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
Dublin dominated the scoring at Croker on Sunday, but we have a lot of time for the effort swung over by Longford’s Liam Connerton when the Dubs threatened to run riot in the first half.
Jonny Cooper did everything right in forcing him further and further towards the touchline but Connerton backed himself to land it over from an ever narrowing angle and nailed it.
You might have to tilt your head slightly but you get the idea…
The ‘business at the back and sides, party up front’ championship haircut of the week award
Usually, this award goes to a young whippersnapper who has told the barber not to hold back with the razor, but this week we’ve given it to Longford manager Jack Sheedy.
We considered giving him the award following Longford’s victory over Offaly a couple of weeks back, but a fortnight on, his hair is still more impeccably kept than any other GAA manager we can think of, right down to the sideburns that come to a neat point somewhere around the ear lobe.
Small consolation for the defeat to Dublin, but consolation all the same.
The GAA shtyle statement of the week
That would have to go to four-year old Tipperary supporter Seamus Heenan, who watched the Premier dish out something of a thumping to Waterford in Semple on Sunday.
Bandanas haven’t been seen amongst the GAA’s male fraternity for some time, but if Seamus has anything to do with it, they could be making a comeback.
The ‘did he get that from the soccer?’ showboat of the week
Poor Mickey Pollock was so keen not to use his hands against Fermanagh that he forgot to pick up the ball. We feel for you Mickey, we’ve all been there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2knY6LrJXNY
Sign that the GAA is getting soft award
There was a distinct lack of celebrating of frees during Dublin’s clash with Galway in the Leinster Hurling Championship at Croker on Sunday.
John Mullane would want to have a word ahead of the replay next weekend.
Only in the GAA moment of the week
Only in the GAA could two of RTE’s most senior GAA analysts decide that a match was not worthy of serious analysis, as Colm O’Rourke and Pat Spillane decided after Dublin v Longford on Sunday.
Sure we’ll make up our own minds lads.
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
This week, the honour has to go to Tipperary midfielder Steven O’Brien.
You’d be happy with a six-point haul if you were a full-forward, but six points from midfield, all of them from play, is practically unheard of in inter-county Championship football. Some of them were real beauts too.
Like Tipp themselves, O’Brien could turn some heads this summer.
*All images and clips courtesy of Inpho and The Sunday Game
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