Armagh likely to lead the way for football All-Star nominations

The nominations for the 2024 All-Star football and hurling teams will be announced later this week.
The 2024 intercounty season – remember that?
The split season has altered much of the GAA landscape but the PwC All Stars scheme has clung resolutely to the tail end of the calendar year.
Selectors will meet on Wednesday afternoon to finalise the list of nominees for both football and hurling. The 45 footballers nominated will be revealed on Thursday morning, with the 45 hurling nominees to be released on Friday.
The All-Stars banquet will take place in the RDS on Friday, November 1st, with the hurling team to be unveiled live on the night. The All-Stars football team will be named on Thursday, October 31st.
With Armagh’s footballers and Clare’s hurlers ending the year as All-Ireland champions in their respective codes, there are likely to be several first-time All Stars.
On the football front, Armagh this season won Sam Maguire for the first time since 2002. The Orchard County’s last All Star was Ronan Clarke, who picked up the second of his individual accolades in 2008.
In the list of 45 nominees last September, 2023 All-Ireland champions Dublin had 10 players.
Kerry, All-Ireland winners in 2022, had 12 players nominated after lifting Sam Maguire two years ago, while 2021 champions Tyrone had 15 players listed among the 45 that season.
So, going on those numbers, Kieran McGeeney’s Armagh will be hoping to reach double figures in terms of nominees when the 2024 list is revealed on Thursday.
However, unlike Tyrone (2021), Kerry (2022) and Dublin (2023), Armagh did not progress to the All-Ireland final as provincial champions – McGeeney’s side lost the Ulster final to Donegal after a penalty shootout this summer.
Still, Blaine Hughes is almost certain to be shortlisted among the three goalkeepers while Barry McCambridge, Aaron McKay and captain Aidan Forker will be hopeful of being nominated among the 18 defenders.
There will also be a total of six midfielders nominated and 18 forwards.
Last year, there were 13 different counties represented on the breakdown of 45 football nominees – which was the joint highest spread in 16 years. There were players from 11 different counties nominated in both 2021 and 2022.
Footballers who played in the Tailteann Cup this year will not be eligible for inclusion in the All Stars as there is a separate awards scheme in place for that competition.
Still, there should be a decent spread of counties again this term given the proliferation of games and exposure afforded to many teams during the group stages of the All-Ireland series.
In the goalkeeping department, the battle for the three nomination spots appears to be between five players – Kelly, Tyrone’s Niall Morgan, Donegal’s Shaun Patton, Galway’s Connor Gleeson and Kerry’s Shane Ryan.
Defensively, All-Ireland finalists Armagh and Galway have several strong shouts for inclusion – not only in the list of nominees but also on the eventual team – the likes of McCambridge, McKay, Johnny McGrath and Dylan McHugh.
But Donegal trio Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan and Ryan McHugh are also likely to be nominated in defence while Brian Stack must be in the running for inclusion in the 45 after an outstanding year at the heart of the Roscommon defence.
Louth’s flying wing back Craig Lennon and his defensive colleague Donal McKenny could also make the cut while Daniel O’Mahony was impressive for Cork in what was an otherwise ordinary enough season for the Rebels.
At midfield, Galway’s Paul Conroy appears nailed on for one of the two places on the team when it is named next month – so the other five nominations are a squabble between Crealey, Niall Grimley, John Maher, Brian Fenton, Michael Langan, Kerry’s Diarmuid O’Connor and Louth’s Tommy Durnin.
Up front appears to be lighter on options this season than elsewhere – though the likes of Rian O’Neill, Conor Turbitt, Oisín Conaty and possibly Rory Grugan should get nomination nods for Armagh.
Rob Finnerty is probably Galway’s best shot at gaining a place on the actual team in attack, though the selectors could choose to nominate his county colleague Maher among the 18 forwards rather than at midfield.
The 18 forward nominees might also be the area where league champions Derry earn an inclusion, given the consistent form of Ethan Doherty during a difficult championship for the Oak Leafers.
On the hurling front, Limerick received 14 nominations last year after claiming a fourth successive Liam MacCarthy Cup triumph. There were 12 Limerick players nominated in 2022 while in 2021 the Treaty County had 15 players included in the list of 45.
Following their 2013 All-Ireland victory, the Banner had 13 players nominated for an All Star, with eight ultimately making the team.
John Conlon and Shane O’Donnell both picked up All Stars in 2023 while Clare also had inclusions on the team in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2018.
Hurlers who played in the McDonagh, Ring, Rackard, Meagher Cups will not be considered as there are separate award schemes for those competitions.
The shortlists for player of the year and young player of the year in both football and hurling will also be decided at Wednesday’s meeting in Croke Park.