Austin Gleeson has been named GAA-GPA Hurler and Young Hurler of the Year.
Austin Gleeson has been voted the GAA-GPA Opel All-Stars Hurler and Young Hurler of the Year by his fellow inter-county players.
Gleeson was chosen ahead of Tipperary's Seamus Callanan and Padraic Maher for the Hurler of the Year award, and Waterford team-mate Shane Bennett and Tipperary's John McGrath for the Young Hurler of the Year award.
As well as winning both Hurler of the Year awards, Gleeson was also named at centre-forward on the 2016 GAA-GPA Opel All-Stars Hurling team.
It’s only the second time that the same player has won both individual awards, with Clare’s Tony Kelly also achieving the feat in 2013.
Gleeson has been one of the most promising young hurlers in the country for some time, but this year he elevated his game to a new level.
"It is an absolute shock to be honest, I wasn't expecting this one bit," Gleeson said after picking up the Hurler of the Year award. "The calibre of the two players I was up against, nevermind those two, not to have played in an All Ireland Final and to be nominated was a privilege. To win it is just unbelievable."
The versatile 21-year-old was moved from defence into attack by Waterford manager Derek McGrath with spectacular results.
His performance in the Munster semi-final against Clare was sensational as he scored six special points, five of them from play and one from a sideline cut.
He was even better in both the drawn and replayed All-Ireland semi-finals against Kilkenny as scored a combined 1-7 from play over the course of the two games.
Black and white statistics don’t do Gleeson justice though, because it’s the pure technicolour flair of his game that makes him something really special.
His soaring catches, turbo-charged solo-running, spectacular score-taking, and raw physicality all add up to very unique package.
Despite his best efforts Waterford came up just short in the All-Ireland semi-final replay against Kilkenny, but that wasn’t the end of Gleeson’s year.
He was also one of the main men for the Waterford U-21 team that won the county’s first All-Ireland title in the grade for 24 years.
Described by his manager Derek McGrath as having “that bit of genius”, few would quibble with that assessment.
The only wonder is just how good Gleeson will eventually become, because at the age of just 21 he’s clearly still developing his game.
That should be a scary thought of opposition defenders, and the source of much optimism for Waterford hurling supporters.