FOOTBALL: SportsDaz Listeners & Followers Ready To Pick 2021 Team of the Year
After the success of last year’s competition, the SportsDaz committee have finished putting together the 120 nominations for our 2021 Football Team of the Year.
The nominees are spread across 26 counties from the senior, intermediate and junior panels and next week (11th-15th October), we will bring that figure down to 15.
There are five survivors from the 2020 team – Katie Newe & Máire O’Shaughnessy (Meath), Clíodhna Ní Shé (Carlow), Neasa Dooley (Kildare) & Aimee Mackin (Armagh). Can any of these make history and be selected on back-to-back teams?
Through our twitter polls every day, people can vote for their favourite player to advance from the quarter-finals to the semi-finals, and then to the final while we’ll also use the total poll to determine our Player of the Year.
Meath had four players last year – can they increase that figure? Can the juniors increase their total from the three received in 2020? Will the seniors dominate or can the intermediates showcase their talent again? You decide!
We have some surprises in our selection below. And no doubt, we’ll have some controversial omissions in our final draft of 120 players (8 Goalkeepers, 48 Defenders, 16 Midfielders, 48 Forwards).
All-Ireland senior champions Meath lead with 14 nominations; followed by runners-up Dublin with 12. Cork have 10 players as do All-Ireland intermediate and junior winners Westmeath and Wicklow.
There’s 7 each from Mayo and Wexford; Antrim, Donegal and Derry have 5; while Galway, Armagh, Laois and Carlow have four nominations each.
Limerick have 3 names selected; there’s 2 each for Waterford, Sligo, Clare, Leitrim and Kildare.
Completing the list of counties with one each are Kerry, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Louth and Fermanagh.
So keep an eye out from Monday and make sure your favourite players stay in contention to be named on the 2021 SportsDaz Ladies Football Team of the Year!
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Format:
Monday, 11th October – Defenders (Quarter-Finals – 12×4 players – 24 Advance to Semi-Finals)
Tuesday, 12th October – Forwards (Quarter-Finals – 12×4 players – 24 Advance to Semi-Finals)
Wednesday, 13th October – Midfielders (Quarter-Finals – 4×4 players – 8 Advance to Semi-Finals), Defenders (Semi-Finals – 6×4 players – 12 Advance to Final)
Thursday, 14th October – Goalkeepers (Semi-Finals – 2×4 players – 4 Advance to Final), Midfielders (Semi-Finals – 2×4 players – 4 Advance to Final), Forwards (Semi-Finals – 6×4 players – 12 Advance to Final)
Friday, 15th October – Goalkeepers (FINAL – 1×4 players – Winner on Team), Defenders (FINAL – 3×4 players – Top 6 on Team), Midfielders (FINAL – 1×4 players – Top 2 on Team), Forwards (FINAL – 3×4 players – Top 6 on Team).
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Meath (14) – Monica McGuirk; Aoibhín Cleary, Shauna Ennis, Aoibheann Leahy, Mary Kate Lynch, Katie Newe, Emma Troy; Orlagh Lally, Máire O’Shaughnessy; Orla Byrne, Emma Duggan, Stacey Grimes, Niamh O’Sullivan, Vikki Wall.
Dublin (12) – Ciara Trant; Martha Byrne, Olwen Carey, Leah Caffrey, Orlagh Nolan; Jennifer Dunne, Lauren Magee; Sinéad Aherne, Lyndsey Davey, Caoimhe O’Connor, Carla Rowe, Hannah Tyrell.
Cork (10) – Martina O’Brien; Marie Ambrose, Melissa Duggan, Eimear Meaney, Erika O’Shea, Róisín Phelan; Hannah Looney; Sadhbh O’Leary, Áine O’Sullivan, Eimear Scally.
Westmeath (10) – Lauren McCormack; Lorraine Duncan, Tara Fagan, Niamh Spellman; Leona Archibald, Ciara Blundell, Fiona Claffey, Sarah Dillon, Anna Jones, Lucy McCartan.
Wicklow (10) – Linda Dempsey; Alannah Conroy, Lucy Dunne, Aoife Gillen, Sinead McGettigan, Sarah Jane Winders; Laurie Ahern, Meadhbh Deeney, Clodagh Fox, Marie Kealy.
Mayo (7) – Saoirse Lally, Tamara O’Connor; Sinéad Cafferky; Shauna Howley, Rachel Kearns, Grace Kelly, Sarah Rowe.
Wexford (7) – Sarah Merrigan; Clara Donnelly, Aisling Halligan, Sarah Harding-Kenny, Shauna Murphy; Ciara Banville, Caitriona Murray.
Antrim (5) – Orla Corr; Ciara Brown; Cathy Carey, Grainne McLoughlin, Theresa Mellon.
Derry (5) – Louise Gunn; Nuala Browne, Grace Conway, Anna Frizzelle; Ciara McGuirk.
Donegal (5) – Amy Boyle Carr, Evelyn McGinley, Nicole McLaughlin; Katy Herron; Geraldine McLaughlin.
Armagh (4) – Eve Lavery, Lauren McConville; Caroline O’Hanlon; Aimee Mackin.
Carlow (4) – Oonagh Fitzpatrick; Aoibhinn Gilmartin, Clíodhna Ní Shé, Dannah O’Brien.
Galway (4) – Dearbhla Gower; Nicola Ward; Olivia Divilly, Megan Glynn.
Laois (4) – Laura Nerney; Fiona Dooley, Jane Moore; Mo Nerney.
Limerick (3) – Megan Buckley, Meadhbh McNamara; Róisín Ambrose.
Clare (2) – Chloe Moloney; Niamh O’Dea.
Kildare (2) – Erica Burke; Neasa Dooley.
Leitrim (2) – Rebecca Rooney; Michelle Guckian.
Sligo (2) – Lauren Boles; Sarah Reynolds.
Waterford (2) – Megan Dunford; Katie Murray.
Fermanagh (1) – Róisín O’Reilly
Kerry (1) – Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh
Louth (1) – Kate Flood
Monaghan (1) – Ellen McCarron
Offaly (1) – Emma Corcoran
Roscommon (1) – Joanne Cregg
FOOTBALL: SPORTSDAZ Team of the Year 2020 – RESULTS