Éamonn Fitzmaurice: Identity of Tyrone's eight All-Stars significant in remarkable transformation

There were no stars of back door runs nominated and the shortened league meant standout early-season performers did not get the nod either.

There were plenty of tight calls that could have gone either way with Niall Morgan, Lee Keegan, Kieran McGeary, Conor Meyler, Darren McCurry, Ciarán Kilkenny, and David Clifford all probably guaranteed their spots but I imagine everyone else will have been happy to have heard their names called out.

For Tyrone, 2021 is the year that keeps on giving. Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan have got plenty of credit already, as any management that wins an All-Ireland does. The fact that eight of their players now have added All-Stars to their haul franks their achievement. For me though the significance lies in the identity of players who received the awards and underlines how far individually and collectively this Tyrone group have come in one season.

Pádraig Hampsey and Peter Harte received their second award but for all of the rest, it was their first. If anyone was asked to pick an All-Star team at the start of the season I would hazard a guess none of the All-Ireland winners’ recipients would have been on the radar.

Niall Morgan was viewed as talented but capable of a wobble in big games. Hampsey and Harte were reliable but not shoo-ins for All-Stars.

Kieran McGeary and Conor Meyler were workhorses with more substance than style. Darren McCurry had been tried before and had more style than substance. Niall Sludden was held back by injuries and loss of form and Brian Kennedy was an unknown. It is a fair road they have travelled and their transformation has been remarkable. Dooher and Logan unleashed something in their squad and it was epitomised by this group.

They appear to have empowered the players to go and play but still have clearly defined roles.

Different players filled different roles on different days but they all thrived. Rather than trying to be perfect they incrementally improved. They followed Voltaire’s advice by accepting that “perfection is the enemy of the good”. They will realise already that what they produced this year won’t be good enough in 2022 and from now, the new mission starts.

As tumultuous as a season as it was for Kerry they can be well pleased with three awards. Paudie Clifford had a memorable season and is justly rewarded here.

Over the winter and into next spring he will be developing and figuring out how to play with a bullseye on his back. He will no longer be allowed to forage and spray ball as he was pre semi-final in 2021.

Remarkably, younger brother David has now accumulated three All-Stars in four seasons. I am sure while delighted with his latest achievement the only thing he is focusing on is securing that elusive Celtic Cross. That same mindset goes for Tom O’Sullivan now on his second award. They are a member of that club in Kerry that no one wants to belong to. In possession of an All-Star but not a medal. Their quest should bring the best out of this pair and everyone else in the squad next season and I am sure Jack O’Connor will tap into a hunger that must be bordering on starvation at this stage.

A word on Lee Keegan. He picks up his fifth All-Star after another incredible season. He is one of the modern greats. For a dashing half back to now have the humility, discipline, and agility to play at such a high level in the full-back line at this stage of his career takes some doing.

He is running out of time to win his medal and if anyone deserves one he does. Unfortunately as William Munny played by Clint Eastwood points out in Unforgiven “deserves got nothing to do with it”.

The All-Stars traditionally draw a line under the year and everyone starts to look forward in earnest.

Management teams will already be in advanced preparations for 2022. New managers and managements are realising the amount of meetings and prep work that goes on before the squad even meets up is insane.

They will all just want to get back on the pitch at this stage. For Friday night’s recipients, particularly the first-timers enjoy the glow today but realise the rules of engagement have now changed. They will be targeted by opposition analysis teams, managements, and players. How they deal with this will dictate how 2022 pans out for them, and whether or not they are a one hit wonder. If they are prepared to develop further and welcome the extra attention, they will be just fine. But if they bring the “doesn’t he know who I am?” mentality to the pitch, they could be in for a long and lonely season.