The nominees for the 2010 Opel GPA Hurling Team of the Year were announced earlier in the week by the Gaelic Players Association. A total of 45 players have been shortlisted for the Team of the Year, while four players also received nominations for the prestigious Opel GPA Hurler of the Year Award.
The shortlist for the Opel GPA Hurling Team of the Year includes three players for each position reflecting the dominant role played by the player during the 2010 season.
The list contains players from nine counties including; Kilkenny, Galway, Offaly, Antrim, Cork, Tipperary, Dublin, Waterford and Clare. The Opel GPA Hurling Team of the Year shortlist reflects the most successful counties in this year’s championship with All-Ireland champions Tipperary receiving a total of 14 nominations while Kilkenny received 10 nominations. Semi-finalists Waterford and Cork both received six and five nominations respectively while Galway also received five nominations.
The four nominees for the Opel GPA Player of the Year for Hurling, as chosen by the Hurling Selection Committee are: Lar Corbett (Tipperary ); Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny ); Brendan Maher (Tipperary ) and Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny ).
The shortlists were drawn up by a selection committee headed up by Chairman Donal O’Grady. The winners will be selected by GPA members.
Commenting on the announcement, Chairman of the Hurling Selection Committee, Donal O’Grady said: “The GPA selection committee has put forward what it believes are the three best nominations for the various positions on the 2010 Team of the Year and four nominations for Hurler of the Year. However, the GPA scheme gives the player the final say and it is the players themselves who will now make the ultimate choice and select their best 15 and their Player of the Year.” The Opel GPA Awards culminate in a Gala Evening on Friday, November 5 in the City West Hotel, Dublin when the Opel GPA Hurling and Football Teams of the Year are presented with their awards on stage and the Opel GPA Hurler and Footballer of the Year are announced on the night. Each player on the winning team receives a trophy, €2,500 and a comprehensive set of training and leisure gear. The chosen Hurler and Footballer of the Year each receive an Opel vehicle to the value of €25,000 in addition to the above. The Kilkenny nominees are: John Dalton, Jackie Tyrrell, Tommy Walsh, JJ Delaney, Michael Fennelly, Michael Rice, TJ Reid, Henry Shefflin, Eoin Larkin and Richie Power.
