The Sunday Game panel picked their football team of the year but as usual it was packed full of players who made the semi-final at the very least. While this is perfectly fine, it's a little unfair on players who have had brilliant summers but have faded into distant memory at this stage.
So, as small consolation, we are proud to present to you our Balls.ie Gaelic Football Team of the Year, minus players from the four semi-finalists.
Andy Mallon (Armagh), Drew Wylie (Monaghan), Colin Walshe (Monaghan)
Colin O'Riordan (Tipperary), Emmett Bolton (Kildare), Dessie Mone (Monaghan)
Tom Flynn (Galway), Gary Brennan (Clare)
Kevin Dyas (Armagh), Shane Walsh (Galway), Tony Kernan (Armagh)
Conor Sweeney (Tipperary), Stefan Campbell (Armagh), Diarmuid Murtagh (Roscommon)
Monaghan and Armagh are the two best represented counties, with four players each, which is hardly surprising given that they were probably the fifth and sixth best teams in this year's championship.
I like the look of our attacking half-back line, while the industry of the Dyas and Kernan fits nicely with the panache of Shane Walsh. In truth it's been a tough year for inside forwards but I'm pretty happy with that full forward line. However it's worth noting how big names like Jamie Clarke and Conor McManus didn't have hugely memorable championships, which goes to show just how difficult that role has become.
If I was to pick my favourite player on this team it would probably be Drew Wylie for offering a great mixture of modern athleticism with a throwback to the old days of tough full-backs who'd go through a wall to win back possession.
