Austin Gleeson Appreciation thread

The Tipperary dominated GAA media having failed in their campaign to deny Austin his well merited hurler of the year accolade are just beside themselves with rage. Jackie Cahill just canā€™t accept the decision of Austinā€™s fellow inter-county peers and has resorted to quoting soundbites from gaelic footballers from Ulster.


First things first - itā€™s not Austin Gleesonā€™s fault that he was crowned GAA/GPA Opel Hurler of the Year last night. In the eyes of his playing counterparts, the Waterford colossus deserved it - and after all, theyā€™re the guys he hurls against.

However, perhaps the most thought-provoking point made on Twitter last night came from not a hurler, but a footballer.

Former Derry star Paddy Bradley suggested that the presence of two Tipperary men - PƔdraic Maher and pre-vote favourite Seamus Callanan - in the three-man shortlist may have split the Premier County vote.

Figures may or may not be released from the GPA but it would be interesting to know what the combined Maher-Callanan vote was, in comparison to Gleesonā€™s.

Bradley wrote: ā€œShock that. Callanan big favourite. Not that Gleeson hasnā€™t been brilliant because he was. But did the Tipp men split the vote?ā€

Gleeson (21) was brilliant all year, and in a variety of positions, but he was taken off in the Munster final against a Tipp team containing Maher and Callanan that won by 21 points.

Maher was consistently excellent all season while Callananā€™s only below-par performance by his own high standards was the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway.

Even then, he still managed to scoop away a superb hand-pass that allowed John McGrath to pounce for a crucial goal.

Debate will rage long and hard about the individual awards but kudos to Gleeson for scooping both the Young Hurler and Hurler of the Year accolades - emulating the feat of Clareā€™s Tony Kelly in 2013.
When Ballyea star Kelly won Hurler of the Year, he had a team-mate up against him, Podge Collins, with Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash also nominated.

Any split vote didnā€™t affect Clare then, when players also chose their winner.
Former Tipperary midfielder Shane McGrath led the chorus of disappointment from Tipperary, tweeting: ā€œAustin Gleeson is a serious talent. No doubt about that. But what more did one of the Tipp boys have to do to get it?ā€

What about the theory that rival counties simply donā€™t like Tipp? After all, manager Michael Ryan suggested last February: ā€œPeople love to beat us, weā€™re almost public enemy number one.ā€

Expanding on that theme, another former Tipperary player, 2010 All-Ireland medallist Darragh Egan, suggested that biased players from neighbouring counties may have played their part, snubbing Maher and Callanan in favour of Gleeson.

Egan told Tipp FMā€™s Straight Talk: "In our geographical situation here, and our rivalry with other counties, I canā€™t see where weā€™re going to get a lot of votes from.
"Kilkenny, Galway, Cork, Offaly, Clare, any of them counties, I canā€™t see too many of the lads voting for Tipp lads, especially if Tipp have beaten them in the championship this year.

"Also, within our own Tipp players, their votes are going to be split between Paudie and Seamie. Iā€™m really, really disappointed for the two lads. Both had an equal chance of getting it in my opinion.

"Nine points from play in an All-Ireland final (Callanan) - one of the greatest exhibitions ever seen at Croke Park, and Paudieā€™s consistency all year, absolutely outrageous.
ā€œThat gives the boys a bit of hunger for next year - that small percentage or two, that could get Seamie angry setting off for the 2017 campaign, the same with Paudie.ā€

Just three times in Hurler of the Year history has the gong gone to a county that hasnā€™t won the All-Ireland final. The recipients were Waterford men on each occasion, Gleeson following in the footsteps of previous DĆ©ise winners Tony Browne and Dan Shanahan.

But Tipp can console themselves with a haul of seven All-Stars, equalling their all-time annual best.

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:smile:
As if winning the award wasnā€™t good enough the fact that these cunts are seething and pissing in their cornflakes over it just puts the tin hat on it.

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Fair play to young gleeson best hurler all year apart from one game.He was unreal in the two KK games.This lad will be an all time great if he keeps the head down and waherford keep improving.

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They will never get over it.

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Itā€™s brilliant. They could have gone on about how itā€™s only an oul piece of sculpture and sure we have the medals except Cahill has left the cat out of the bag and revealed that itā€™s cut them to the quick.

Quoting some Northern footballer who has probably never seen a Hurley an a disc jockey from Tipp FM. :smile:

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Thatā€™s weak stuff from Jackie Cahill. In the interest of balance he should have quoted @Nembo_Kid. In fairness to @Nembo_Kid, heā€™s acknowledged that Austin was a worthy winner and is possibly already the greatest hurler of all time.

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Iā€™ve had a cut at Jackie on twitter but he might have a clearer head this morning.

Anyway Louis is pleased.

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Itā€™s a sad state of affairs for stick hurling when a fat underage mullocker from a hurling backwater can win the hurler of the year award. Yer man Gleeson wouldnā€™t be good enough to warm the Tipp bench.

And Austin like the gent he is was up early to acknowledge Louisā€™ graciousness.

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Why are you frothing from the mouth for,gleeson was head and shoulders the best hurler this year.It wont be his last HOTY award either.

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Meanwhile our getting involved for no good reason

Frothing at the mouth? :joy:

Saw him a couple of times against Kilkenny and he shat the bed. Didnā€™t impress in the under 21s either, and heā€™s overweight.

Ah itā€™s great auld fun @Matty_Hislop. Sure itā€™s about the best heā€™ll ever get. If we werenā€™t current all Ireland champions I might question the whole process, but itā€™s apparently a kind of sop this year to throw to the also rans.
Iā€™m really enjoying it, sure itā€™s extending our gloating opportunities, the whole thing about us being all Ireland champions was slipping away as the year went on.

I reckon they should just dry their eyes and get on with it.

Classy.

The Tipp fellas would still be drinking the counterfeit vodka in Lar Corbett pub puking down on top of Louisā€™ suit.

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Lar is selling suits now as well.
Theyā€™re too class Chinese ones. Loois Coopland is the brand name. Nice clobber.

Suck it up Bummer Badly.

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