Anthony Daly: Gillane omission makes no sense and Kilkenny will use snub as fuel

If any players have a cause for grievance, it’s more Munster men, specifically Aaron Gillane. For the life of me, I cannot understand how Gillane is not on the team. To me, it’s as bizarre as Clare’s Cathal Malone not getting a nomination. It just doesn’t make sense.

I thought he was excellent in Munster - not in every game mind - but he was better in the province than a lot of players who made the first 15. And his display in the All-Ireland semi-final against Cork was one of the individual highlights of the season. 

Gillane nearly singlehandedly dragged his side over the line. He probably would have only for a couple of super saves from Patrick Collins.

I’m not wearing my Clare hat here – genuinely – but I think the only two other players that can feel hard done by are Conor Leen and Conor Cleary. 

Clare were never going to get three in the full-back line but Leen had an outstanding debut year while, apart from the Munster final, Cleary was Mr Dependable, once more.

I thought Cleary might edge out Eoin Downey, who did have an excellent season, while I think Dan Morrissey is selected ahead of Leen for his consistency, more than any outstanding form in 2024. If you were to go through each match, I’d argue that Leen’s form was better. It was far more impressive again considering Leen only made his league debut this year, and is still only 22.

If you go through the team, the vast majority are the right calls, even if every other county will feel that at least one, or one more, of their players could have made the cut.

Even from a Clare perspective, you could make cases against some Clare players, and for more Clare players. Aidan McCarthy was poor in the Munster final and was dropped for the All-Ireland quarter-final but his numbers were outstanding.

I don’t think anybody would have been totally up in arms if Mark Rodgers was exchanged out for Aidan but Mark had a great final and who can forget his display below in Cork when Clare’s backs were to the wall. David Fitzgerald’s form may have oscillated a bit over the summer but he was the best player during the league, and was the top scorer from play in the championship.

Tony Kelly’s wizardry in the All-Ireland final was always going to get him the award, which I feel is fully deserved. By surpassing Brian Lohan and Jamesie O’Connor, Tony is now Clare’s most decorated All-Star, with five, which is some achievement.

Conor Burke from Dublin is a little unlucky but he was always going to be an outside bet. On the Monday evening after the Munster final, as I was sitting down having a pint with Fergie Tuohy, I said that Gearóid Hegarty was probably in the top three front-runners for Hurler of the Year. He was excellent but I still think it’s a surprise call that Hego got one ahead of Gillane.

It is incredible that it is the first all-Munster selection but it also underlines the imbalance in the championship – because Munster is where it's at, and where it has been. This year’s All-Ireland final was the third all-Munster final in five years.

On the other hand, Kilkenny could have been in the final. If they had, would they not have fancied their chances against Cork? They were in the league final too, and nearly beat Clare.

You couldn’t say that Kilkenny didn’t contribute to what was a wonderful championship. By their own standards, the draw against Carlow and a lucky draw against Galway wasn’t the barometer by which they judge themselves, but they obliterated Dublin in the Leinster final, while the All-Ireland semi-final against Clare would have been over at half-time only for four brilliant saves from Eibhear Quilligan.

Someone always has a grievance when they don’t get an All-Star but I think it will all be grist to the mill for Lyng and Kilkenny. They don’t measure themselves by All-Stars. And it’s 10 years now since they’ve won an All-Ireland. 

That’s all that will be exercising their minds over the winter.