The provincial football championships have been decided and it's the perfect time to update our choice as the players of the season so far.

1. Stephen Cluxton (Dublin)

The Leinster final annihilation of Meath underlined, once again, the importance of Cluxton's kick-out to Dublin's overall strategy. The Royals played into their hands by standing off their men and the Dublin captain was able to pick out his men with ease and, more often than not, primary possession was recycled into scores.

2. Shane Enright (Kerry)

Going into the Munster SFC final, Cork pinned much of their hopes on Brian Hurley being on form in front of the posts but they hadn't banked on Enright who restricted the Rebel ace to one point from play. The Tarbet clubman has emerged as a key defender for the Kingdom who are still adjusting to life without Tomas O Se.

3. Drew Wylie (Monaghan)

Monaghan relinquished their Anglo Celt Cup title to Donegal last Sunday but no finger of blame could be pointed in the direction of Wylie. The Ballybay clubman has produced a string of consistent performances for Malachy O'Rourke's side so far this year and he will backbone their bid to make up for the Ulster final disappointment via the qualifiers.

4. Keith Higgins (Mayo)

James Horan has restored the versatile Higgins to defence this year and it has been a case of so far so good for the Ballyhaunis star. He collected his fifth Connacht SFC medal following the 3-14 to 0-16 Nestor Cup final victory over arch rivals Galway and there's not too many opponents that will recall marking Higgins with any great fondness.

5. Lee Keegan (Mayo)

Keegan has continued where he left off last year and his attacking prowess is a potent weapon in the Mayo arsenal. He helped himself to 1-1 in the provincial decider after getting on the end of a clever Cillian O'Connor pass to palm the ball to the back of the Galway net. Mayo supporters will be looking for more of the same from the Westport man as the All-Ireland series beckons.

6. Frank McGlynn (Donegal)

McGlynn typifies the Donegal approach. The team comes before the individual and he is a vital cog in the much-vaunted Donegal system. McGlynn and his team-mates celebrated a third Ulster triumph in four years last weekend and if Jim McGuinness' men can continue their winning ways, the Glenfin star is well on his way to a second All-Star award.

7. Colin O'Riordan (Tipperary)

18-year-old O'Riordan has been one of the stars of Tipperary's run to round 4 of the football qualifiers. A dual All-Ireland minor medal winner, he has had made the step up to senior level with the minimum of fuss. The JK Brackens clubman and his team-mates have claimed the scalps of Longford and Laois so far and they will be looking to add Galway to that list this weekend.

8. Odhrain MacNiallais (Donegal)

Newcomer MacNiallais was one of the standout performers as Donegal retained the Anglo Celt Cup last Sunday. A naturally gifted gaelic footballer, he clipped over three points against the Farney County. He has rotated between the midfield and half-forward lines and the Ghaoth Dobhair clubman looks equally at home in both positions.

9. Michael Darragh Macauley (Dublin)

Along with midfield partner Cian O'Sullivan, the Footballer of the Year has ruled the roost against all opposition this year. He never shys away from a challenge and is all-action style makes him a nightmare to mark. With boundless energy, he covers every blade of the Croke Park pitch and he provides the drive for Jim Gavin's side.

10. Paul Flynn (Dublin)

Fingallians clubman Flynn had, by his own high standards, a relatively quiet outing in the Leinster final but, then again, he didn't have to click up the gears at any point as the match was over as a contest at the half-way stage. On the few occasions that Dublin's back was against the wall this year, he has consistently come up trumps.

11. Declan O'Sullivan (Kerry)

The three-time All-Star issued a statement of intent with a five-star display in the 0-24 to 0-12 Munster final defeat of Cork. O'Sullivan was at his very best and his constant probing caused all sorts of problems for the Rebel rearguard. It was a timely reminder that O'Sullivan and Kerry can't be ignored when it comes to the Sam Maguire permutations.

12. Ryan McHugh (Donegal)

Mark McHugh's abdication from the Donegal panel in advance of the championship created quite a stir but his younger brother has taken up the slack. As the undisputed 'man-of-the-match' in the 0-15 to 1-9 Ulster SFC final victory over Monaghan in Clones, the younger of the McHugh siblings has put himself very much in the frame for an All-Star award.

13. Kevin McManamon (Dublin)

McManamon emerged from the shadows of the likes of Bernard Brogan and Paul Mannion to blitz Meath with an individual return of 1-5. Indeed, the number 13's return would have been greater had the woodwork not intervened to deny him on a couple of occasions. His powerful and direct running style is a defender's worst nightmare.

14. James O'Donoghue (Kerry)

In the absence of the Gooch Cooper, much of Kerry's scoring responsibility fell on O'Donoghue's shoulders and he didn't disappoint against Cork with a virtuoso performance that yielded 0-10, eight points from play. Looking ahead to the knock-out stages, opposition managers will have to come up with a plan to limit the Legion clubman's impact.

15. Cillian O'Connor (Mayo)

The two-time Young Footballer of the Year's well-being is crucial to Mayo's hopes of ending their 63 year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup in the coming months. He has had his fair share of injury troubles in recent times but highlighted his importance to the Mayo cause when hitting eight points against Galway. Tweet

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