THE second annual GAA Writers' Association Player of the Year awards are to include a new category, Young Player of the Year, in both football and hurling. The awards, sponsored by Guinness, will be presented at a lunch in Dublin on November 4th. The current holders are Clare hurler Brian Lohan and Tyrone footballer Peter Canavan.

Eighty journalists from both national and provincial papers are being polled and a short list of three nominees in all four categories is to be published at the end of next month. The Young Player awards are for emerging players under the age of 23 who have played no more than three championship matches before this season.