GAELIC GAMES:WHEN BERNARD Brogan says he couldn't pick a starting 15 right now he's not exaggerating: Dublin have used 31 players in their seven Allianz Football League games to date – effectively enough for two teams – and few of them can feel certain of starting places for Sunday's final against Cork.

Brogan, despite being the 2010 footballer of the year, didn’t start in two games (missing one while held up in the White House) – and while he is likely to start on Sunday, older brother Alan misses out through suspension. What is certain is that several places are still up for grabs ahead of the championship.

Manager Pat Gilroy will announce his team tomorrow, and with a number of last year’s first-choice players still unavailable, it should be another interesting formation – all of whom will of course be contesting their first national senior final

“It is hard to know alright,” says Brogan. “I probably couldn’t pick the starting 15 that he (Gilroy) would pick. We have been winning games, and he has been changing men. You want to have two lads in every position if one lad gets injured or suspended. You need people who can fill in and do the exact same job.

“The lads who have come off the bench have made a huge difference and have helped turn games. I would say if there was six forwards named and six different ones named the next day, there would be no huge argument from the media or from the fans. Lads are playing at such a high level, competition in the squad is huge.”

Dublin’s unbeaten run and scoring rate – with 16 goals and 82 points while conceding 6-92 – has certainly been impressive, especially as the apparent reliance on Brogan hasn’t proved true.

“It’s taken huge pressure off me,” he says. “I’m a bit more heavily marked this year. I get the odd double-marking coming on me.

“I’m happy enough to go with that. I’ve made a few assists so I’m changing my game that way a bit. I’m there when I’m needed to kick a few scores. Other lads have stepped up. Kevin McManamon, Mossie Quinn, Diarmuid Connolly is moving well. There are loads of lads there that can score. That will help me in the summer. When other lads score, teams have to be looking at them as well.

“But I expected it, being marked closer. You expect a bit more attention. I always say if you pop the ball around and move around, you get on more ball and get involved in the game more. I’m happy enough with how I’m playing and Pat’s happy with how I’m playing so that’s all that counts. We’re winning games. If I can bring lads into the game and pull defenders out of position, that’s great for the team.”

Brogan admits he has “no memory” of Dublin’s last league final appearance, in 1999 (he would have been 13), but reckons Sunday’s appearance is not only long overdue, but so is a win (they last achieved it in 1993).

“It’s a standard we should set for ourselves. If you look every year, Kerry and Tyrone are always up there around league finals and that equates to All-Ireland success. Hopefully from this year on, we will be more competitive in the league and getting to more league finals because it does stand to you going into the championship. It’s been too long.

“And of course we want to win it now. But after all the work we have done to get there, losing wouldn’t throw us back to square one. It’s going to be a serious Cork team out. We’ve learned so much from the league this year. No one on the team has played in a league final before so just getting there is a huge step up for us. It will be a big battle and, it will be a huge crowd in Croke for it. Championship-esque.”

The rotation of Dublin players has been thorough, and consistent. Gilroy has also used the permitted five substitutes in every game. Only six of the team that started the first-round game against Armagh started the final round game against Galway; Paul Casey, Denis Bastick, Seán Murray, Bryan Cullen, Bernard Brogan and Diarmuid Connolly.

In the meantime Brogan is expecting a different, as in more difficult, test from Cork on Sunday compared to their second-round meeting at Croke Park back on February 19th: “They’re settling in to their team a bit. They’re moving well. I know they had a bit of an upset against Mayo a few weeks ago, but they put up some good performances over the last couple of games. We’re certainly expecting a good hard game.”

Among the Dublin players not available for Sunday are Ross O’Carroll, who is troubled with a nerve injury in his lower back, along with brother Rory (away), Eamon Fennell (hip) James Brogan (cruciate tear) Cian O’Sullivan (hamstring) Ross McConnell (hip) Craig Dias (virus) and Darran Magee (leg).

GOALKEEPERS:

Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)

Michael Savage (St Vincent’s)

DEFENDERS:

Ross O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes)

Sean Murray (St Brigid’s)

Darren Daly (Fingal Ravens)

Paul Casey (Lucan Sarsfields)

Ger Brennan (St Vincent’s)

Declan Lally (St Brigid’s)

Darragh Nelson (Ballyboden)

Paul Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett’s)

Alan Hubbard (Ballymun)

Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala)

James McCarthy (Ballymun)

Philip McMahon (Ballymun)

Kevin Nolan (Kilmacud)

Nicky Devereux (Balinteer St John’s)

MIDFIELDERS:

Denis Bastick (Templeogue)

Barry Cahill (St Brigid’s)

Michael Darragh Macauley (Ballyboden)

FORWARDS:

Paul Flynn (Fingallians)

Kevin McManamon (St Jude’s)

Bernard Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett’s)

Diarmuid Connolly (St Vincent’s)

Tomás Quinn (St Vincent’s)

Bryan Cullen (Skerries)

Peader Andrews (St Brigid’s)

Eoghan O’Gara (Templeogue)

Colm Murphy (St Jude’s)

Dean Kelly (Trinity Gaels)

Pat Burke (Kilmacud)

Alan Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett’s)

MAIN PLAYERS NOT USED/UNAVAILABLE/INJURED:Rory O'Carroll (away), Paul Griffin (knee), Eamon Fennell (hip), James Brogan (cruciate tear), Cian O'Sullivan (hamstring), Ross McConnell (hip), Craig Dias (virus), Darran Magee (leg).