BERNARD BROGAN GOT his hands on the Sam Maguire for a fourth time in six years last Saturday.
It’s a winning run that the 32 year-old is cherishing. The latter phase of his career has been dominated by glory days, in contrast to the frustrations he experienced in his early days as a Dublin senior footballer.
Firstly there was the struggle for Brogan to break into that Dublin starting side and secondly the sequence of setbacks like Kerry (2007), Tyrone (2008), Kerry (2009) and Cork (2010).
If Dublin could not get over the line into the winners’ enclosure then, now they cannot stop winning tight games.
Three of their All-Ireland final wins (2011, 2013 and 2016) have been by one-point margins. They won last year’s All-Ireland decider by a single score. For the last two seasons they have been taken to a replay by Mayo, yet each time have weathered the storm in the drawn game and ultimately triumphed.
Of all the qualities that this current Dublin bunch can boast, it is their stubborn refusal to accept defeat heading down the home straight that is perhaps the most admirable.
“Let’s say 2007 and 2008, Kerry and Tyrone, we played these teams, there was a belief that we could win and we came through great Leinster campaigns,” outlines Brogan.
“But when it comes down to the last couple of minutes, or to the really nitty-gritty piece of it and you’re playing a Kerry team that’s won 3 All-Ireland’s or a Tyrone team that’s won 3 All-Ireland’s, the group belief, is it there as much as another team would have?
“That’s what we’ve had, we’ve had a bit of success and the group belief is that we’ll get over the line. It’s like what the All-Blacks have or Man United had, when we’re in the mix and when there’s a couple of minutes left, we believe we’ll dig it out .
“Other teams might hope they’ll dig it out but we believe we’ll get over the line. We’ll get there or we’ll get another chance or we’ll get another shot.
“When you believe like that, it just tends to happen. That’s probably what’s helped us in the last number of years, the belief in that system and the process.”
Brogan was on the pitch at the final whistle last Sunday and popped up with a big score at a crucial time. At the start of the game he planted on the bench watching on but he had made peace with being omitted from the team.
“I have had unbelievable days and I started for three years. I was on the bench before I made my debut, so I have been very lucky with the amount game-time I have had and the amount of starts that I have had.
“It’s All-Ireland final day, it doesn’t matter about the individuals, it is about getting the medal in the back pocket. It is about rallying together and going up the steps to collect that silverware.”
The 2010 Footballer of the Year doesn’t expect a wave of retirements now with players keen to make the most of ‘a special time’ in Dublin GAA.
“The way the team is going, it’s a special time for Dublin GAA and everyone wants to be part of it as much as they can. I know there’ll be people pushing and youngsters coming through again like there always is.
“There’ll be players that will show form in club championship now from next week on. It’s a special group and everyone will want to be part of it for as long as they can.”
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