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Hurling All Stars 2017
Malachy Clerkin finds little reason to quibble with this year's hurling All Stars selection
1 Stephen O’Keeffe (Waterford) - Waterford’s first ever goalkeeping All Star. Pulled off some stunning saves through the summer, including a barely believable double-stop against Cork. Waterford’s main distributor from the back as well.
2 Padraig Mannion (Galway) - Possibly unlucky to miss out on the shortlist for Hurler of the Year. The epitome of Galway’s physical edge in defence and a player who has grown in influence for them year on year since 2015.
3 Daithi Burke (Galway) - No major competition for this spot. Burke was the steel beam on which the rest of the Galway team was built, immovable and unerring. An All Star winner for the third year in a row – only three Galway players have done that before.
4 Noel Connors (Waterford) - Another decision that presumably didn’t detain the selectors for any longer than it took to write his name down. Best corner-back in the game and one of the few Waterford players to shine in the All-Ireland final.
5 Padraic Maher (Tipperary) - His fifth All Star – in the Tipperary firmament, only Nicky English and Eoin Kelly with six each are ahead of him. A consistent leader for Tipp who, along with his defensive duties, scored in every game from wing-back.
6 Gearoid McInerney (Galway) - Sorted out a long-standing and confounding problem for Galway at centre-back. His dominating performance in the semi-final against Tipperary was the stand-out display but it was typical of his year in general.
7 Mark Coleman (Cork) - Lit up the early part of the summer with his pinpoint distribution from wing-back. Always looked to have time on the ball and used it to put a name on it. A shaky semi-final can’t overshadow a stellar debut season.
8 Jamie Barron (Waterford) - The indefatigable engine at the heart of the Waterford team. Revelled in the spaces that opened up when others tired in the Kilkenny and Cork games. Will surely go close for Hurler of the Year.
9 David Burke (Galway) - Another Galway player collecting his third All Star in a row, this is his fourth in total. Consistently to the fore all year, he was terrific in the All-Ireland series especially against Tipperary and Waterford.
10 Kevin Moran (Waterford) - Popped up so many times when Waterford needed him. Scored goals against Wexford and Galway and kept Waterford alive when the stakes were high and the chances were rare early on against Cork.
11 Joe Canning (Galway) - Worth it for those last 20 minutes against Tipperary alone, when he was the only Galway player to score, including that immortal winner. Not his most eye-catching year otherwise but it was more than enough.
12 Michael Walsh (Waterford) - His fourth All Star, seven years and a heap of positional switches after his third. His reinvention as a ball-winner/facilitator/general dogsbody in the Waterford attack has been a major success. Brilliant against Cork and held his own in the final.
13 Conor Whelan (Galway) - Nailed on for Young Hurler of the Year, even though the All-Ireland final didn’t go his way. Had a scintillating year up to that point, with the semi-final against Tipp a masterclass of impish corner-forward opportunism.
14 Conor Cooney (Galway) - A constant threat in the skies above the Galway full-forward line. Seven points from play in the Leinster final, another four in the All-Ireland – he gave them a focal point and an out-ball every time.
15 Patrick Horgan (Cork) - A great comeback year for the sharp-shooting Cork inside forward. Put on an exceptional show in defeat against Waterford, building on an excellent Munster championship.
