GAA:Lar Corbett and Brendan Maher are in line for more individual honours after their outstanding season for All-Ireland champions Tipperary. Both have been shortlisted, alongside Kilkenny's Michael Fennelly and Tommy Walsh, for the Opel GPA Hurler of the Year award.
Corbett and Maher, who picked up the Hurler of the Year and Young Hurler of the year gongs at the All Star awards last week, are joined in the nominations for team of the year by 10 of their Tipperary teammates.
Kilkenny have garnered 10 in total but there is no place for PJ Ryan among the 45 nominations with Brendan Cummins, Gary Maguire and Donal Og Cusack preferred in goal.
In all, nine counties are represented with the Canning brothers – Ollie and Joe – among six from Galway while Waterford have five names on the list.
GPA players around the country will now vote on their selection and the team of the year will be announced at a gala dinner on Friday, November 5th.
“The GPA selection committee has put forward what it believes are the three best nominations for the various positions on the 2010 team of the year and four nominations for hurler of the year,” said Donal O’Grady, chairman of the selection committee, today.
“However, the GPA scheme gives the player the final say and it is the players themselves who will now make the ultimate choice and select their best 15 and their player of the year.”
Hurling Team of the Year 2010 shortlist
1.Brendan Cummins (Tipperary) / Gary Maguire (Dublin) / Donal Og Cusack (Cork)
2.Noel Connors (Waterford) / John Dalton (Kilkenny) / Paddy Stapleton (Tipperary)
3.Eoin Cadogan (Cork) / Paul Curran (Tipperary) / Shane Kavanagh (Galway)
4.Ollie Canning (Galway) / Brian Murphy (Cork) / Jackie Tyrell (Kilkenny)
5.Declan Fanning (Tipperary) / Tony Browne (Waterford) / Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny)
6.Tony Og Regan (Galway) / Ronan Curran (Cork) / Michael Walsh (Waterford)
7.Declan Prendergast (Waterford)/ Padraic Maher (Tipperary) / JJ Delaney (Kilkenny)
8/9.Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny) / Rory Hannify (Offaly) / Brendan Maher (Tipperary) / Shane McGrath (Tipperary) / Shane O'Sullivan (Waterford) / Michael Rice (Kilkenny)
10.Damien Hayes (Galway) / TJ Reid (Kilkenny) / Gearoid Ryan (Tipperary)
11.Noel McGrath (Tipperary) / Neil McManus (Antrim) / Henry Sheflin (Kilkenny)
12.Lar Corbett (Tipperary) / Eoin Larkin (Kilkenny) / Niall McCarthy (Cork)
13.Eoin Kelly (Tipperary) / Shane Dooley (Offaly) / Darach Honan (Clare)
14.Richie Power (Kilkenny) / Joe Canning (Galway) / Liam Watson (Antrim)
15.John Mullane (Waterford) / Alan McCrabbe (Dublin) / John O'Brien (Tipperary)
Player of the year shortlist
Lar Corbett (Tipperary) / Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny) / Brendan Maher (Tipperary) / Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny)