Position: centre half forward.
Club: John Lockes.
Age: 34.
Height/weight: 6 ft 1 in, 12 st.
Championship debut: 1988, v Wexford.
Major honours: All-Ireland senior hurling medals 1992, 1993; Leinster senior hurling medals 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2000; Railway Cup medals 1988, 1993; National League medals 1989/90, 1994/ 95; Leinster minor, under-21 and junior medals; All Star awards 1992, 1993.
Player's view
"I think everyone is going well at the moment and it's just a question of getting it together on the day. I'm one of the few players in the team who have experienced winning an All-Ireland before but you don't fully appreciate it at the time. And in some ways it's the last chance for me every time I run out on the field.
"Of course it's important to reverse the trend after losing two All-Irelands, but you can't reverse it if you're not in it, and that's the way we're thinking. We're meeting Offaly again now, but sure stranger things have happened. But we're just concentrating on getting our own game in order and we're not particularly bothered about who we play or who is going to be marking me. I'm going up to play Offaly and not just Joe Errity so I have no hang-ups about who we're going to meet.
"They do have their own style of hurling and it mightn't be as hip as Munster but there are an awful lot of teams very even at the moment. I thought Galway might be stronger, and they wilted handy enough in the second half. They had their chances but didn't seem to have the confidence to take them. DJ's goal seemed to knock the heart out of them.
"I think all our half forwards try and close down the opposition as fast as possible. And that's what we will be trying here. It will work for some and not for others. But the first half of the Leinster final was as good as anything ever played in Croke Park. There was nothing in it until well into the second half.
"My approach to this game will be exactly the same as every other year. Of course there's pressure but you have to hide it, no matter where you're playing. We have our own game plan and we plan to stick to it. We went into the Leinster to play our own game and we're going into this to play our own game and we wouldn't be worrying about Offaly. We didn't do ourselves justice last year and that's something we want to make amends for."
Eamonn Cregan's analysis
"The Kilkenny forwards have had a tremendous year. Everything centres on John Power's role as a workhorse - which isn't derogatory, by that I mean that his hunger is back and he tirelessly breaks the play for his forwards. DJ is a handful but Kevin Kinahan knows his game and Charlie Carter is terribly dangerous.
"I think Henry Shefflin will be crucial because he caused untold problems for Simon Whelahan in the Leinster final. He's seven inches taller than him and Kilkenny will use that advantage. I remember Denis Byrne a few years ago as a most exciting corner forward but then he disappeared. He's come back well but I think it will be very hard for him to repeat his scoring from the semi-final. Still his function is to score."
Mattie Murphy's analysis
(Galway manager)
"The full forward line has been looking good all year and clocking up scores even though we kept Charlie Carter quiet enough when they were trying to get a god bit of ball into him. In the half forwards Denis Byrne had one of his best games but Paul Hardiman broke a bone in his hand and we had to move Finbar Gantley over to try and curb him.
"I didn't feel John Power made that much of a contribution against us, not as big as in the Leinster final. I don't think Joe Errity will be intimidated because he'd hate to see some young fella coming in and running around him. Except for the goal, DJ Carey wasn't that prominent but I think they'll leave him on Kevin Kinahan even though they may switch the corner forwards."
