Gaelic Games

Kerry lead football All Star nominations with 12 but Galway have two of the three on FOTY shortlist

David Clifford faces a challenge from Shane Walsh and Cillian McDaid for Footballer of the Year

Kerry's David Clifford is one of three nominees for Footballer of the Year. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Kerry's David Clifford is one of three nominees for Footballer of the Year. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Gordon Manning
Wed Sept 07 2022 - 07:00

All-Ireland champions Kerry have 12 players included in the 2022 PwC GAA football All Stars nominations list.

However, David Clifford is the only Kerry nominee for Footballer of the Year – with Galway pair Shane Walsh and Cillian McDaid completing the shortlist. The Young Footballer of the Year nominees are Galway defender Jack Glynn, Derry wing forward Ethan Doherty and Dublin back Lee Gannon.

A total of 11 counties are represented on the 45-strong list. Beaten finalists Galway have eight players nominated while Derry (seven), Dublin (six), Armagh (five), Cork (two), Mayo, Monaghan, Clare, Limerick and Kildare (all one) also have nominees.

The three Kerry players who started in the All-Ireland final but miss out on a nomination are David Moran, Diarmuid O’Connor and Paul Geaney. But Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan and all six Kingdom defenders have made the longlist.

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Ryan is up against Dublin’s Evan Comerford and Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty for the goalkeeping spot, meaning there is no place for Galway number one Conor Gleeson. Rafferty’s inclusion comes after a career-transforming season where he reinvented himself from an outfield player to becoming the Orchard County’s first-choice goalkeeper.

In defence, Galway’s Kieran Molloy and Dublin’s Eoin Murchan are unlucky to miss out, particularly the former as he was a key player in the Tribesmen’s run to a first All-Ireland final appearance since 2001.

Unsurprisingly, his Galway defensive colleagues Liam Silke, Seán Kelly and John Daly do all make the cut among the 18 backs.

There is also recognition for swashbuckling Limerick wing back Cian Sheehan, who picks up his first All Star nomination after a brilliant season during which he was one of the Treaty County’s on-field leaders. He scored 0-3 from play in the Munster final, a game which Limerick largely spent bucketing water from wave after wave of Kerry attack.

Chrissy McKaigue is one of three Derry defenders nominated for an All Star. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Chrissy McKaigue is one of three Derry defenders nominated for an All Star. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Ulster champions Derry have three defenders included – Chrissy McKaigue, Conor McCluskey and Brendan Rogers. McKaigue is almost certainly going to pick up one of the defensive places on the actual All Star team and it could be argued he was even deserving of a place on the Footballer of the Year list.

Leinster kingpins Dublin have two defenders included, James McCarthy and Lee Gannon. McCarthy’s display against Kerry in the All-Ireland final was one of the great individual displays of resilience this summer, with the Ballymun clubman carrying the fight to Kerry until the final whistle. This is Gannon’s first nomination, after an impressive season in the Dublin defence during which purposeful forays up the field became a trademark of his hard-working performances.

If McCarthy was railing against the storm in the semi-final for Dublin, Lee Keegan spent most of the year doing just that for Mayo – again showing why he is regarded as one of the best footballers of the last decade. Keegan is Mayo’s only All Star nominee this year. Armagh’s Jarlath Óg Burns and Cork’s Seán Powter complete the list of defenders.

At midfield, Galway duo McDaid and Paul Conroy are among the six players nominated. Derry also have two players listed at midfield, the marauding Conor Glass and the versatile Gareth McKinless.

Dublin’s Brian Fenton and Kerry’s Jack Barry complete the midfield sextet, but McDaid and Glass would be seen as the favourites to ultimately make the team – which should it transpire would see no player from the All-Ireland champions in the middle of the field.

David Clifford, Seán O’Shea, Paudie Clifford and Stephen O’Brien are the four Kerry forwards nominated – with O’Shea and David Clifford expected to make the final 15. Shane Walsh, Damien Comer and Robert Finnerty are the trio of Galway players nominated in attack, meaning there is no place for Johnny Heaney or Matthew Tierney. Heaney is particularly unlucky to miss out, having been involved in some big moments for Galway this season.

Armagh’s summer odyssey has been recognised with the selection of three forwards – Rian O’Neill, Rory Grugan and Stefan Campbell. Ben McCormack’s form for Kildare has also earned him inclusion, while Clare’s Eoin Cleary, Cork’s Steven Sherlock and Monaghan’s Jack McCarron also make the cut. Dublin duo Ciarán Kilkenny and Con O’Callaghan are nominated, while Derry’s Shane McGuigan and Ethan Doherty finish out the 18 forwards.

The hurling nominations will be announced on Thursday. The 2022 All Stars gala banquet, at which both the final 15 selections will be presented with their awards, takes place at Dublin’s Convention Centre on Friday, October 28th.

PwC All-Stars Football Nominations 2022

Goalkeepers

Ethan Rafferty (Armagh), Shane Ryan (Kerry), Evan Comerford (Dublin)

Defenders

Jason Foley (Kerry), Tadhg Morley (Kerry), Brian Ó Beaglaoich (Kerry), Graham O’Sullivan (Kerry), Tom O’Sullivan (Kerry), Gavin White (Kerry), Liam Silke (Galway), Seán Kelly (Galway), John Daly (Galway), Chrissy McKaigue (Derry), Conor McCluskey (Derry), Brendan Rogers (Derry), James McCarthy (Dublin), Lee Gannon (Dublin), Lee Keegan (Mayo), Jarlath Óg Burns (Armagh), Seán Powter (Cork), Cian Sheehan (Limerick)

Midfielders

Paul Conroy (Galway), Cillian McDaid (Galway), Conor Glass (Derry), Gareth McKinless (Derry), Brian Fenton (Dublin), Jack Barry (Kerry)

Forwards

David Clifford (Kerry), Seán O’Shea (Kerry), Paudie Clifford (Kerry), Stephen O’Brien (Kerry), Shane Walsh (Galway), Damien Comer (Galway), Robert Finnerty (Galway), Rian O’Neill (Armagh), Stefan Campbell (Armagh), Rory Grugan (Armagh), Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin), Con O’Callaghan (Dublin), Shane McGuigan (Derry), Ethan Doherty (Derry), Ben McCormack (Kildare), Eoin Cleary (Clare), Steven Sherlock (Cork), Jack McCarron (Monaghan)

Footballer of the Year

David Clifford (Kerry), Cillian McDaid (Galway), Shane Walsh (Galway)

Young Footballer of the Year

Lee Gannon (Dublin), Ethan Doherty (Derry), Jack Glynn (Galway)