Six awards for the All Ireland champions, unbeaten all season, a fairer and more reasonable representation than that provided by the GPA team. Four for the beaten finalists. Three for Waterford, who saw off last year's All Ireland finalists and Tipperary before succumbing in the game of the year. One for the other semi-finalists. One for the crowd Eoin Kelly plays for.

Whatever else might be said about it, this team doesn't lack a sense of proportionality.

Twelve of the award winners would have picked themselves. Obviously the customers in your local and the lads on the GAA websites would have done a much better job than we did, but them's the breaks. The nearly-men included Paul Curran, Joe Deane and Ben O'Connor, all of whom can count themselves unfortunate. O'Connor had the most plausible claims, boosted by his sniper exhibition in the All Ireland final, while Deane suffered for losing his early-season momentum, just 0-2 from play in three All Ireland series outings. But Tony Griffin compiled 1-19 in five games for Clare, 0-4 of it when torturing the Kilkenny defence in the first half of the All Ireland semi-final, while Eddie Brennan produced his most solid season ever. No flashy solo passages alternating with periods of John Cagelike silence as of old, just a consistent and effective bassline.

In an indifferent year for full-backs, JJ Delaney was, perhaps fortunately, deemed to have had enough capital in the bank by late August; Curran started only two games in the position. Another Tipp man, Eamon Corcoran, would have been a deserving All Star for his fine summer, but Tony Browne was even more deserving for an even finer summer in a team that progressed further. While the All Ireland quarter-finals have widened the net of prospective All Stars, a semi-final spot is a necessity for recognition where mere mortals are concerned.

For Eoin Kelly, not being a mere mortal, it's no necessity.

Enda McEvoy was a selector for the 2006 Vodafone All Stars 2006 All Star hurling team Donal Og Cusack (Cork); Eoin Murphy (Waterford), JJ Delaney (Kilkenny), Brian Murphy (Cork); Tony Browne (Waterford), Ronan Curran (Cork), Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny); Jerry O'Connor (Cork), James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick (Kilkenny);

Dan Shanahan (Waterford), Henry Shef"in (Kilkenny), Eddie Brennan (Kilkenny); Eoin Kelly (Tipperary), Martin Comerford (Kilkenny), Tony Grif"n (Clare) Hurler of the Year Henry Shef"in (Kilkenny) Young Hurler of the Year James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick (Kilkenny)