ALL-IRELAND WINNERS Clare make up nearly half the 2014 Bord Gáis Energy U21 hurling Team of the Year announced today while Wexford (five), Tipperary (two) and Galway’s Padraig Brehony make up the rest of the XV.
Four players who were named in the inaugural Team of the Year last season have again been picked for their contributions in 2014.
Clare’s Seadna Morey is selected on the full-back line this year having been chosen at wing-back last year. His fellow county man Colm Galvin retains a spot at midfield while another Banner man, Tony Kelly, gets the nod at centre forward having been picked on the wing in 2013.
Tipperary’s Jason Forde is the other player to get chosen for the second time. He gets the number thirteen jersey having been selected at full-forward twelve months ago.
Wexford’s Oliver O’Leary is chosen between the posts after not conceding a single goal during Wexford’s Leinster Championship winning run while he only conceded three goals in five championship games in total.
Morey is joined in the full back line by Liam Ryan (Wexford) at number three and Tipperary’s Cathal Barrett in the other corner. Clare’s Conor Cleary anchors the defence at six while he is flanked by Wexford’s Andrew Kenny at five and his team-mate Jamie Shanahan at seven.
It’s an all Clare midfield with Colm Galvin joined by Eoin Enright. Galvin is the only player to be chosen in the same position on the team as he was in 2013.
In the forwards, Tony Kelly wears the number 11 jersey following another exceptional season while Jack Guiney (Wexford) is on one wing with Galway’s Brehony on the other.
Jason Forde is joined by Wexford’s Conor McDonald at number fourteen and Clare’s Aaron Cunningham at fifteen to complete the line-up. Cunningham scored seven goals in five games during Clare’s run to a third All-Ireland title in a row.
Galvin, Cunningham and McDonald are all up for the Player of the Year award which, along with the Score of the Year on Saturday, October 11 on TG4 at 8.30pm.
2014 Bord Gáis Energy Team of the Year
1. Oliver O’Leary (Wexford)
2. Cathal Barrett (Tipperary)
3. Liam Ryan (Wexford)
4. Seadna Morey (Clare)
5. Andrew Kenny (Wexford)
6. Conor Cleary (Clare)
7. Jamie Shanahan (Clare)
8. Colm Galvin (Clare)
9. Eoin Enright (Clare)
10. Jack Guiney (Wexford)
11. Tony Kelly (Clare)
12. Padraig Brehony (Galway)
13. Jason Forde (Tipperary)
14. Conor McDonald (Wexford)
15. Aaron Cunningham (Clare)
Nominations for the Bord Gáis Energy Player of the Year Award
1. Colm Galvin (Clare)
2. Aaron Cunningham (Clare)
3. Conor McDonald (Wexford)
Yes and yes. Was also great to see Tom Parsons on last nights panel.
@Sam Walsh: Be it on the Sunday Game last night or at the last Mayo match or on Off the Ball, every appearance he’s made since the injury would make you admire the man and his positivity. A tireless battler on the pitch and clearly the same off it.
@EnKy: a honest player.
Shane Walsh was the best player on the pitch in the Hyde by a country mile. There was no other contenders.
I thought John conlon would get it, his having a great year so far, a man with the strenght of 2 horses as buff egan would say !!!!
Tony Kelly for me, drove Clare on in the second half.
Shanahan had a great game no doubt but it’s easy look good as the spare man. Saw it a lot over the last few years with Waterford sweepers picking up heaps of man of the match awards. Conlon for me for consistency over the game. If Kelly could consistently play for 70 the way he did in the second half he’d never fail to win a MOTM again
@Ciarán: Bill cooper all day long. Won the match for Cork nearly on his own.