Gazing into the crystal ball: 2012 Football All Stars

Our writers try to forecast who will be rewarded for their performances in this season’s All-Ireland senior football championship.

THERE ARE 45 players in the running for the 2012 Opel GAA-GPA All Stars which are set to be announced tomorrow.

All-Ireland champions Donegal lead the way with 12 nominations while beaten finalists Mayo have 10 nods.

Defeated semi-finalists Cork and Dublin have seven and six on the list respectively. Meath and Longford earn two nominations apiece while Armagh, down, Kildare, Kerry, Laois and Wexford have one representative each.

The eventual team selection always provokes debate so we asked our writers to offer their thoughts as to who they would select on their starting fifteen.

Fintan O’Toole
1. Paul Durcan (Donegal); 2. Ger Cafferkey (Mayo), 3. Keith Higgins (Mayo), 4. Neil McGee (Donegal); 5. Lee Keegan (Mayo), 6. Karl Lacey (Donegal), 7. Frank McGlynn (Donegal); 8. Neil Gallagher (Donegal), 9. Barry Moran (Mayo); 10. Michael Darragh Macauley (Dublin), 11. Mark McHugh (Donegal), 12. Kevin McLoughlin (Mayo); 13. Colm McFadden (Donegal), 14. Michael Murphy (Donegal), 15. Colm O’Neill (Cork).

Niall Kelly
1. David Clarke (Mayo); 2. Keith Higgins (Mayo), 3. Donal Keogan (Meath), 4. Neil McGee (Donegal); 5. Lee Keegan (Mayo), 6. Karl Lacey (Donegal), 7. Frank McGlynn (Donegal); 8. Neil Gallagher (Donegal), 9. Barry Moran (Mayo); 10. Michael Darragh Macauley (Dublin), 11. Mark McHugh (Donegal), 12. Kevin McLoughlin (Mayo); 13. Colm McFadden (Donegal), 14. Michael Murphy (Donegal), 15. Colm O’Neill (Cork).

Patrick McCarry
1. Paul Durcan (Donegal); 2. Eoin Cadogan (Cork), 3. Rory O’Carroll (Dublin), 4. Eamon McGee (Donegal); 5. Colm Boyle (Mayo), 6. Karl Lacey (Donegal), 7. Anthony Thompson (Donegal); 8. Rory Kavanagh (Donegal), 9. Aidan Walsh (Cork); 10. Graham Reilly (Meath), 11. Paul Barden (Longford), 12. Kevin McLoughlin (Mayo); 13. Conor Laverty (Down), 14. Colm McFadden (Donegal), 15. Michael Murphy (Donegal).

Paul Fennessy
1. Paul Durcan (Donegal); 2. Rory O’Carroll (Dublin), 3. Neil McGee (Donegal), 4. Keith Higgins (Mayo); 5. Karl Lacey (Donegal), 6. Anthony Thompson (Donegal), 7. Frank McGlynn (Donegal); 8. Aidan O’Shea (Mayo), 9. Neil Gallagher (Donegal); 10. Paul Flynn (Dublin), 11. Kevin McLoughlin (Mayo), 12. Alan Dillon (Mayo); 13. Colm O’Neill (Cork), 14. Michael Murphy (Donegal), 15. Colm McFadden (Donegal).

Sean Farrell
1. David Clarke (Mayo); 2. Ger Cafferkey (Mayo), 3. Eamonn McGee (Donegal), 4. Michael Shields (Cork); 5. Emmet Bolton (Kildare), 6. Karl Lacey (Donegal), 7. Michael Quinn (Longford); 8. Rory Kavanagh (Donegal), 9. Aidan O’Shea (Mayo); 10. Alan Dillon (Mayo), 11. Ciaran Sheehan (Cork), 12. Graham Reilly (Meath); 13. Conor Laverty (Down), 14. Michael Murphy (Donegal), 15. Colm McFadden (Donegal).

Sinead O’Carroll
1. Paul Durcan (Donegal); 2. Donal Keogan (Meath), 3. Neil McGee (Donegal), 4. Paddy McGrath (Donegal); 5. Frank McGlynn (Donegal), 6. Karl Lacey (Donegal), 7. Lee Keegan (Mayo); 8. Barry Moran (Mayo), 9. Neil Gallagher (Donegal); 10. Alan Dillon (Mayo), 11. Paul Flynn (Dublin), 12. Mark McHugh (Donegal); 13. Colm McFadden (Donegal), 14. Michael Murphy (Donegal), 15. Colm O’Neill (Cork).

We also asked them for their choice of Footballer of the Year with the Donegal trio of Karl Lacey, Colm McFadden and Frank McGlynn in contention.

Fintan O’Toole – Karl Lacey (Donegal)
Niall Kelly – Karl Lacey (Donegal)
Patrick McCarry - Colm McFadden (Donegal)
Paul Fennessy – Karl Lacey (Donegal)
Sean Farrell – Karl Lacey (Donegal)
Sinead O’Carroll – Karl Lacey (Donegal)

And their choice of Young Footballer of the Year which will be contested by Donegal’s Paddy McBrearty, Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor and Meath’s Donal Keogan.

Fintan O’Toole – Donal Keogan (Meath)
Niall Kelly - Patrick McBrearty (Donegal)
Patrick McCarry – Patrick McBrearty (Donegal)
Paul Fennessy – Cillian O’Connor (Mayo)
Sean Farrell – Donal Keogan (Meath)
Sinead O’Carroll – Donal Keogan (Meath)

Who do you think should win the 2012 Allstar awards? And who are your choices for Footballer of the Year and Young Footballer of the Year? Let us know in the comments section below.