BLUE PLANET

Natural selection for champs as Dublin’s magnificent seven make All-star grade

DUBLIN have edged out Mayo once again as they took the lion’s share of places on PWC All-star football team.

For the third successive year the Dubs have won the most awards with seven, one more than Mayo who they beat by a point in September’s All-ireland final, while the team is completed by one player each from Tyrone and Kerry.

With 13 players from Dublin and Mayo combined, it’s the biggest tally ever from the All-ireland finalists in a given year, surpassing the mark of 12 set in 1976 (Dublin and Kerry), ‘77 (Dublin and Armagh), ‘81, ‘82 (both Offaly and Kerry), 1998 (Galway and Kildare), 2005 (Kerry and Tyrone) and 2012 (Donegal and Mayo).

It’s also the first time since 2014 that the All-stars have been drawn entirely from the semi-finalists.

There are four survivors from last year’s team as David Clarke, Colm Boyle, Dean Rock and Paul Geaney are selected again while Chris Barrett, Michael Fitzsimons, Colm Cavanagh, Con O’callaghan and Paul Mannion are first-time recipients.

Jack Mccaffrey’s seamless return to inter-county football after taking 2016 out is underlined by his award at left half-back, from where he was named Footballer of the Year in 2015, and will provide some consolation for the Clontarf man as he looks to fight back from a cruciate ligament injury in the All-ireland final.

Young Footballer of the Year Con O’callaghan (above with Andy Moran last night) caps off a remarkable 2017 that has already delivered an All-ireland club hurling title with Cuala and under-21 and senior football titles with Dublin by becoming the county’s youngest All-star since Stephen Cluxton in 2002 and the youngest outfield player from the capital to win the award since Joe Mcnally in 1983.

While Dublin’s seven awards matches that of 1976, ‘95 and 2015, it’s still short of the county’s record haul of nine in 1977.

Mayo’s total of six is a record for them, however, surpassing their five awards in 1989 and ‘96. With Keith Higgins and Boyle honoured for a fourth time, they draw level with Lee Keegan, somewhat unlucky to miss out this time, to become the county’s most frequent All-stars.

Their tally also equals the record for beaten finalists first set by Meath in 1991, a year in which the Royals also played 10 Championship games, as Mayo did this year.

After a enjoying the finest year of his career having just turned 34 this week, Andy Moran picks up his second All-star, six years after his first.

Kevin Mcloughlin also had a big shout for the westerners while Dubs captain Cluxton and teammate Ciaran Kilkenny also had strong claims.

Clarke’s retention of the No.1 spot is the first time since Cluxton in 2006 and ‘07 that the same goalkeeper has been chosen in successive years and it also means that Cluxton has now gone four years without an All-star since winning his fifth in 2013.

With Cavanagh picking up his first All-star at midfield, he emulates his recently retired brother Sean and it makes the Cavanaghs the 12th set of brothers to win All-stars in football.

Midfield partner James Mccarthy now enjoys the distinction of winning All-stars in two different areas of the field, his previous award in 2015 coming at wing-back.

Indeed, he is the first ever

Dublin player to win All-stars in different sectors of the team.

For the second successive year, Paul Geaney is Kerry’s only representative, extending the county’s record tally of All-star football awards to 140, with Dublin next on 116.

The players were presented with their awards at the

Convention Centre,

Dublin last night, as were the various player of the year winners.

This year’s

PWC All-stars tour is for the 2016 and ‘17 hurling selections and will take place in

Singapore from December 6-12.

ANDY MORAN and Joe Canning last night carried off the biggest individual honours in the GAA after being named PWC Footballer and Hurler of the Year respectively. Moran becomes the second Mayo player to win the award which means that, for the second...