Morris and Doyle would merit Player Awards

IN ALL FAIRNESS

Following the announcement last week of the shortlist for the PwC GAA/GPA Hurler & Young Hurler of the Year, the expectation is that a Tipperary player will be the winner of both awards, but it is not certain who it will be.

In the race for the Overall Hurler award, Tipperary duo Jake Morris & John McGrath are up against Cork’s Brian Hayes, while Robert Doyle & Darragh McCarthy have been shortlisted for the young hurler (under the age of 22) accolade along with Limerick’s Adam English.

In terms of senior hurling, the likelihood is it will be a straight shootout between Tipperary’s two sharpshooters, although back in 2016 when Seamus Callanan and Padraic Maher were shortlisted, their vote ended up being split, with Austin Gleeson benefitting to edge out both for the award. However, I’d guess he’d have traded that in for just one All-Ireland medal.

In terms of this years Tipperary contenders, both Morris and McGrath have legitimate claims to be chosen.

Jake Morris was ultra-consistent right through the campaign. The Nenagh Eire Og clubman played in fourteen of Tipperary’s fifteen games between league and championship, the only game he missed was the championship preliminary quarter final against Laois where he was rested due to a knee injury that impacted him to such an extent he trained very sparingly in the latter stages of the campaign, and indeed

A proven goal-getter, Morris didn’t manage to raise a green flag this season but for Nenagh Eire Og but you wouldn’t know it considering how well he is still contributing.

He also contributed an average of three points from play per game, but it wasn’t just his scoring but also his leadership which stood out, epitomised with his third point in the championship defeat against Cork, almost defiantly standing up to the rebels in a game that was already lost.

We in the Guardian give player-ratings for each of Tipperary’s players in league and championship games, which provides a great guide as to who has performed consistently through the campaign, and when the scores were totted up, both Morris and Eoghan Connolly would be rated as joint Tipperary players of the year (7.35 out of 10), which should mean Connolly should be in line for an All-Star.

When just the championship games are taken into account, Morris again tops the list (8/10) joined by Rhys Shelly on the same score, however, the goalkeeper played one game fewer after only coming into the team in round 3.

When it comes to end of season awards, it should encapsulate the whole year but as we all know in the GAA when it comes to the All-Stars, it’s the latter end of the championship which tends to carry most weight, which is why John McGrath has a strong chance of becoming Hurler of the Year, voted on by GPA hurling members.

Overall, the Loughmore/Castleiney clubman played in twelve of Tipperary’s fifteen games in the league and championship, with his first league start coming in their fifth game against Kilkenny. However, it was in the championship where McGrath scored 5-16 when playing in all eight games, man of the match in the key game in Munster against Clare.

In America, they have awards for everything, including one entitled the ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ which if there was one in the GAA would befit McGrath considering his struggles at inter-county level in recent years, and if he had been let go from the panel prior to the start of this year, few would have been surprised.

In terms of the Young Player of the Year award, it should be an open and shut case for Robert Doyle. From the moment he came made his debut as a half time substitute in the league opener against Galway last January, he was outstanding.

The Clonoulty/Rossmore rookie was one of just three players that featured in all fifteen of Tipperary’s league and championship games, along with Michael Breen and Craig Morgan. Not only that, he also got the key man-marking jobs on Clare’s Tony Kelly, Waterford’s Dessie Hutchinson, Galway’s Brian Concannon, Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody, and Cork’s Alan Connolly (x2), and all had their impacts restricted.

Darragh McCarthy is the more eye-catching name in terms of winning the award, particularly his performance in the All-Ireland Final, off the back of his second sending off in the campaign in the semi-final against Kilkenny. The two red cards have to be taken into consideration, the first of which at the start of the Cork game, also led to him missing the Clare game through suspension, while he was also subbed off against Galway.

The Toomevara had a major impact in winning the All-Ireland title for Tipperary but Robert Doyle’s campaign was way more consistent, plus he produced the key play of the entire campaign, his block on the line to prevent a goal for John Donnelly in the semi-final, which won the game for Tipp, and also saved the GAA from a massive controversy if it had been scored, considering the subsequent scoreboard issue.