Awards.....:)
26/02/2010

Awards 2009

Fingallians held the Annual Juvenile Awards Night in early December. We are very proud of every one of the players this year. We had a challenging year in both football and hurling, but the teams have stood up and been counted in both codes. Looking back, we have done very well last season, because every player has done his bit to bring the team to where it is today.

For football we played 26 games. We played 15 league matches; won 10, drew 1 and lost only 4 and we finished 3rd in our league. Our greatest success was in climbing 5 divisions at the start of the year. This is down to each player giving his best to the team, and every player can be proud knowing that. No other team was given so much promotion.  We have shown that we are well able to compete at this level.

Our hurlers have to be credited for the work they did in 2009. They are very committed players and put in a huge effort to keep going. Hurling was difficult, we had a small panel, we couldn’t train properly and we only stayed on the road with help from the 2009 U12 squad.  Many thanks to these players and their mentors who turned out to help us each week. We only played 14 games. We played 11 league matches; won 9, and only lost 2. We finished 3rd in the league.  We went to the PJ Troy Tournament in June. We won it outright, beating all the other teams on the day. Our hurlers can be proud. They showed us all that if you love your game you can play it whatever the problems.


    We asked the players to up their game in 2009. From January on we were looking for two things: skill and intelligent play. We wanted to see the basic skills improving. We wanted to see players reading the game and using their heads as well as their feet. We wanted to see team play. We wanted to see players helping each other and using each other’s skills.


The awards for 2009 went to the players who took these things on board and did most to bring the whole team’s game up a gear.  As usual it was a difficult decision to make with many candidates for each category.       



Footballer of the Year:           Aaron Grehan  
   
A new player to the team in 2009, this player showed himself to be a versatile footballer who can play in a number of positions. Happiest at forward, he showed skill and intelligence here. Playing at back, he was winning and delivering ball forward in all our games. He has earned the Footballer of the Year award through his hard work and commitment to the team.


Most improved Footballer:            Oxin McKitterick

This player has shown consistent improvement throughout the year. Another versatile player, he has grown in his reading of the game this year. Playing at back he has made very important interceptions, set up plays and delivered ball forward. He is consistent in his game and one of the cornerstones of our defence. 


Hurler of the Year:                  Cillian Power     
 
This player has been with the team since we started. He has shown improvement in skill and reading the game through the year. He has a huge work rate and can be depended upon to give 100% effort in matches. Playing at half forward, he has turned tight games around by driving the game back at the opposition. He is captain of the hurling team and is the highest scoring hurler of the year.


Most improved Hurler:               Jordan O’Connell  
 
The player who gets this award has shown great improvement during the year. He puts his heart and soul into the game and has developed into an effective hurler. Usually at half back, he can be relied upon to bring the ball forward. He is worked hard on his skills at training and brings those skills to the games.


Club Player of the Year:            Ciarán Murtagh
    
The player we have chosen for this award is another player who has been with the team since we started. He has won the respect of the other players in both football and hurling. His work rate and fitness are outstanding, his commitment to the games is total and he never gives up or is willing to settle for second best. As captain of the football team, leads by example and encourages the players to give their best.  In hurling he is equally committed and dedicated. Playing at half back in both codes, he is a has a presence on the field, where he breaks up attacks and delivers quality ball forward. Of all the award choices, this was the easiest to choose.





Congratulations to all the award winners
Pakie, Declan, Noel & Ronan