Kerry's six joined by two from Fermanagh

GAELIC GAMES/2004 Football All Stars: Although the selection of the 2004 football team was relatively straightforward compared to some other years, as always there are certain players left out who will inevitably feel a little hard done by.

As a team, though, it is still somewhat exceptional. It sees 11 of the 15 players collecting their first All Star award. It has only one member of last year's team (only five were even nominated) and has one county winning its first All Star.

There's no one from Dublin, Cork, Galway or Armagh. It has also produced the All Star winner number 1,000.

The hurling selection will be announced live tomorrow evening at the All Star banquet in Dublin. For now football takes precedence, and so too do the people who can be pleased.

First among them is Mattie Forde, who as expected finally ended Wexford's long wait for a first football All Star. Forde was named alongside Kerry's Colm Cooper and Derry's Enda Muldoon in the full forward line and that was no real surprise, except it meant there was no room for Armagh's Steven McDonnell.

Fermanagh had so far claimed only one All Star when Peter McGinnity was honoured in 1982. Now they have claimed two on the same team - Martin McGrath and Barry Owens.

McGrath was named at midfield alongside Tyrone's Seán Cavanagh - the only 2003 All Star winner to keep his place on the team. And Owens gets his award at full back, where he also helped inspire Fermanagh to the unprecedented height of an All-Ireland semi-final.

After Westmeath won the Leinster football title they had more than just a chance of getting players represented. Their manager Páidí Ó Sé had reckoned they should get three but instead they got two - Dessie Dolan and John Keane.

Dolan was always a shoo-in for a place in the forward line after scoring 1-27 in the championship and was named at leftwing forward.

Keane faced several strong contenders for a place in the half-back line, including players like Kerry's Marc Ó Sé and Tyrone's Ryan McMenamin. In the end, though, the selectors went for the young Westmeath player, whose fearless and steely defending proved the backbone of their run through the Leinster championship.

Joining him in the half back is another first-time winner, Kerry's Tomas Ó Sé, while veteran centre back James Nallen of Mayo finds himself winning a second All Star award eight years after his first.

Mayo's only other award goes to Ciarán McDonald at centre forward, surprisingly for the first time considering his long and frequently distinguished service with the county. Two All Star awards for the beaten All-Ireland finalists would normally be deemed a poor return, but clearly Mayo's dreadful performance in the final didn't help.

All-Ireland champions Kerry fared a lot better and collect six All Stars, including number 1,000, which goes to right wing forward Paul Galvin. Since the All Star concept began in November 1971 there have been 990 awards presented between both football and hurling, which ensures Galvin neatly brings the number into a new domain.

Kerry also claim both corner back positions, which go to Tom O'Sullivan and Michael McCarthy. O'Sullivan was arguably the most improved defender in the country this season, while McCarthy, who was a previous All Star winner four years ago, also shook off any fears of inconsistency to produce a model season.

And Kerry's sixth All Star award goes to goalkeeper Diarmuid Murphy in what was his first season as the county's number-one choice. Now aged 29 and for so long in the shadow of the long-serving Declan O'Keeffe, Murphy was another of the most reliable members of the Kerry defence.

The goalkeeping position by its very nature creates extra room for disappointment in that only one player can get it. As a result, Westmeath's Gary Connaughton can also feel a little unfortunate to lose out.

Midfield is only slightly less crowded and Kerry's William Kirby had strong claims for an award. He produced possibly the finest game of his career in the All-Ireland final win over Mayo, although on the balance of the season both McGrath and Cavanagh are still deserved winners.

The repeat winners are Cavanagh, McCarthy, Nallen and Cooper.