Rhapsody In Blue

“Victory belongs to the most persevering” – Napoleon Bonaparte.

The third Sunday in September 2011 will go down in the annals as one of the greatest days in the storied history of Dublin football.
After 16 years of crushing lows and occasional near misses ‘The Dubs’ finally returned to the promised land, lifting the All Ireland Football title, amid scenes of wild jubilation reminiscent of the glory days of ‘Heffo’s Army’.
The final itself was a thrilling, topsy-turvy finale to the season, apparently destined to produce yet another Kerry victory until the momentum swung dramatically to Dublin, in those breathtaking final minutes.
Pat Gilroy’s troops simply refused to wilt. It was destined to be their day – and it was.
Kevin McManamon’s game-changing goal brought Dublin within striking distance, before Kevin Nolan’s booming point squared matters. The tension was immense. The ever-reliable Bernard Brogan edged the city slickers in front before ‘The Kingdom’ roared back with Kieran Donaghy’s late leveller. It looked like the GAA top brass’ wet dream: a draw! With the clock ticking beyond 70 minutes, there was only time for one final intervention. The Dubs were awarded a free and up stepped the unflappable netminder Stephen Cluxton to land that crucial last-gasp point. The final whistle went and the ecstacy of the hordes on Hill 16 told the story: the ‘Holy Grail’ was finally coming home!
In the past, Dublin’s vulnerability under pressure had cost them dearly. Remember their dramatic semi-final loss against Cork last year? The 2011 vintage had learned from their mistakes, showing their true mettle when it mattered most.
From goalkeeper Cluxton right-through to super-sub McManamon, Gilroy’s men displayed a collective belief, built to overcome every obstacle strewn in their path by the footballing Gods. In Leinster, the boys in blue met with strong resistance before they put a courageous Wexford side to the sword; they edged neighbours Kildare out in controversial circumstances – and they faced down Laois’ brave challenge superbly. With the province safely negotiated the shackles were thrown off in the quarters, as they blitzed Tyrone with a virtuoso performance. Dublin had arrived as serious contenders. Their mental fortitude was severely tested in overcoming Donegal’s suffocating defensive-system before they stood up successfully to the game’s aristocrats Kerry in the final. Throughout Dublin’s glorious season, many heroes emerged, but no one did more to realise the dream than the eldest of the Brogan brothers, Alan.
The St. Oliver Plunkett’s forward has always delivered for his county, but 2011 was his finest ever year. A veteran of ten seasons with Dublin, he was selected as an All-Star for the third time, and – as his brother Bernard had done previously – he lifted the coveted Texaco ‘Footballer of the Year’ award to boot.
“Getting the win after so many years of heartbreaking defeat was very sweet,” he admits, “There’s also a serious amount of relief involved. Deep down you know you’re good enough, but there’s always that little nagging doubt you won’t get the breaks. You win and lose games on small margins. In all sport, you need a rub of the green.”
For inter-county footballers, winning that first All-Ireland is an extraordinary feeling, a just reward for the massive personal sacrifices involved. However, sharing that moment with your brothers is extra special.
“To savour that feeling with Paul and Bernard was unbelievable,” he says. “Our family is steeped in football, going back to when dad won his All-Irelands in the ‘70s. Since we were kids, playing for the county in Croker was the dream. Dad was over the moon, really chuffed for the entire squad of players and the management. In fact, he probably enjoyed the win more than the lads!”
January will soon be upon us and attention will switch to the upcoming season. Contenders are already plotting Dublin’s downfall. Keeping Sam Maguire will take some serious doing.
“The real challenge over the coming months is getting refocused,” Alan states. “Not many teams have put titles back-to-back in recent years and it’s going to take a massive effort for us to buck that trend. Let’s be honest, we’ll be viewed as a serious scalp. The craic’s been great since the win and we’ve certainly enjoyed ourselves over the past months, but soon the partying will be done and it’s back to the serious stuff! I’m sure Pat (Gilroy) is already looking forward to getting back to business and so are the players. This group of lads is extremely motivated: we want to do our utmost to win more than one Celtic-cross. Once you get a taste you’re thinking, ‘Let’s do everything we can to make it happen again’.
“I think all the players were massively relieved when Pat confirmed he was staying on,” he adds. “You really need that continuity, it helps to create a bond. Any change can affect the psyche of the group and we need to keep improving.”
In seasons gone by, Dublin steamrolled their way through the provincial championship before coming up short, often against the eventual champions in the case of Kerry, Cork and Tyrone. In 2011, Dublin was an altogether meaner machine, arriving at the quarter-final stage battle-hardened and fully prepared.
“I suppose when we look back on the year, we really put the work in with early morning training sessions and everyone showing massive commitment to the cause. Nevertheless, no matter how strong a group is mentally, no matter how well the team is playing, you need a few breaks to win the All-Ireland. One difference this year was the strength of the Leinster championship. In past years we might only have had one serious game and arrived into the All-Ireland untested. I think we learned a lot in those games against Laois, Kildare and Wexford. Any complacency was swept aside.
“I suppose I’m one of the old heads on the Dublin team at this stage,” he smiles. “Probably our greatest strength as a group is the absence of cliques. When we socialise you’ll find old vets rubbing shoulders with the young lads and there’s a real bond. It’s a well-worn cliché, but it’s true – you need a 30-man squad to win the big prize. Fellas know there are players on the sideline more than capable of doing a job. That’s the kind of internal competition that drives a team on.”
With the recent rise of rugby and the national soccer team’s resurgence under Trapattoni, Dublin GAA was under pressure to reassert itself.
“We didn’t feel pressure from supporters,” he insists. “It was more from ourselves. Pressure can stifle you, sap the energy. The key is to keep working, keep the belief. We won six games, had a few blips along the way, but we always believed we could dig ourselves out. Against Donegal in the semi and in the second half of the All-Ireland, we were pushed to breaking point. There’s going to be a serious amount of competition in next year’s championship. Cork, Kerry and Kildare will be major contenders. Tyrone are far from finished, Mayo have an excellent young team and Donegal are at a similar stage to ourselves about four years ago. They concentrated first on getting their defensive system right and I’m fairly sure they’ll emerge next year with a more expansive style of play.”
Year on year GAA players are pushing themselves harder, reaching levels of physical conditioning unimaginable even a decade ago.
“We prepare like professionals, put in a serious amount of time and it requires huge dedication. It’s really all about getting the balance right. I want to play on for as long as I possibly can, but it’s certainly become a young man’s game. I’m lucky. I’ve great support from my wife and an understanding employer. It’s a major undertaking to play county football year in, year out, but it’s certainly worth it.”
In recent years, a sea-change has taken place in the relationship between players and the media. Some feel the level of analysis is unjust; others find the attitude of players and management overly sensitive.
“The media surrounding the GAA has certainly turned up a notch since I began playing. In an ideal world maybe amateur players wouldn’t be scrutinised as much, but it isn’t going away and modern players will have to accept that. I think there needs to be respect shown in both directions. We’re lucky in Ireland to have such great games and I totally understand the demands of the media.”
Unlike hurling, Gaelic football has changed dramatically in recent times. Once a catch-and-kick based game, modern football is now primarily obsessed with retaining possession, and has been criticised for an over-reliance on hand-passing and defence tactics.
“There has been a lot of discussion in recent months about the need to tweak the rules to make the game more entertaining. The reality is that the game is constantly evolving. Trends come and go. Of course, the GAA have a duty to make sure the games remain as attractive as possible. It’s great to win playing great football, but sometimes it’s just great to win!”