoured. Tyrone have five but these don’t include the 2008 Footballer of the Year Seán Cavanagh.

Mayo have the lowest return: just two, captain Trevor Mortimer and wing back Andy Moran.

Ten of last year’s final selection don’t receive even a nomination this time around, reflecting disappointing seasons for their respective counties: Gary Connaughton (Westmeath), Conor Gormley (Tyrone), John Keane (Westmeath), Philip Jordan (Tyrone); Enda McGinley (Tyrone), Shane Ryan (Dublin); Brian Dooher (Tyrone), Seán Cavanagh (Tyrone), Kieran Donaghy (Kerry) and Ronan Clarke (Armagh).

Those that will have a chance of retaining their status are Tyrone defensive pair Justin McNulty and Davy Harte plus three Kerry players Tomás Ó Sé, Declan O’Sullivan and Colm Cooper, who are bidding for a third successive award.

There is a reasonably egalitarian spread of nominations with Antrim and Sligo, who campaigned in Division Four last season, plus Limerick and Wicklow, who will do so next year, all receiving recognition.

Antrim had an excellent year, gaining promotion from the bottom division and reaching a first Ulster final since 1970, which they lost to Tyrone. Full forward Michael McCann gets a nomination on the inside line.

It’s the county’s first nomination since 2000 and you’d have to go all the way back to 1971, the inaugural year of the modern scheme, to find Antrim’s only football All Star, corner forward Andy McCallin.

McCann’s team-mate James Loughrey is unlucky not to have been named after a fine season.

Sligo, the team which beat Antrim in the NFL Division Four final, are also recognised for two heroic defeats, one in injury time against Galway and the other, even better known for the calamity of missing a penalty in Tralee, where the eventual All-Ireland champions so nearly walked the plank during the last round of the All-Ireland qualifiers and but for Diarmuid Murphy’s save would have done so.

Counter-attacking wing back Jonny Davey, who was fouled for the penalty, is nominated.

Limerick ran Cork very close in the Munster championship and John Galvin earns a nomination at centrefield, as does Johnny McCarthy after a terrific display in that provincial final.

Mick O’Dwyer again worked his magic with Wicklow during the championship and the county’s run to the final round of the qualifiers has showcased the claims of Ireland international Leighton Glynn and corner back Ciarán Hyland.

Otherwise, Donegal have strong claims on two All Stars after outstanding seasons for both Karl Lacey, previously honoured at corner back in 2006, and young full forward Michael Murphy, who was just overtaken on the final day of the season by Kerry’s Colm Cooper in the race to be the championship’s leading scorer.

On scoring average, only Dublin’s Bernard Brogan has bettered Murphy’s return of six a match.

GAELIC GAMES 2009 ALL STAR FOOTBALL NOMINEES

GOALKEEPERS:

Stephen Cluxton (Dublin)

Diarmuid Murphy (Kerry)

Alan Quirke (Cork)

FULL BACKS:

Tommy Griffin (Kerry)

Tom O’Sullivan (Kerry)

Marc Ó Sé (Kerry)

Anthony Lynch (Cork)

Michael Shields (Cork)

Ciarán Hyland (Wicklow)

Karl Lacey (Donegal)

Johnny McCarthy (Limerick)

Justin McMahon (Tyrone)

HALF BACKS:

Graham Canty (Cork)

John Miskella (Cork)

Michael McCarthy (Kerry)

Tomas Ó Sé (Kerry)

Davy Harte (Tyrone)

Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone)

Barry Cahill (Dublin)

Johnny Davey (Sligo)

Andy Moran (Mayo)

MIDFIELD:

Dermot Earley (Kildare)

Nicholas Murphy (Cork)

Alan O’Connor (Cork)

Kevin Hughes (Tyrone)

John Galvin (Limerick)

Séamus Scanlon (Kerry)

HALF FORWARDS:

Paul Galvin (Kerry)

Tadhg Kennelly (Kerry)

Alan Brogan (Dublin)

Leighton Glynn (Wicklow)

James Kavanagh (Kildare)

Trevor Mortimer (Mayo)

Paddy Kelly (Cork)

Pearse O’Neill (Cork)

Joe Sheridan (Meath)

FULL FORWARDS:

Bernard Brogan (Dublin)

Colm Cooper (Kerry)

Declan O’Sullivan (Kerry)

Tommy Walsh (Kerry)

Daniel Goulding (Cork)

Michael Murphy (Donegal)

Michael McCann (Antrim)

Stephen O’Neill (Tyrone)

Alan Smith (Kildare)

FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR:

Graham Canty (Cork)

Paul Galvin (Kerry)

Tomas Ó Sé (Kerry)

YOUNG FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR:

Michael Murphy (Donegal)

Colm O’Neill (Cork)

Aidan O’Shea (Mayo)