Forum Awards for 2009

[Frank Mcguigan]

Coming to the end of the year said id throw this up:

Club Footballer of the year:Scott Brady

Club Hurler of the year:Shane Dooley

Club of the year:

Performance of the year in football: Thomas Deehan v Pullagh

Performance of the year in hurling:Stephen Egan v Birr

Minor of the year football:Anton Sullivan

Minor of the year hurling : (I would nt be able to give a informed opinion)

Game of the year football:Rhode v Shamrocks in group

Game of the year Hurling: Tullamore v Birr

Football team of the year :Edenderry schools reaching the All Ireland final

Hurling team of the year :Tullamore

Best Ref of the year :

Sportsbook of the year:Mickey Harte's autobiography

Sportstar Of The Year(All Sports): Brian O Driscoll

Forum Contributor of the year: Others who have been on this longer will be able decide this

Feel free to add more questions these all I could think of at the minute

[uibhfhaili]

Hypocrite of the year award: Lone Shark for his reaction to the shafting of Richie O Connor and Gerald McCarthy.

[Lone Shark]

Hypocrite of the year award: Lone Shark for his reaction to the shafting of Richie O Connor and Gerald McCarthy.

Jaysus. Okay......

It's difficult to refute this without it being taken as getting personal, but I'll do my best anyway.

In Cork, the players didn't like their manager. That's fair enough, people don't always see eye to eye. However the manager was democratically appointed by the county board, and a county board that since the previous players' strike, has a lot more player input than any other - albeit still not a players majority. The players chose not to play for him - that is their prerogative.

However, the players chose not to play for Gerald McCarthy, yet still chose to designate themselves as "the Cork hurlers" despite the fact that the Cork hurlers are whoever the Cork hurling selectors choose on their panel, and accept the position. Anyone else is either a former Cork hurler, or else not a Cork hurler at all. The players strongly disliked McCarthy's methods, chose not to play (all fine so far) but then decided for themselves that they were entitled to strike for a different man. They played the media, they didn't just walk away from a situation they didn't like, but instead chose to throw the rattle out of the pram until things were done their way.

In Offaly, the players didn't like the manager's methods, they didn't believe it was going anywhere, so they collectively walked away. They did not try to convince any possible alternatives not to go on to the panel instead, they simply said that they didn't feel like being Offaly footballers under this regime, so they'd rather not play. That is the prerogative of every single GAA player, club and county in Ireland - it is a voluntary sport, and no-one has to play, no-one has to do anything if they don't want to.

I have no problem with Cork hurlers walking off, any more than I have no problem with several Limerick hurlers this week walking off their county panel in response to Justin McCarthy's communication methods. However if things change and the Limerick hurlers not willing to play for McCarthy then set themselves up as some kind of alternative team and campaign to have McCarthy removed, then I will change my tune.

That's my line in the sand, and I don't think there's anything hypocritical about that.

[The Magpie]

Club Footballer of the year: Thomas Deehan - Performed Excellently in every game this year. His best year for a long time.

Club Hurler of the year: Stephen Egan - Outstanding in the County Semi-Final and County Final. That's generally enough at Inter-County level to win hurler of the year!

Club of the year: Clara - Contested Minor, U-21 and Senior Football Finals, winning U-21 and Senior

Performance of the year in football: Scott Brady v Rhode - If only for his 2nd half tour-de-force

Performance of the year in hurling: Stephen Egan v Birr - Hard to choose between this game and his County Final performance

Minor of the year football: Anton Sullivan - Roy of the Rovers Minor Final performance to cap a fine year

Minor of the year hurling: Not qualified to comment.

Game of the year football: County Football Final - Too many things to talk about for it not to be considered the game of the year.

Game of the year Hurling: Tullamore v Birr - It wasn't just that Tullamore won, but that they won having been reeled in. No fluke.

Football team of the year: Walsh Island - I can't keep picking Clara, and besides these guys blew everybody away at Intermediate Level

Hurling team of the year: Tullamore - Average in the Group but surprised everybody I know that knows anything about hurling!

