GAA: All-Ireland champions Cork have had nine players nominated for the 2010 Opel/Gaelic Players Association team of the year, reflecting their ultimate dominance of both league and championship football last season.
Beaten finalists Down have received five nominations, with All-Ireland semi-finalists Kildare and Dublin getting six and five respectively. There are 13 counties represented in total, in this case one more than made the All Star nominations list.
The team will be announced at the GPA awards ceremony on November 5th.
The three nominations for the GPA footballer of the year are Bernard Brogan of Dublin, Benny Coulter of Down and John Doyle of Kildare.
Brogan has already picked up the All Star footballer of the year, but the GPA honour is worth an Opel vehicle to the value of €25,000, and same for the GPA hurler of the year.
“These type of awards are entirely subjective and don’t always attract everyone’s approval but the over-riding objective is to get the best 15 players for the 15 individual positions,” said GPA chairman Martin McHugh.
The nominations are made on a position basis, with three players for each position reflecting their dominant role in that position throughout the 2010 season. The 13 counties represented are Dublin, Down, Cork, Sligo, Roscommon, Kildare, Tyrone, Louth, Kerry, Limerick, Monaghan, Meath and Armagh.
Nominees for Opel GPA Football Team of the Year 2010:
1. Stephen Cluxton (Dublin) / Brendan McVeigh (Down) / Alan Quirke (Cork)
2. Charlie Harrison (Sligo) / Seanie McDermott (Roscommon) / Peter Kelly (Kildare)
3. Justin McMahon (Tyrone) / Rory O'Carroll (Dublin) / Michael Shields (Cork)
4. John O'Brien (Louth) / Eoin Cadogan (Cork) / Philly McMahon (Dublin)
5. Kevin McKernan (Down) / Tomas Ó Sé ( Kerry) / Stephen Lavin (Limerick)
6. Graham Canty (Cork) / Conor Gormley ( Tyrone) / Emmet Bolton (Kildare)
7. Paudie Kissane (Cork) / Philip Jordan (Tyrone) / Damien Freeman (Monaghan)
8/9. Paddy Keenan (Louth) / John Galvin (Limerick) / Aidan Walsh (Cork) / Michael Darragh Maculey (Dublin) / Daryl Flynn (Kildare) / Dick Clerkin (Monaghan)
10. Patrick Kelly (Cork) / Daniel Hughes (Down) / Alan Costello (Sligo)
11. Martin Clarke (Down) / Joe Sheridan (Meath) / Eamon Callaghan (Kildare)
12. John Doyle (Kildare) / Cathal Cregg (Roscommon) / Graham Reilly (Meath)
13. Daniel Goulding (Cork) / David Kelly (Sligo) / Colm Cooper (Kerry)
14. Donie Shine (Roscommon) / Benny Coulter (Down) / Steven McDonnell (Armagh)
15. Donncha O'Connor (Cork) / Bernard Brogan (Dublin) / James Kavanagh (Kildare)
Nominees for Opel GPA Player of the Year for Football 2010
Bernard Brogan (Dublin); Benny Coulter; John Doyle (Kildare).