WHEN DEAN ROCK stood over a kick from a ’45 in the 73rd minute of Saturday night’s replay, it was a scenario he was familiar with in Croke Park.
Two years ago he had converted the free against Mayo that swept Dublin to All-Ireland glory from a central position. Two weeks ago he had seen an effort on the left sideline tail wide in pursuit of a winning score against Kerry.
All three kicks were into the goal at the Davin End of the stadium but Saturday’s shot was removed of the tension associated with those efforts in the 2017 victory and 2019 draw. Dublin had the buffer of a five-point advantage, Rock confidently knocked over the point that pushed the gap to six.
It closed off the scoring sequence on the evening, the final whistle blasting shortly after to confirm Dublin’s victory for a fifth successive season.
The curious fact was that it was Rock’s only attempt from a placed kick all evening. It was an odd trend for a player who has become so associated with his prowess from dead balls.
And not something he could recall having occurred previously in any match he lined out in.
“No, never ever (happened before),” remarked Rock.
“It’s a strange one but look sure that’s just how it went. Lucky it didn’t affect the scoreline today anyway. It (the late ’45) was the only one we got all day. Usually you’d get at least six or seven a game but look I suppose Kerry were disciplined in their tackling and the referee let the advantage play a little bit as well which helped.
“I chipped in from play, got two from play. The boys stood up in fairness today, Ciaran, Con and Mannion. They scored 0-12 between them from play which is phenomenal scoring. You’re just there to do your job, add a little bit to the game going forward. Eoin Murchan’s goal was critical, we got our noses in front and we never let up then to the end.”
In the drive for five Rock had played a central role in the All-Ireland final showpieces. He was joint top scorer for Dublin in the 2015 final with Paul Flynn and Bernard Brogan before pointing the way as the team’s leading marksman in every final outing thereafter until Saturday’s replay.
Dean Rock All-Ireland finals 2015-19
- 2015: Kerry – 0-2 (0-2f).
- 2016: Mayo draw 0-4 (0-3f); Mayo replay 0-9 (0-7f).
- 2017: Mayo 0-7 (0-3f).
- 2018: Tyrone 0-7 (0-3f, 0-1 ’45).
- 2019: Kerry draw 0-10 (0-6f, 0-1 ’45); Kerry replay 0-3 (0-1 ’45).
The drawn match against Kerry saw him reach new heights with his haul of 0-10. The fifth of those scores carried an extra layer of significance, a historical moment as it saw him overtake Bernard Brogan as the second most prolific player in the county’s football history. Jimmy Keaveney is the only Dublin sharpshooter that he must now aim to surpass.
Rock was central to the blaze of late drama in that first Dublin-Kerry instalment. He faced that kick from an unfavourable spot underneath the Cusack Stand as he tried to land the winner. The miss was not something he dwelt upon, the score he swept over from play moments previously to tie the game was one he was more perturbed by.
“You’re on the tarmac stuff there. I’d say I’ve never practiced a kick like that in all my life, it was a shot at nothing. The equalising score was obviously the most important and we were just lucky to get over the line and get another chance at it after obviously the red card on the first day.
“We’re a very experienced group so you do draw on those experiences. Even just the 13-day turnaround that we were used to back then (in 2016). Just the little things around training loads and stuff that Bryan Cullen and the lads would have been monitoring over the last couple of weeks.
“We felt great going into the game and I’m sure Kerry were the same. I don’t think fatigue played too much of a factor. I think both sets of teams were fresh and raring to go. From being on the pitch, it felt like a good game of football to be a part of.”
The season was rounded off in an upbeat fashion for Rock. A hamstring injury saw him sit out the early summer assignments, coming on as a sub against Meath and Cork before getting a start against Roscommon. He struck 1-11 in that game and retained the spot for the marquee games that followed.
“Just picked up an injury at the start of the Leinster championship, it was just bad timing. There’s no point trying to rush it, so I was just very diligent in my rehab and prehab work. I knew once I got back on the pitch, I’d be good enough to stake a claim for a starting position. I think I started four games towards the end of the year, that’s the business end, that’s where you want to be as a player.
“You draw on your experiences that you have. I think I’m the oldest forward up there, time is ticking a little bit. it’s changing but it’s good too. It’s nice to be the wise head. I always thought I would have had a wise head anyway from a young age but yeah it’s just great to see the likes of the lads in full flow.”
And the historic five-in-a-row feat that Dublin had secured?
“It’s an incredible feeling. Great celebrations in the dressing-room there with the lads and the backroom team and everyone has put in so much effort and work over the last 12 months really. Special times.
“There’s some guys there winning their first All-Ireland, there’s some guys winning their second or third. There is a few of us who have won the five-in-a-row which is an incredible achievement for the group to have that continued success.
“It’s something I’m sure we’ll look back on in years to come that we are the team to have done the five in a row, something that’s never been done before and that’s kind of cool.”
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