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GAA.ie Hurling Player of the Week nominations

Shane Dooley

Shane Dooley

By John Harrington

Sunday's epic Allianz Hurling League Final replay between Clare and Waterford produced some wonderful individual performances.

Tony Kelly was Clare's last-action hero, but Patrick Curran was a shoo-in for a nomination as well this week thanks to his clincial attacking display for Waterford.

Offaly's Shane Dooley also gets the nod for a nomination for inspiring Offaly to a crucial win over Carlow as the Faithful County got their Leinster Championship campaign back on track.

The voting process is simple: retweet the image of your chosen player on the GAA's official Twitter account (@officialgaa) or like their image on the GAA's official Facebook and Instagram pages.

Voting will close at 10am on Tuesday, May 10 and the winner will be announced on GAA.ie.


GAA.ie Hurling Player of the Week Nominations

Shane Dooley (Offaly)

Offaly badly needed a leader to step forward against Carlow on Saturday having lost their opening match of the Leinster Round Robin against Westmeath in fairly humiliating circumstances, and it was no surprise that Dooley was the man to do so.

The Tullamore man has been Offaly's best forward for the best part of ten years now and has the skill-set to rival that of any attacker in the country.

He was at his inspirational best on Saturday as he scored 1-10 of Offaly's 1-10 total, 1-2 of it from play. His second-half goal was the crucial score of the match, and the point he flighted over from a sideline cut was another highlight.

Tony Kelly celebrates his winner

Tony Kelly celebrates his winner

Tony Kelly (Clare)

Tony Kelly proved why he is one of truly great players of hurling right now with a match-winning performance for Clare against Waterford in Sunday's Allianz Hurling League Final replay. 

Kelly hit a total of 1-6, 1-5 of it from play, but that bare statistic doesn't come close to summing up just how massive influential he was. His brilliant second-half goal dragged Clare back into a contest that seemed to be decisively tilting Waterford's way, and then he produced even greater deeds of derring-do in injury-time.

First, he drove over an equalising free from inside his own half, then hit the dramatic winner from the opposite sideline with the last puck from open-play in the game. It was comic-book hero stuff from the 2013 Young Hurler and Hurler of the Year.

Patrick Curran

Patrick Curran

Patrick Curran (Waterford)

Patrick Curran needed just 17 seconds to stamp his authority on Sunday's Allianz Hurling League Final replay against Clare. That's how long it took him to smash the ball to the roof of the net for a brilliant individual goal that set the tone for a wonderful contest.

Curran took the fight to Clare all day, and the Banner County's defence struggled to contain him. The Dungarvan clubman hit another two points from play and set up Jake Dillon's goal with a great piece of anticipation and vision.

Free-taking had been an issue for Waterford in the drawn match, but Curran was deadly accurate from placed balls on Sunday as well as he struck six frees and one '65.


Players of the Week are decided based on votes cast by followers of @officialgaa on Twitter, on the Official GAA Facebook Page and on the Official GAA Instagram page