Alan Brogan – The Dublin forward is hotly tipped to be named player of the year
The GAA and the GPA have named 45 players as nominees for the 2011 GAA GPA All-Star Football Awards sponsored by Opel.
The county-by-county breakdown for nominees is as follows: Dublin 12, Kerry nine, Donegal seven, Mayo five, Kildare five, Cork three, Tyrone two, Wexford one and Derry one.
The final team of 15 players will be presented at a banquet event at the Convention Centre, Dublin, on Friday 21 October.
The full list of nominees is listed below.
Goalkeepers: Brendan Kealy (Kerry), Stephen Cluxton (Dublin), Paul Durkan (Donegal).
Full-backs: Michael Foley (Kildare), Neil McGee (Donegal), Frank McGlynn (Donegal), Marc Ó Sé (Kerry), Rory O’Carroll (Dublin), Tom O’Sullivan (Kerry), Joe McMahon (Tyrone), Hugh McGrillen (Kildare), Cian O’Sullivan (Dublin).
Half-backs: Karl Lacey (Donegal), Donal Vaughan (Mayo), Trevor Mortimer (Mayo), Kevin Nolan (Dublin), Kevin Cassidy (Donegal), Emmet Bolton (Kildare), Tomás Ó Sé (Kerry), Killian Young (Kerry), Ger Brennan (Dublin).
Midfielders: Bryan Sheehan (Kerry), Michael Darragh Macauley (Dublin), Alan O’Connor (Cork), Seán Cavanagh (Tyrone), John Doyle (Kildare), Denis Bastick (Dublin).
Half-forwards: Ben Brosnan (Wexford), Alan Brogan (Dublin), Darran O’Sullivan (Kerry), Declan O’Sullivan (Kerry), Paul Flynn (Dublin), Alan Dillon (Mayo), Kevin McManamon (Dublin), Paddy Kelly (Cork), Eamonn Callaghan (Kildare).
Full-forwards: Donnacha O’Connor (Cork), Michael Murphy (Donegal), Bernard Brogan (Dublin), Colm Cooper (Kerry), Andy Moran (Mayo), Colm McFadden (Donegal), Eoin Bradley (Derry), Diarmuid Connolly (Dublin), Cillian O’Connor (Mayo).
The Player of the Month award winners from May to September were also confirmed today with Ben Brosnan (Wexford) nominated for May; Alan Brogan (Dublin) for June; Karl Lacey (Donegal) for July; Colm Cooper (Kerry) for August; and Darran O’Sullivan (Kerry) for September.
Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Criostóir Ó Cuana congratulated all award winners on the occasion of the first announcement of both All-Stars nominees and Players of the Month under the new joint scheme between the GAA and the GPA.
He said: “I heartily congratulate the 45 players who we have named here today as nominees for the GAA GPA Football All-Stars sponsored by Opel.
“Their inclusion on this list is recognition of the excellent campaigns they had and the contribution they made to our Championship this year.
“A word of praise is also due to the five winners of our monthly awards and I acknowledge the support of both the journalists and players in addition to the GPA and sponsors Opel for their respective roles in the process.”
GPA CEO Dessie Farrell added: “The coming together of the GPA and GAA Football awards this year is a reflection of the strengthening partnership between both Associations.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved in making that happen, but in particular Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Criostóir Ó Cuana, Ard Stiúrthóir Paraic Duffy and our sponsor Opel and MD of Opel Ireland Dave Sheeran.”