Seeing as it’s the players who make the final choice (albeit from a shortlist put together on their behalf by a junta of GAA worthies), the GPA’s Team of the Year is usually a more even-headed assessment of who the stand-out performers are in Gaelic football and hurling in any given year than is its journo-based equivalent, the All-Stars. Not this year, though, as the just-announced Football Team comprises 14 players who took part in this year’s All-Ireland final (eight from Kerry, six from Cork) and Kildare’s Dermot Earley.
This is just plain daft. Not only are three of the provincial champions overlooked but so also have been the two beaten All-Ireland semi-finalists. And the one player who manages to break into the Munster love-in comes from a team which failed to win Leinster and then lost at the All-Ireland Quarter-Final stage. Sure, didn’t we do better than that?
Fair enough, you may say – the All-Ireland is where it all counts and so it’s only to be expected that the players who feature in September will also figure highly when awards like this come around. But 14 out of 15? If that’s the case, then why not go the whole hog and reserve all of the places on the so-called Team of the Year (and the All-Stars while they’re at it) for players drawn from the two counties that reach the All-Ireland final each year?
Agreed WJ but this was generally a poor year, indeed a case might have been made for the exclusion of Early and one of the Cork boys getting the midfield spot. I believe that both concepts have been severly politicised and compromised for a fair few years. Much more of this years selections and credibility will be lost.
players should definitely be plucked from the whole all ireland series, all the cork lads let them selves down in that second half unlike for instance some of the meath lads in the semi..
There is a need for a new structure for Player of the year awards. Possibly a rating system used throughout the year (League included) with the best average per game to pick the best keeper, six best backs, two best centrefielders and six best forwards.
If there was a system like that, there would be a lot less arguments and there would be a bit of fair play for the really good players from weaker counties.
Any thoughts?
Keep the Faith
Love to see this or something like it used to reach the top 15 of the year …
1 – each county manager asked to select his top 15 and can’t select anyone from his own county panel
2 – each player gets a point everytime they make a selection list
3 – those with most selection points in each position get the award.
4 – players tied on equal points jury decides.
4 – the player and young player of the year could automatically be determined from the final rating – those with the most points
At least it would open it up to a bigger and less biased (though maybe not in every case) selection group of 32 (or is it 34).
And it would be very interesting to see what players are rated highest by other managers
Maybe this has been done before but I don’t recall it !