This year's GAA Eircell All-Star Football team has been announced and not surprisingly the Kingdom has the greatest number of representatives. All-Ireland champions Kerry have six men on the team, losing finalists Galway have four, there are two each from Derry and Armagh while Kildare have one representative. There are nine newcomers in all on this year's team and with only one Leinster man recognised by the selectors, it equals the province's lowest representation on the All-Star team in the last 20 years.
The main talking point this morning is the selection of Derry's Kieran McKeever at right corner-back. There was also some surprise at the exclusion of Kerry left corner-forward John Crowley. His place was awarded to Galway's Derek Savage (who usually lines out at right corner-forward). There was also some speculation that Maurice Fitzgerald would be named on the team but considering that the selectors have never awarded an All-Star to a substitute before, it was judged very unlikely to happen this year, despite Fitzgerald's vital contribution to Kerry's All-Ireland victory.
The full-team is: Declan O'Keefe (Kerry), Kieran McKeever ( Derry), Seamus Moynihan and Michael McCarthy (Kerry), Declan Meehan (Galway), Kieran McGeeney (Armagh), Anthony Rainbow (Kildare), Dara Ó Sé (Kerry), Anthony Tohill (Derry), Michael Donnellan (Galway), Liam Hasset (Kerry), Oisin McConville (Armagh), Mike Frank Russell (Kerry), Padraig Joyce and Derek Savage (Galway).
The awards will be presented to the players tomorrow night at a banquet in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin, where the Hurling All-Star team will also be announced.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
