IT’S AWARD SEASON in the GAA.
The All-Stars are taking place tomorrow night, as the elite players in hurling and football are honoured for their distinction in the championship this year.
The hurling All-Star team was named this morning, but the other accolades are still a mystery, including the recipients of the Young Footballer and Young Hurler of the Year awards.
Below, we take a closer look at each of the six candidates who have been nominated for the respective gongs.
Young Footballer of the Year Nominees
Eoghan McEvoy (Derry)
A member of the 2020 All-Ireland minor winning team, rising Derry defender Eoghan McEvoy is among the nominees for Young Footballer of The Year. Having only captained St Mary’s Magherafelt to MacRory Cup glory in 2022, McEvoy found a home at full-back with the back-to-back Ulster champions this year.
His arrival in the defence allowed Brendan Rodgers advance to a midfield position where he excelled to such a standard that he has been included in the Footballer of the Year shortlist.
Already considered one of the best defenders in Ulster, McEvoy has been entrusted with marshalling some of the most dangerous forwards in the game. He kept Cork’s Steven Sherlock scoreless from play in the All-Ireland quarter-final, before repeating the feat when up against Kerry’s Paul Geaney in the semi-final.
McEvoy is capable of transitioning from defence to attack with ease, which underlines the versatility in his game.
Conor Carroll (Roscommon)
An emerging goalkeeper, Conor Carroll is originally from Galway but switched allegiances to Roscommon through his uncle Brian Carroll who is also the Roscommon chairman.
He still plays for his local side Oranmore-Maree. He also played at minor level for Galway, and was a member of Pádraic Joyce’s U20 panel, but it is under the tutelage of Davy Burke that Carroll has thrived as a shot-stopper at inter-county level.
Like many goalkeepers in the modern game, Carroll has adopted the role of fly keeper and enjoys getting involved in the play away from the posts. He started six of Roscommon’s seven Division 1 outings in the 2023 league before making his championship debut for the county against Mayo.
He conceded a goal against Dublin in their exciting Croke Park encounter during the summer, but was part of the late fightback that secured a memorable draw against the eventual All-Ireland champions. Carroll is regarded as a considerable loss for Galway while Roscommon have found a secure first-choice goalkeeper going forward.
Ethan Doherty (Derry)
A Derry team-mate of McEvoy’s, and one of last year’s nominees, Ethan Doherty has distinguished himself once again as one of the best breakthrough talents in football.
He missed a portion of the league due to his commitments with Glen, and was to the fore once again for his club last weekend as he kicked a late point to assure their safe passage back to the Ulster semi-final.
Doherty has brought his prosperous club form into the county side and will be an exciting prospect for Mickey Harte to work with when he takes over as Derry boss in the new year.
No player from either Derry or Roscommon has ever won the Young Footballer of the Year award before, meaning the eventual recipient is guaranteed to make history with the 2023 gong.
Young Hurler of the Year Nominees
Adam Hogan (Clare)
The 20-year-old from Feakle has earned his selection on the Young Hurler of The Year nominees after an impressive campaign for Brian Lohan’s side.
In 2022, he was part of the St Joseph’s, Tulla’s side who captured a first-ever Harty Cup title in 2022. Prior to that campaign, the Clare school had never won a game in the Munster Colleges A competition.
Hogan progressed with the Clare seniors, producing some impressive defensive displays as the Banner retraced their steps all the way back to the All-Ireland semi-final. He marked TJ Reid for some of that absorbing contest before being switched on to Eoin Cody, who struck for a late 1-2.
The calibre of player that he has been assigned to mark demonstrates the value that Lohan places on the young star defender. His consistency is also enough to keep more experienced defensive options like Séadna Morey out of the starting line-up.
Ciarán Joyce (Cork)
The Castlemartyr defender has enjoyed a fruitful few years in the Cork jersey, earning a second successive nomination for this individual accolade. The two-time Munster and All-Ireland U20 winner made his senior debut last year.
He has already developed into a hugely influential defender for Pat Ryan’s Cork senior side, establishing himself as an option at either midfield or centre-back. And considering Cork were without Mark Coleman due to a knee injury in 2023, Joyce soared in his absence.
Powerful in the air, Joyce also has the ability to advance forward and get crucial scores. An example of this was his terrific long-range effort on the run to help inspire a comeback victory against Limerick during the league.
Mark Rodgers (Clare)
The Scariff native featured for Clare in the 2022 campaign, but 2023 was when he made his imprint on the team. He earned his first championship start for the side and marked the occasion with two well-taken goals against Tipperary in a Munster round-robin thriller.
His scores were desperately needed by Lohan’s side as they were sliding towards a heavy beating before Rodgers struck the net twice in two minutes. Tipperary still emerged with the win that day but Rodgers was off the mark.
He picked off three points against Limerick, including a brilliant sideline-cut, and added another 1-2 when the sides were reunited again in the Munster final. For the second year in a row, his side just came up short in their attempt to end a long wait for provincial glory.
Rodgers fleeced Dublin for 1-11 in the All-Ireland quarter-final and finished his inter-county season with an impressive 10 points in their narrow semi-final loss to Kilkenny.
Who do you think will pick up the respective awards? Let us know in the comment section below.
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