FINAL STAND:It will be the last thing on the players' minds, or at least should be, but All-Ireland final performances usually count for "triple points" when it comes to earning All Star nominations, and indeed the awards outright.
Last year saw Kilkenny win eight awards – while Galway won none: that included a record 10th All Star for Henry Shefflin, who overtook his former team-mate DJ Carey, and Kerry footballer Pat Spillane, while Tommy Walsh became the first player to win nine consecutive awards. The six other reigning Kilkenny All Stars are Michael Fennelly, Richie Power, Michael Rice, Brian Hogan, Paul Murphy and Richie Hogan.
This year's All Star tour to New York, however, falls to the footballers – when the 2011 winners will take on the 2012 winners in the exhibition game in November.
The Gaelic Players Association has also announced plans to stage the inaugural Ireland-US Gaelic Heritage Awards in New York, to coincide with the All Star tour, with the first recipient being Donald R Keough, chairman of the Board of Allen and Company Inc, and former President of Coca-Cola.
"The creation of the annual Ireland-US Gaelic Heritage Awards will allow the GPA to strengthen its links with our network of supporters in the US and provide an opportunity for us to promote Gaelic games," says GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell.
“Galway are playing a team and not their aura. Kilkenny have what all great teams have – a big, fat aura. Nothing gets inside the head of a player like an aura.”
– Cork goalkeeper Dónal Óg Cusack's in his "On The Line" column on gaa.ie
CANNING IN POLE POSITION TO WIN TOP AWARD
Joe Canning (pictured above) is currently the bookmakers favourite to clinch the hurler of the year award, although the Galway forward will need one last big performance in the final to clinch it. Canning is currently the 15 to 8 favourite for player of the year, followed in the betting by Kilkenny's Brian Hogan and Tommy Walsh at 6 to 1. Further down are Kilkenny forwards TJ Reid and Aidan Fogarty at 15 to 2 while five-time All Star JJ Delaney and Canning's fellow Portumna man Damien Hayes are at 12 to 1 and 14 to1 respectively.
Hurler of the Year
15/8 Joe Canning
6/1 Brian Hogan
6/1 Tommy Walsh
15/2 TJ Reid
15/2 Aidan Fogarty
12/1 JJ Delaney
14/1 Damien Hayes
16/1 Richie Power
16/1 Henry Shefflin
But what are the best odds of a draw? The last All-Ireland hurling final to end level was in 1959, when Kilkenny and Waterford finished all square (5-5 to 1-17). Waterford won the replay by 3-12 to 1-10.
