New Ross Standard

DEADLY DOZEN!

Nominees for POY

- BY ALAN AHERNE MORE DETAILS OVERLEAF AND ON CENTRESPRE­AD

THE TWO Cáirde Loch Garman club teams of the year will be selected from nominees of 75 players apiece - but this week we can exclusivel­y reveal the deadly dozen in with an additional chance of winning one of the four prestigiou­s individual accolades.

A highlight of the virtual awards night - to be streamed by Wexford GAA TV on Saturday, February 27 - will be the announceme­nt of the hurler, footballer, young hurler and young footballer of the year award winners.

And as well as getting the chance to pick their top teams in both codes, anyone purchasing a link to the event will also have the opportunit­y to vote in these individual categories.

The three shortliste­d for hurler of the year are all-action Shelmalier­s midfielder Conor Hearne, Naomh Eanna’s high-fielding defender Jack Cullen, and Glynn-Barntown captain John Leacy, who inspired his side to one of the year’s surprises when they ousted holders St. Martin’s in the quarter-final.

Starlights penalty stopper and re-start expert Pa Doyle is in the hunt for footballer of the year, along with Castletown’s prolific marksman Ben Brosnan plus a man more noted for his hurling exploits in the Wexford jersey - the versatile Rory O’Connor of St. Martin’s.

An equally stellar line-up of candidates has been assembled in the young player of the year categories.

The county final man of the match from Shelmalier­s, Ross Banville, has made the hurling shortlist, along with Glynn-Barntown’s Conor Mahoney of Ireland’s Fittest Family fame, and St. Anne’s defender Justin Moran, who had a fine first year in adult ranks after winning a Leinster Minor medal in 2019.

The young footballer of the year has been whittled down to Castletown’s Liam Coleman, who made his Senior championsh­ip debut with Wexford in November; Nathan O’Connor of Starlights, a resolute wing-back in his team’s march to county title glory; and a colleague of Moran’s on that Minor-winning side, Luke Kavanagh, who was a hard-working wing-forward with St. Martin’s throughout his first campaign out of the under-age ranks.

‘You can watch the Cáirde Loch Garman player of the year awards sponsored by Glen Fuels on Wexford GAA TV on Saturday, February 27, at 8 p.m. by purchasing the link on the Wexford GAA website and social media channels,’ Eanna Martin, Commercial Manager, explained.

‘All those who purchase the link to view the event will receive a form to vote for their player of the year, team of the year, and score of the year. The cost of the link is €5.’

People Newspapers have teamed up with Wexford GAA as media partners for a scheme that is attracting a considerab­le level of interest in these barren times games-wise.

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