BERNARD BROGAN RECKONS that his brother Alan’s frustration at missing out through injury on Dublin’s All-Ireland winning campaign, will motivate him to play on at inter-county level for the 2014 season.
2011 Footballer of the Year Alan was reduced to a peripheral role this year as Jim Gavin’s swept to Sam Maguire glory.
His future intentions remain unclear but his younger brother will be pushing him to shelve plans of retirement.
“I’d say if he had won an All-Ireland this year and played in a lot of games he probably would have retired. But I’m hoping missing out will give him the inspiration to come back.
“He’s given such service to Dublin that I’d like to see him go out in front of 80,000 people when it is time to go. I think he has loads left to give. He’s a naturally fit guy. He never loses his pace and has a great engine.
“He’s busy with work and the family so he’s questioning whether to go on and whether the legs will carry him. He’s not going to lose any ground because over Christmas I’ll be telling him to stay going.
“It was massively frustrating (this year). I felt very sorry for him because he works so hard. He got back, he was flying but then he pulled his hamstring which put him out for another four weeks.
“He’s flying with the club at the moment, scored six points the last day in the league and he’s scored a mountain of goals in the B championship. I think he’s hungry.”
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Bernard believes that his play benefits when his brother is helping him create chances.
“People say I find it hard to play when Alan is not around but that’s because he hits such quality ball into the full-forward line. Not many people who can pass the ball like him.
“He’s great at the one-bounce pass that you’d see the Gooch kicking in from out the field. It’s very hard to cope with.
“A lot of people wouldn’t see it but as a full-forward the ball I like the most and the one that’s hardest to mark against is the one-bounce ball. Then I’m able to turn on to it without breaking stride.”
Dublin’s Louise O’Hara, Danny Sutcliffe, Bernard Brogan and Sinead Goldrick
Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Bernard is hoping to pare back on his Dublin schedule for 2014 in order to remain fresh.
“Hopefully we can come to some arrangements where the lads dont come under the stress that I did last year. I played 11 weeks in a row, something like that, and its hard to keep up.
“The reason I did, the year before after we won the All-Ireland I went to Australia and got back and only played towards the end of the league. I felt that summer I was’nt at my best because I hadn’t played all year. I felt I lost momentum.
“I’d couple of knocks this year and injured myself at the start of the league. I just ran out of steam at the end of the year and I missed the International Rules for that reason.”
