Head-to-Head: Paul Shelley (Tipperary right corner back)

Age: 21. Height: 5' 9 1/2["]. Weight: 14st. Club: Killenaule.

Honours: All-Ireland under-21 HC 1995.

Championship Debut: v Waterford 1996.

Appearances 1997: Four. Substituted 1997: Not to date.

Conceded 1997: 0-1 (v Limerick); 0-1 (v Clare); 0-2 (v Down, centrefield); 1-0 (v Down); 0-1 (v Wexford).

Reaction To The Season? "In some ways, it's been a good season for me personally, but I've had two or three disappointments this year: being beaten in the Munster final, being beaten in the under-21 Munster final and I was captain of the team then as well."

Most Memorable Match This Season? "It would have to be the match against Wexford. We beat the All-Ireland champions and there was some buzz. The county had been on a bit of a low up until then."

Most Difficult? "The most disappointing match was the Munster final. We were shattered after it, but Len picked us up and got us tuned up again. I can't remember much about the match, it passed so fast. I suppose the worst point was the final whistle, but during the game, Clare were first to every ball."

Best Of The Rest? "Wexford. We beat them by five or six points in the end, but people don't realise how hard it was. They missed a goal chance at the beginning. If they'd got that, they could be in the final instead of us."

League And Championship Reforms? "The League was good. it got everyone tuned up for the championship and a lot of the League hurling was championship stuff. It was great.

"I think the championship change was a good thing for hurling in general, but a lot of people don't. There's talk that the open draw would be a lot better. Maybe it would, but we're not cribbing. I honestly thought at first it was a bad idea - that once you're bet, you're bet - but the Monday after the Munster final, being able to wake up and have another chance was a great feeling. It's promoting the game more and hurling needs to be promoted - it's been Ireland's best-kept secret."

Inside View: Len Gaynor (Tipperary manager) - "Paul came into the team last year, held his place and has done well, a good sturdy corner back. He was moved from full back because we had Noel Sheehy, who we felt had another year in him, and his only position is full back, so Paul had to move to the corner. But he's equally at home there, he's a full-back line player."

Outside View: Frank Dawson (Down manager) - "I actually had identified Paul Shelley as someone I wanted to move. We felt if we could get him out the field, he could be exposed out of position. It might have worked because he stayed inside and Gary Savage, who we had earmarked for the job, came out and had he taken the scoring chances created, it would have caused problems. But Shelley stayed on the inside and swept up. If he's playing an orthodox three-man attack, he'll dominate his own corner."