Austin Gleeson
Waterford star Austin Gleeson has been crowned GAA.ie’s Hurler of the Week for the second week in a row for his inspirational performance in Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final replay defeat to Kilkenny.
Waterford might have lost the match, but Gleeson earned honour in defeat by scoring 1-2 from play and lighting up the match with his ability to cleanly catch high, dropping ball.
His performance won him 55 per cent of the votes cast on the GAA’s official Twitter (@officialgaa), Facebook, and Instagram pages
Tipperary’s Padraic Maher was second in the vote with Kilkenny’s Colin Fennelly in third.
GAA.ie Hurler of the Week
1: Austin Gleeson – 8251 (55 per cent)
2: Padraic Maher – 3790 (25 per cent)
3: Colin Fennelly – 2988 (20 per cent)
Austin Gleeson has been one of the hurlers of the year and produced another spectacular display for Waterford in their All-Ireland SHC Semi-Final replay defeat to Kilkenny.
The 21-year-old took the match to Kilkenny all day and scored a high quality 1-2 from play.
His ability to win aerial ball was really special too, and he's quickly developing into arguably the best all-round hurler in the country. Some of his decision-making can still be a little immature, especially his shot-selection, but he's still an incredible performer for someone so young.
No-one made a bigger contribution to Tipperary's All-Ireland Semi-Final victory over Galway than half-back Padraic Maher.
He produced some outstanding moments in defence, such as the bone-shuddering shoulder on Joe Canning that dumped the Galway man over the sideline and the incredible last-ditch hook on Conor Cooney that almost certainly stopped a goal.
He won a huge amount of ball throughout the contest too, and even popped up with an inspirational long-range point at a crucial stage in the second-half.
Kilkenny's game-plan against Waterford in Saturday's All-Ireland Semi-Final replay was all about isolating full-forward Colin Fennelly in one-on-one situations where his pace, power, and finishing ability could be used to devastating effect.
The tactic worked a treat, as the Ballyhale Shamrocks man scored two wonderful first-half goals that went a long way to laying the platform for Kilkenny's victory.
Fennelly also won a couple of crucial frees, and was a real thorn in the side of the Waterford defence throughout.
**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. **