Best Ref of the year: Not Eamonn Cusack

Sportsbook of the year: Didn't read one this year.

Sportstar Of The Year(All Sports): Shane Lowry - Amateur trumps the field at the Irish Open and has since proven it was no fluke.

Forum Contributor of the year - Individual Piece: Silken Thomas - Without wading back through the forum, his "Reeling in the Years" stands out a mile.

Forum Contributor of the year - Overall: Plain of the Herbs - His contribution to club and county hurling matters on this site is first class.

[Archangel]

Club Footballer of the year: Tommo Deehan
Club Hurler of the year: Stephen Egan (only cos I know him, and am not totally up to speed with stickball)
Club of the year: Clara .. seemed to be at the sharp end of everything. Followed by Rhode.
Minor of the year football: Anton Sullivan
Football team of the year : Ballycommon - winning first title in 27 years!!
Hurling team of the year : Tullamore, has to be.
Best Ref of the year :
Forum Contributor of the year: I have to go with Loneshark. Quality and quantity. great contributions.
Event of the Year: Richie falling to player power.

[leinsterman]

Club Footballer of the year: Tommo Deehan
Club Hurler of the year: Stephen Egan (only cos I know him, and am not totally up to speed with stickball)
Club of the year: Clara .. seemed to be at the sharp end of everything. Followed by Rhode.
Minor of the year football: Anton Sullivan
Football team of the year : Ballycommon - winning first title in 27 years!!
Hurling team of the year : Tullamore, has to be.
Best Ref of the year :
Forum Contributor of the year: I have to go with Loneshark. Quality and quantity. great contributions.
Event of the Year: Richie falling to player power.

event of the year; richie falling to player power, the same player's that were kick out of portlaoise against kildare.
its a pity the supporters can't get rid of some of the county player's . you have a small panel then.

[Lone Shark]

Club Footballer of the year: Thomas Deehan certainly - last Sunday was another fine display, but he started well and has continued in that vein.

Club Hurler of the year: I didn't see as much hurling as I'd like, but I've been a fan of Stephen Egan's for some time and it seemed that this year his talent has hit the wider stage. Huge fan of Shane Kelly as well, even if his point in the county final cost me the Regan Cup!!

Club of the year: Clara - has to be.

Performance of the year in football: To be honest, Tommo last Sunday was right up there, but it would be hard to argue with the nomination of Scott in the final.

Performance of the year in hurling: Stephen Egan in the county final.

Football team of the year: Has to be Clara.

Hurling team of the year: Again Tullamore have to get the nod, but Brosna Gaels are pretty damn close to my mind. To come from where they did to be senior by 2010 is incredible.

Best Ref of the year: It's no coincidence that when Brian Gavin takes charge, we don't end up talking about the referee at all. He's completely in control and is without doubt the best in the county to my mind, hurling or football.

Sportsbook of the year: Didn't read a good one, but stay the hell away from Around the World in GAA Days - absolute rubbish I thought. Loved the concept, but too much time in Australia, not enough anywhere else and certainly too much time spent talking about drinking.

Sportstar of the year (all sports): Shane Lowry's win was the highlight of the year unquestionably for anyone around this area, but how good is Sea the Stars? We truly have greatness in our midst.

And would add in a few more.....

High point of the year - Offaly: Very few, but I have to say I took great joy out of the footballers digging that result out against Louth. It says it all that a league game was the high point, but I genuinely felt so much better about Offaly football after that.

High point of the year - you/your club: When you come from no third team at all to Junior C champions, you'd have to take joy out of such a rags to riches story - and it all hinged on a stunning goal in the last minute to nick a result against Drumcullen.....


Low point of the year - Offaly: So many to choose from, but I think I was genuinely most depressed after the under-21's, a good team with plenty of talent, were absolutely hosed by Westmeath.

Low point of the year - you/your club: Watching the drawn game against Erin Rovers and realising during the game that even if we did emerge from that game, we simply weren't at or close to the level we played at against Tubber, which was the least we would have needed to be at to give Clara a game in the semi.