The 2018 Electric Ireland Minor Football Team of the Year has been named, ahead of the second-annual GAA Minor Star Awards.
The 2018 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Football Championship ended in dramatic fashion this year, with Kerry staging a fantastic comeback in the final to overcome Galway and defend their crown.
It was the Kingdom's fifth Tom Markham Cup triumph in a row, an unprecedented achievement.
Across every week of the 2018 season, we here at Balls have been profiling the best performances in the 2018 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Football Championship, so the names on this Team of the Year sheet will be familiar to our readers. The fifteen young players were selected by the All-Star voting panel of Sean Cavanagh and Daniel Goulding. Picking the fifteen best minor footballers in the country was especially difficult this season, as there was so much quality on display.
In total eight counties have been represented. Champions Kerry are unsurprisingly the most heavily featured, with four players present. All-Ireland finalists Galway have had three players selected, with Leinster champions Meath and Ulster champions Monaghan each having two.
Discussing the team, former Cork star and judge on the selection panel Daniel Goulding said:
Each footballer named on this year’s Team of the Year has proved themselves as a top player, experiencing the highs and lows of a tough Championship season through wins, losses, setbacks and success. Over the past several months, these players have shown dedication and perseverance in facing challenges both on and off the pitch. They are a talented group, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for these Minor stars.”
Here's the Electric Ireland Minor Football Team of the Year:
ELECTRIC IRELAND 2018 MINOR FOOTBALL TEAM OF THE YEAR
John Ball – Kildare, (Clane)
Ronan Grimes – Monaghan, (Killanny)
Owen Fitzgerald – Kerry, (Gneeveguilla)
Tiarnan Woods – Derry, (Drumsurn)
Colm Moriarty – Kerry, (Annascaul)
Tony Gill – Galway, (Corofin)
Mark Lavin – Dublin, (Lucan Sarsfields)
Darragh Rahilly – Kerry, (Rathmore)
Conor Raftery – Galway, (Northern Gaels)
Paul Walsh – Kerry, (Brosna)
Matthew Costello – Meath, (Dunshaughlin)
Aaron Mulligan – Monaghan, (Latton)
Luke Mitchell – Meath, (Dunshaughlin)
Eoin Darcy – Wicklow, (Tinahely)
Matthew Cooley – Galway, (Corofin)
The Minor Star Awards will take place in Croke Park on September 29th where the overall Football Player of the Year will be announced. Stay tuned as next Wednesday 19th Sept we’ll be announcing the Hurling Team of the Year.
