Conor Glass and Paddy Deegan have been named AIB club players of the year. The announcement was made on Friday night at an event in Croke Park to honour the teams of the year in both codes.
Glass was a fundamental influence on Watty Graham’s Glen from Derry, winning the All-Ireland club football title. He was named on the team of the year, released earlier in the week, alongside his club centrefield partner Emmett Bradley.
Already an All Star, Glass who played AFL with Hawthorn for nearly five years, came home and helped to galvanise his club and county.
His ability to win ball in the air is widely recognised but he also got forward to score – at no time more crucially than at the end of the All-Ireland club final against St Brigid’s with Glen trailing when he scored the critical, equalising goal with less than three minutes left.
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His team went on to win by a point. Shane Walsh of Kilmacud Crokes and Ben O’Carroll of St Brigid’s were also shortlisted.
Paddy Deegan didn’t have the good fortune to win the All-Ireland but his role in the run to the final of Kilkenny champions O’Loughlin Gaels, won him the accolade.
Despite being a centre back, his scoring returns were phenomenal – even scoring the winner in the Kilkenny final against All-Ireland champions, Ballyhale Shamrocks.
This was not to the detriment of his defending. In a star-studded O’Loughlin’s defence, he stood out for his strength at the heart of the team’s defence, notably in the Leinster semi-final against Kilcormac-Killoughey.
In the provincial final he hit 0-5 from play, as Dublin champions Na Fianna threatened an upset and against Ruairí Óg Cushendall, he scored another point and won the critical ball to set up the winner in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Again, in the final he scored 0-2 but an extraordinary winning score from Éanna Burke at the death, swung the title the way of St Thomas’ of Galway.
David Burke, from the champions, and Deegan’s clubmate David Fogarty were also nominated.
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