All-Ireland champions Kerry lead the way with seven players on the 2022 PwC GAA All Star football team – a selection that includes 11 first-time winners.
The first nine players on the team, from goalkeeper to midfield, will be among those receiving their first All Star at Friday night’s banquet in Dublin’s Convention Centre. The only previous winners on the 2022 selection are Kerry trio Paudie Clifford, David Clifford and Seán O’Shea, plus Dublin’s Ciarán Kilkenny.
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It is the highest number of maiden All Stars since 2010, when 11 players also picked up their first award. There were nine inaugural winners in 2021 following Tyrone’s Sam Maguire triumph, so the All Star selections over the last two years are very much reflective of a changing of the guard, a shifting in the Gaelic football landscape which had been dominated by Dublin for most of the last decade.
This year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists, Galway, have been rewarded with five players included, which is their highest since 2001. There are two from Ulster champions Derry, as the Oak Leaf County pick up their first All Stars since 2007.
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Kilkenny is Dublin’s sole representative. There are no players selected from outside of the four provincial winners.
It is Kilkenny’s sixth personal accolade, which sees him join Stephen Cluxton as Dublin’s most decorated All Star. It is David Clifford’s fourth award, and it already looks like the 23-year-old is primed to eventually surpass Pat Spillane’s record of nine football All Stars. David and Paudie Clifford are the only set of brothers on this year’s 15.
Spillane’s club, Templenoe, have their first All Star winner since Tom Spillane’s inclusion in 1987 as Tadhg Morley has been named at wing back on this year’s team.
Shane Ryan is the 2022 All Star goalkeeper, with the Kerry number one getting the nod ahead of fellow nominees, Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty and Dublin’s Evan Comerford.
The full-back line is comprised of Chrissy McKaigue, Jason Foley and Liam Silke. McKaigue, at the age of 33, becomes a first-time All Star. He is also the only player of the 15 born in the 1980s – the other 14 are all kids of the 90s. The Derry captain was central to the county claiming a first Ulster title since 1998.
He is one of four players on the team who had spells with Aussie Rules clubs – Kilkenny (albeit very briefly), Conor Glass and Cillian McDaid were also on the books of AFL clubs in the past.
Liam Silke completes the full-back line, meaning there is no place for Kerry’s Tom O’Sullivan.
The half-back line is made up of Morley, John Daly and Gavin White. Morley, who operated mostly as a sweeper for Kerry this season has been named at wing back, with Daly – who was a more orthodox number six – selected at centre back. Daly’s inclusion sees him follow in the footsteps of his Dad, Val, who was an All Star in 1987 and 1990.
Some other defensive players unlucky to miss out are Derry’s Conor McCluskey and Brendan Rogers, while Lee Keegan also had a decent season with Mayo.
Rogers was perhaps a victim of his own versatility, with the Slaughtneil man also a viable candidate for a position at midfield following the role he filled for Derry during the year.
However, the midfield spots go to Glass and McDaid. Glass was a massive leader for Derry this year and his return from Australia in late 2020 to rejoin the county squad was a seminal moment in the transformation of their fortunes. McDaid was hugely influential in the middle of the field for Galway and the 25-year-old is rewarded for his contribution in helping the Tribesmen make their first All-Ireland final appearance since 2001.
O’Shea, Kilkenny and Paudie Clifford are the three players in the half-forward line. O’Shea, who is selected at number 11, produced one of the standout moments of the year when his injury-time free in the All-Ireland semi-final, kicked from another postcode, sailed over the crossbar to allow Kerry finally break free of Dublin’s spell.
Unsurprisingly, the full-forward line is loaded with the top three forwards in the country this year – David Clifford, Damien Comer and Shane Walsh. Rian O’Neill is possibly unfortunate not to feature in the team, but it was always going to be difficult for the Armagh player to force his way in, given the depth of talent he was up against both in midfield and attack.
2022 PwC GAA FOOTBALL ALL STARS
1: Shane Ryan (Kerry, 26, First All Star)
2: Chrissy McKaigue (Derry, 33, First All Star)
3: Jason Foley (Kerry, 25, First All Star)
4: Liam Silke (Galway, 27, First All Star)
5: Tadhg Morley (Kerry, 29, First All Star)
6: John Daly (Galway, 24, First All Star)
7: Gavin White (Kerry, 25, First All Star)
8: Conor Glass (Derry, 25, First All Star)
9: Cillian McDaid (Galway, 25, First All Star)
10: Paudie Clifford (Kerry, 26, Second All Star)
11: Seán O’Shea (Kerry, 24, Second All Star)
12: Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin, 29, Sixth All Star)
13: David Clifford (Kerry, 23, Fourth All Star)
14: Damien Comer (Galway, 28, First All Star)
15: Shane Walsh (Galway, 29, First All Star)
