Kilkenny, the best player of the Sunday Game Team of the Year

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The Sunday Game has chosen Ciarán Kilkenny as its Player of the Year, while the football team is unsurprisingly dominated by Irish champions Dublin.

Dessie Farrell’s six-in-a-row team has nine players in the squad, while Ireland’s finalist Mayo is rewarded with three picks: Oisin Mullin, Paddy Durcan and Cillian O’Connor.

Ulster winners Cavan fill two spots in the form of Raymond Galligan and Thomas Galligan, while Tipperary’s Conor Sweeney completes the 2020 side.

Sunday Game Team of the Year

1. Raymond Galligan (Cavan)

A sure presence between the posts for the Breffni. He will be best remembered for kicking the winning point from 55 yards against Monaghan. He also stood tall to eliminate a couple of Donegal chances later, on that memorable day, Ulster was brought back after a 23-year gap.

2. Oisin Mullin (May)

One of James Horan’s young gunmen who made their mark this season. Good recuperator of the ball and fast. He made his mark in the Irish final early on with one fist and was May’s best player of the day. It will be key for Green and Red to move forward in the next year or two.

3. Michael Fitzsimons (Dublin)

Now there are seven All-Irelands on the corner for clubman Cuala. He was a little sloppy at times against Mayo, but that was an exception in another season where he held his ground and tackled hard for the Dubs.

4. Paddy Durcan (May)

Good all the way for the Connacht champions until he had to leave at halftime in the Irish final. Great tackler, great at picking up scraps and then brilliant to advance. He was doing very well with Ciarán Kilkenny before he had to leave the fray. What would have happened if he had stayed?

5. James McCarthy (Dublin)

He helped set the fastest goal ever in an Irish final. Even after a decade of service, it is still a powerhouse.

6. Eoin Murchan (Dublin)

His signature outbursts are now part of Dublin’s game plan, but he’s just as good at eliminating danger. He broke more than a few raids in Dublin on the day Sam won.

7. John Small (Dublin)

Another stellar year in the heart of defense. More than once he threw his body over the line to break Mayo’s momentum on the final day of All-Ireland.

8. Brian Fenton (Dublin)

I have yet to experience what it feels like to lose a championship game. He started quietly at All-Ireland but won when Dublin made a push in the fourth quarter. He remains the master of everything he examines in between.

9. Thomas Galligan (Cavan)

Instrumental in Cavan’s march to Ulster glory. He came in with telltale effect against Monaghan and then led the line brilliantly when Donegal was finally sidelined on the day the Anglo Celt was won.

10. Niall Scully (Dublin)

The forgotten hero of this Dublin team, Scully had a great final and had a great turnout for both of her goals. He made a good score to start the second half and was absolutely everywhere.

11. Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin)

Another season where the man from Castleknock maintained the high standards that we are used to. I found Paddy Durcan a handful on the final day, but he excelled in his role as a playmaker before kicking in some good scores. He deservedly got the nod for Player of the Year.

12. With O’Callaghan (Dublin)

The turn of the protagonist earned him the Man of the Match against May. Silky skills, precision, and rhythm are still ingrained in his game. Even at just 24 years old, it can cause a lot more pain for defenses in the future.

13. Cillian O’Connor (May)

He shot the lights at Tipperary and remains key to what Mayo does with his ball-set accuracy and pace of work. It wasn’t as effective in the end against Dublin when the Green and Red challenge faded.

14. Conor Sweeney (Tipperary)

His last gasp on the bench helped Tipp survive against Limerick. A final triumph for Munster was rewarded for his Trojan work to maintain the Premier’s relevance in recent years.

15. Dean Rock (Dublin)

Scoring the fastest All-Ireland goal ever will now go along with his name. It rarely fails to release – infallible in its execution.



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