Forget the All-Stars, these are the awards that GAA players really want to win.
The Maurice Fitz award for the score with the most outrageous curl of the week
It’s not the curl that’s important this week, it’s emphasising Bryan Sheehan’s absolute mastery of the dead ball once again.
Hailing from the same neck of the woods as Maurice Fitz, Sheehan was described at the weekend as the best free-taker in the history of Gaelic Football by Colm O’Rourke and being honest, it’s hard to argue with such a claim.
This sort of free-taking might just win Kerry another All-Ireland this year.
The ‘business at the back and sides, party up front’ championship haircut of the week award
The award this week has to go to Mayo man-mountain, Aidan O’Shea, who stamped his mark all over yesterday’s Connacht Final in a manner that only the truly great players can.
Aidan’s hair was as impressive as his overall display yesterday and if he keeps up his current form, we’ll be seeing a lot more of it between now and the end of the Championship.
The GAA shtyle statement of the week
We’re soon going to have to narrow this category down to The Sunday Game only, as the analysts keep pulling out all the stops week after week.
Last night, it was the turn of Dessie Dolan, who somehow managed to stop himself from saying ‘Go f**k yourself, San Diego’ despite wearing a jacket straight out of Ron Burgundy’s closet.
Great night with Ron Burgundy and Danny Divito tonight @TheSundayGame @sportsdes @dessiedolan @mayomcstay pic.twitter.com/Ldt9iXavhn
— Eamonn O’ Hara (@EamonnOHara8) July 19, 2015
The ‘did he get that from the soccer?’ showboat of the week
There’s no denying that Brendan Kealy’s save from Stephen Cronin in Killarney was straight out of the top drawer, but there was certainly an element of ‘for the cameras’ about it all the same.
The dramatic nature of the save was increased by the ball hitting the post and Aidan O’Mahony putting his body on the line to avert danger immediately afterwards.
Fair play to Brendan, if you’re going to make a spectacular save, you might as well go all out to make it look spectacular.
Sign that the GAA is getting soft award
Brian McIver might have gone a little over the top in his criticism of Conor Lane’s refereeing display in Galway’s victory over Derry, but the decision to give Brendan Rodgers a black card in the first half was harsh to say the least.
Deliberate trip? Nope. Deliberate pull down? Nope, again. Everyone makes mistakes but a little consistency from the men in the middle would be nice.
Only in the GAA moment of the week
Marty Morrissey being mobbed by a hen party on Ulster Final day in Clones in the 2fm Roadcaster.
Have to keep all these @MartyM_RTE fans out side #themartysquad @rteradio1 pic.twitter.com/1qDzV3M0p2
— Shane Curran (@shanetcurran) July 19, 2015
Where would you get it?
JOE’s Guaranteed Irish Sports’ Star of the Week Award, a tribute to the tradition of incredibly long names for award titles in the GAA
It was going to take some man to claim the award ahead of Aidan O’Shea this week, but given their significant achievement in toppling a formidable Donegal side in Clones, Monaghan captain Conor McManus just shades it.
McManus led by example and kicked some wonderful scores to guide the home side to their second Ulster title in three years, despite the attentions of Neil McGee who stuck to him like sh*t to a blanket throughout.
A magnificent display by a truly magnificent player.
