Dean Rock retired on Tuesday after a glittering career. It was hardly a major surprise to those who had watched him after winning an eighth All-Ireland last July. With daughter Sadie – on her first birthday – in his arms, he candidly hinted at his future on television. “Going forward, that could be my last day in blue. I’ll see how things play out in the winter, but it’s been a magical time.”
Nobody was flabbergasted and although more ambivalent noises were to follow in the months ahead the curtain duly came down this week.
He’ll turn 34 at the end of next month and has by now done all that was asked of him and in so doing compiled the statistics on a remarkable and historic football career, a narrative of talent, application and consistency.
It is easy to lay out the data and invite everyone to draw their own conclusions. Top scorer in the history of Dublin football, on 24-591, with former record holder Jimmy Keaveney more than 150 points in his wake, Rock played a significant role in the county’s unprecedented march to six All-Irelands from 2015 to 2020.
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This was recognised in his three All Star awards in 2016, 2017 and 2020. He also had the strangely rare distinction of being top championship scorer in the same year he won the All-Ireland, 2016 – one of only four occasions this happened in the past 20 years.
If we silence the drumroll of numbers for a moment it’s worth reflecting on a challenge into which he was born. Barney, his father was also a dead ball expert in the 1980s, winning his own All-Ireland in 1983 and sits at number four in Dublin’s all-time scoring lists. The pressure of living up to the exploits of a father doesn’t always sit comfortably, but Rock navigated the legacy – as did captain James McCarthy whose dad, John was one of Kevin Heffernan’s soldiers 50 years ago. One recollection has Dean being referred to as “Barney” when his senior career began; by the end his father had to get used to being called “Dean”.
Heirs to success and Ballymun clubmates, he and McCarthy presented their credentials in the 2010 under-21 All-Ireland final success against Donegal. Rock put in a very good display that evening in Cavan, scoring 0-4 for a campaign total of 2-20 in five matches.
What happened next was also challenging and maybe in the context of what was to come formative. During Pat Gilroy’s tenure, which saw the first All-Ireland in 16 years secured, Rock had a run of injury and poor form which led to his being dropped from the panel. If the appointment of his under-21 manager Jim Gavin and Declan Darcy to the seniors promised relief, he also knew well enough that there would be nothing automatic about his progression.
For two seasons he became accustomed to being a member of Dublin’s own bomb squad, one of a number of replacement forwards who posed enhanced menace off the bench. His contributions included the decisive two points at the end of the league final against Tyrone in 2013.
During the 11 championship matches between 2013 and 2014, Rock came off the bench 10 times (he started the other) as part of supplementary scoring totals that averaged 0-5 per match of which he accounted for an average of 0-2.
In the crisis of tactical confidence that followed the sensational defeat by Donegal in the 2014 semi-final things changed and Dean Rock’s era began in earnest. There was an enhanced defensive awareness and strategic approach in which he would play a significant role.
Firstly, his ability to kick frees from distance meant that Stephen Cluxton was not required after 2015 to take 45s and longer-range frees. That reduced the pressure on the goalkeeper and the chances that something might go wrong with him stranded up the field.
Secondly, as well as a highly-developed skill when it came to getting accurate shots away – in play as well as from frees – Rock’s intelligence became key in the adaptation of the new, more secure playing style. His capacity to be a “system” footballer and a sharp understanding of when to go and when to get out of the way was an often underrated part of Dublin’s play.
Thirdly, his consistency was remarkable, leading to an astonishing run of 68 successive appearances between league and championship between the summer of 2014 and the 2018 All-Ireland round robin against Roscommon when he was rested for what was a dead rubber.
His effectiveness was reflected in three All Star awards.
I remember an experienced colleague pointing at Rock during a warm-up before a match in Croke Park and saying “nobody else has that”, a reference to the quality of his dead ball striking, most obviously apparent when he addressed a late, late free to win the 2017 All-Ireland final against Mayo.
Having weathered the distraction of Lee Keegan’s GPS tracker, thrown into his path, he converted the free, which was already challenging, with a classic kick steered off the ground rather than from the hand.
It is also instructive to look at what happened when the free was awarded. The fouled player was Diarmuid Connolly, who generally backed himself to do most things but he looked around and bounced the ball towards his colleague, who did the rest.
He was a popular presence in the dressingroom, committed without being monastic and equally aware of the wider world. Willing to engage intelligently with media, he carried a disproportionate amount of that burden for the team.
The wheels turn, however, and Dean Rock, moving on to the next stage in his life, can watch Dublin disappearing into the distance with the satisfaction of knowing how far along the road he helped them.
e: sean.moran@irishtimes.com
