Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Five talking points ahead of the All-Star awards
Last Updated: 02/11/18 4:41pm
Ahead of Friday night's All-Star awards, we take a look at the main questions which will be answered.
Will there be another non-All-Ireland-winning Hurler of the Year?
Waterford's Tony Browne, Dan Shanahan and Austin Gleeson (in 1999, 2007 and 2016 respectively) remain the only players to be named Hurler of the Year without picking up a Celtic Cross that season.
This year, Joe Canning and Pádraic Mannion are nominated alongside Cian Lynch. Will Canning become the first player to retain the award? Will Mannion be recognised for his displays at half-back throughout the year? Or will Lynch be named the standout player on what was a remarkable year for the Treaty?
Who will fill the half-forward line slots?
The half-forward line looks notoriously difficult to call. Canning looks to be a shoo-in, so there are two spots on the wings available for a host of stars.
Peter Duggan was instrumental for the Banner, TJ Reid was unplayable at times, Seamus Harnedy and Daniel Kearney were perhaps Cork's two standout players, while Kyle Hayes and Tom Morrissey of Limerick make strong cases. It seems an impossible task to pick out two.
Did Nickie Quaid do enough?
After Eoin Murphy's acrobatic heroics against Limerick in the All-Ireland quarter-final, it looked inevitable that the Glenmore net-minder would fill the first position on the All-Star team.
It was thought that another 'keeper would need a show-stopping performance.
Well, Nickie Quaid did just that in Limerick's epic semi-final win over Cork, stopping Seamus Harnedy in the dying moments of the game. It would come as a shock if Quaid were to get the nod, but he certainly did enough to give the selection committee food for thought.
How many Limerickmen will be included?
An impressive and somewhat unique aspect of Limerick's triumph was just how few standout stars there were. Each player delivered memorable displays, but Kiely's charges never relied on any one star.
It worked a treat all season, but it remains to be seen how many individuals are in line for honours on Friday night. Galway's 2017 haul of seven seems to be the bar.
Which Dub will be crowned the best in the land?
Jack McCaffrey, Brian Fenton and Ciarán Kilkenny are in contention to be named Dublin's first Footballer of the Year since 2015.
All three were instrumental to their side winning a fourth consecutive All-Ireland title this season.
Kilkenny thrived under a more attacking role this season, Fenton was at his imperious best throughout in the middle of the field, while McCaffrey bounced back from injury to tear up and down the flanks all summer.
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