THESE THREE PLAYERS will battle it out for the GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year award to be decided on October 24th at the AllStar awards ceremony.
All-Ireland champions Kilkenny have had two players nominated; early favourite Richie Hogan and TJ Reid. While Tipperary scoring machine Seamus Callanan makes up the list of three nominees.
So will Callanan become the first player to pick up the award having not won an All-Ireland medal in the same year since 2007, when Dan Shanahan picked up the award? Or will one of the Kilkenny duo become the seventh ever cats’ player to win it?
Any of the three would be worthy winners, but who will take the crown?
We make a case for each of the nominees:
Seamus Callanan
Callanan scored more points than any other player this year in the All-Ireland SHC, finishing with an overall tally of 9-50.
Callanan has found a frightening consistency in recent years to build on earlier promise, and he replicated a thrilling start to the year at the highest stage with 2-12 between this year’s drawn and replayed final.
His scoring form has been breathtaking from day one this year, with him also bagging an astonishing 5-54 during the league campaign.
With 9-16 Callanan also finished as the championship’s leading scorer from play, and unsurprisingly is also the leading goalscorer.
His powerful direct running style caused problems to even the most assured defenders during this year’s championship.
TJ Reid
Second only to Callinan, TJ Reid was next up in the season’s scoring stakes registering 4-53 over the course of the championship campaign.
The classy Kilkenny attacker gave an indication of what was to come with a man of the match performance against Offaly in the Leinster championship opener in Nowlan park.
The half-forward then bagged 2-11 in Kilkenny’s dismantling of Galway in this year’s Leinster SFC semi-final replay.
This time last year Reid was still struggling following a knee injury he had picked up in the year previous’ All-Ireland final replay. Yet he took full advantage of an injury free 2014, cementing his place in the Kilkenny XV and taking on a real leadership role in the Kilkenny attack.
Richie Hogan
Following Richie Hogan six points from midfield in this year’s drawn final and two in the replay victory, was named as the Sunday Game’s player of the year.
But Hogan’s performances caught the eye not only in the finals but throughout this year’s championship. The diminutive midfielder work rate, ability to mop up loose ball, and quality in joining the attack with devastating effect, were central in a rejuvenated Kilkenny team this year.
Hogan scored a crucial goal against Limerick in his team’s narrow semi-final victory, but he also chipped in with his fair share of defensive work; his aggression in the engine room proved just as vital as his match winning scores.
Hogan was replaced in the All-Ireland final replay within the hour, later revealing he had been suffering with the flu.
