Enterprise no longer rewarded in Stars trek

The 39th GAA All-Stars were announced last week - I still can't quite figure out why both sides are not disclosed live and simultaneously - and there were very few even remote surprises in either hurling or football. Indeed, I would argue that the absolute predictability of the selections based a little on August games and a lot on September matches means that the original concept has been somewhat devalued.In football, the faint hopes that Wicklow's wonderful performances in the 'Back Door' might result in one of their ranks emulating current selector and former ace forward, Kevin O'Brien, were dashed at Friday's gala occasion. Similarly, Antrim's great run in Ulster wasn't rewarded. However, ignoring their demolition by Kerry (and that was one match in an otherwise fine year), five-in-a-row Leinster champions Dublin were snubbed, as were Connacht kingpins Mayo. Hurling's aristocratic counties need no longer fear 'intruders' like our very own David Kilcoyne and Down's Gerard McGrattan gatecrashing the City West. In truth, the term 'All-Stars' is a misnomer. The cats' Tommy Walsh, for whom my admiration knows no bounds, and Kerry's Paul Galvin, whose recovery from the self-inflicted trauma of 2008 has to be admired, were worthy recipients of Player of the Year awards. But does the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year in England ever go to the 'man of the match' in the FA Cup final? Hardly. It is based on performances over an entire season, in sharp contrast to the GAA All-Stars.A look back on the first All-Stars in 1971 may now be prudent. First-time Sam Maguire Cup winners, Offaly were allocated four places, with All-Ireland runners-up Galway securing the same number (this year's September finalists' breakdown reads Kerry seven and Cork five). A place each went to the Munster and Ulster champions, Cork's Ray Cummins and Down's Sean O'Neill respectively. The National Football League champions and runners-up, Kerry (Donie O'Sullivan) and Mayo (Johnny Carey), were both honoured, despite poor championship campaigns - the Kingdom, for example, lost the pre-Qualifiers provincial final by 11 clear scores to the Rebel County. Connacht finalists Sligo had the great Mickey Kearns selected (I would have had him on any team, from any era). Antrim forward Andy McCallin and Meath defender Pat Reynolds made up the team, despite their counties making no major impact in either league or championship. Surely this was a better-balanced selection, based on consistency through the muck and rain - ok the All-Ireland final was a horrible wet day also!The hurling line-up was also a fairer refection on the previous 12 months' activities in the small ball game. Liam McCarthy winners Tipperary had four players on the inaugural team, with defeated finalists Kilkenny being similarly represented (this year's role-reversal finalists' breakdown reads the Marble County six and the Premier four). League champions and Munster finalists, Limerick had two Shannonside legends rightly honoured in Pat Hartigan and Eamonn Cregan. Cork had a poor year by their exalted standards, yet Ray Cummins got an award in both codes, alongside hurling team-mate Tony Maher. More or less automatic All-Ireland semi-finalists, Galway had John Connolly at midfield, despite being well beaten by Tipp, while the Leinster duo of goalkeeper Damien Martin (Offaly) and Mick Bermingham (Dublin) would scarcely be even nominated if the modern 'later-stages-of-the-championship-only-counts' criterion was used.Yes, I concede that the two big 'K's won this year's leagues (such is their declined status that many, myself included, would struggle to recall this statistic), but Kerry and Kilkenny players most certainly did not get their statuettes for their February, March and April exploits. Do you remember Laois picking up two gongs in 1986 for their league success, even though an infamous and ignominious championship exit soon followed in the 'Battle of Aughrim'? Eight years later and our own 'Spike' Fagan (good luck to him as a selector with Brendan Hackett) was being touted when Mattie Kerrigan's troops got to a league semi-final. Nowadays, despite the leagues' more meaningful positioning in the GAA calendar, the All-Stars selectors seemingly ignore early-season form. Indeed, many of the national dailies get local hacks to cover such games. To take the argument a stage further, ongoing excellence in the provincial and All-Ireland club championships should be considered, but the October to December matches in these excellent competitions (ironically, in existence the same length as the All-Stars) are conveniently ignored, when the final teams announced in mid-October. A few non-international players won the Footballer of the Year in England.I love the quote from one of last week's boat-bound visitors to Mullingar, former Wicklow hurler Dara Ó Briain. When asked by RTÉ's Des Cahill whether he had to explain to the English what hurling was all about, the Irish comedian quipped: "No, but I have to explain it to the people of Wicklow!" I wonder should it be re-explained to the All-Star selectors what their final selections are meant to embrace? Or maybe Tom Humphries summed up the imbalance in All-Star teams when he wrote about a long-time Leitrim footballer par excellence: "Knowing that life isn't fair - that's the rule of Packie McGarty."