The Tipperary captain has a deceptive build. On big-match days, when the middle of the field sees more traffic than Busarus on Christmas Eve, Tommy Dunne moves through the thick of it with the slender, venomous grace of the old black and white matinee bad guys. You could picture him in trilby and mac, calmly machine-gunning all before him.
From the terraces, Dunne can appear slight and neat, a model of economy and ease. The Toomevara man has long been associated with true style. He is to hurling purists what a vintage Glenlivet is to whisky connoisseurs. A rarity, a pleasure.
Stand closer to him, though, and the height - 6ft 2ins - becomes more apparent as does the sinewy frame. Dunne's transition from elusive wing-forward to midfielder has been one of the integral elements of the Nicky English era.
"When Nicky came in I suppose there were a number of positions that needed to be looked at. I was happy enough to go back to midfield, the only concern I had was the stamina and extra running that would be required. But it was just a matter of becoming accustomed to it and the fact the management was prepared to give me an extended run there helped enormously."
While Dunne's influence was such he has come to be regarded as irreplaceable there, he has had his share of stable-mates in the past three seasons. Conor Gleeson's athleticism is an obvious compliment to Dunne's craft and vision.Eddie Enright is no stranger there and this summer, Paul Kelly has emerged as a fine partner to Dunne. But while the midfield area remains adaptable, there is less a sense that the team is in perpetual search for the right combination.
"I don't think it was so much that as the fact that in other years we were not in the championship long enough to have a developed midfield. So far, things are working well but you really are only as good as your last game and if we don't win against Galway, it may be time to make changes again."
For Dunne, the move from the half-forward line to the pivotal central position was not that great an adjustment and he considers the furnace element often attributed to that central battle as overstated. "To be honest, the position does not differ greatly from where I used to play, it is in the same area of the field. Also, I think people forget it is not just at midfield but through each of the five lines that games are decided. The half-back and half-forward lines often dictate how things go at midfield."
The controlled aggression and endless running that the youthful Galway central duo displayed against Kilkenny was one of the most memorable aspects of that insurrection. Dunne smiles a little at the mention of the Tierney-Murray axis.
"Yeah, I mean they were certainly on form and the Galway team overall played very well and as any midfielder will tell you when the lines around you are going well, it makes life easier. But yes, they were very impressive against Kilkenny."
A championship regular since his debut against Clare in 1994, Dunne has been captain of Tipp since English took charge and is a natural for the duty. Sunday marks his second All-Ireland final appearance as he appeared in the loss to Clare in 1997. He squints when asked to size up the difference between themselves and Galway.
"I think it is just impossible to say - it will really be decided on the day. This team has a lot of good characteristics but the '97 side also had. If we win, then maybe it will be said this is a better team. Maybe the difference is this year we have Munster medals to back our claims but we would like to go that one step further now."
Tommy Dunne
Age: 27
Club: Toomevara
Height: 6ft 2in.
Weight: 12st 10lbs.
Honours: Munster SH 2001; NHL 1994, 1999, 2001, All-Ireland U-21 1995, Munster MHC 1991, 1 Fitzgibbon Cup, 2 Railway Cup, All Star 1998, 1999, 6 Tipperary SH championship medals.
