There was a time when the name Dean Rock looked like it might get filed away in a dusty folder marked ‘forgotten’.
Talent wasn’t so much the issue – he played for Leinster in the Interprovincial series in 2009 before he’d even played for Dublin – but time started to pass him by. It was only in 2015 that the son of Dublin legend Barney finally started a National League game, a mixture of poor form and poor luck with injuries conspiring against him.
But when Rock got his chance, boy did he take it and since that first spring start against Cork he has remarkably featured in every league and championship game since.
That’s all 54 league and Championship games over the last three and a half seasons, 34 in the league, 20 in the Championship.
Rock, clearly aware of the impressive record, said: "I came on as a sub in three." As it happens, those league games were against Cork (2016), Donegal (2016) and Donegal (2018).
The Ballymun Kickhams man is underselling himself because he also appeared in all five of their Championship games in 2014 too, bringing his unbroken record to 59 games. That means that if the free-taker supreme features against Offaly or Wicklow in the Leinster championship on May 26/27, which is virtually certain, he will be 60 not out.
Of all the incredible feats that the three-in-a-row All-Ireland winners have achieved, Rock’s record of longevity is up there among them.
“I want to play every game possible,” said last year’s All-Ireland final game -breaker. “Before 2013, there were games that I thought I should have been playing in and I wasn’t. So any opportunity that I possibly get I’m going to try to play for Dublin.
"If my form is good and if Jim Gavin wants to pick me, I'm ready. I take great pride in my recovery and what I do off the field so I certainly put myself in a position to train at every opportunity and to play games at every opportunity.
"That's the most enjoyable thing about Gaelic games, playing the games, and especially putting on a Dublin jersey and going out in front of whatever amount of thousand people in Croke Park, or if it's going down to Castlebar, or Killarney, whatever the case may be.
“So it’s something that I am proud of, yeah, and long may it continue.”
Key role
Rock suffered a bad hamstring injury in 2010 and had knee surgery in 2014. The 2015 O’Byrne Cup, when he hit 38 points, was his platform to success and he hasn’t looked back since, playing a key role in each of their three All-Ireland wins.
He's a sought-after figure these days and was down at the Dunderry club in Meath this week to give a kicking session and to dispense advice. He said there's no particular secret to becoming one of the first names on Dublin's team-sheet.
“No, it’s just looking after the body as best I can, just doing every sort of recovery imaginable, to make sure that my body is in as good a shape as it can possibly be for competitive games and in particular for training,” said Rock.
“I would have had an operation on my knee in 2014, tore my hamstring off the bone in 2010, so I’ve had injuries in the past that have kept me out for long periods of time. It’s just trying to manage them, trying to stay on top of them as best I can. You do that through good recovery.”
The other thing about taking ownership of a Dublin jersey for nearly four full seasons is that you stop another player from doing so. That's a big thing in Dublin, particularly for a forward with talents like Kevin McManamon, Paddy Andrews, Eoghan O'Gara and Bernard Brogan breathing down your neck.
“Yeah, absolutely,” nodded Rock. “Individually, you have your own standards and I have my standards that I expect of myself each time I go out and train and play. If I’m not hitting those standards then somebody else is going to come in and take my place. That’s the great thing about this Dublin team, the level of competition is incredible.”
** Dublin GAA stars and AIG ambassadors Eoghan O'Donnell and Dean Rock were in the GUI National Headquarters to help mark the commencement of the 2018 AIG Cups & Shields season and the AIG Irish Close Championship. AIG were also celebrating their 20th anniversary as a partner to the GUI and ILGU. AIG revealed details of their 'AIG Golfer Anniversary Sale,' where they are offering up to 20 per cent off car insurance and up to 50 per cent on home Insurance.* For more details see www.aig.ie/golf
