Brogan’s cameo won’t sway boss PLAY YOUR PART
JIM GAVIN hailed Bernard Brogan’s contribution to Dublin’s latest Leinster title triumph — but warned that players must be prepared to feel frustrated at not starting matches.
Brogan can’t win a starting place this season as Gavin nurtures the younger generation, led by Con O’Callaghan. The Cuala star kicked 0-12 yesterday, including 0-6 from play. However, Brogan appeared earlier than planned when introduced for the black-carded Dean Rock after 24 minutes.
And he was outstanding from there on in, kicking 0-5, all from play, and not wasting a ball.
It will increase pressure not only on his rivals for a starting place but also on Gavin to select him for the All-Ireland quarter-final.
‘The way we look at it is, whatever part a player is asked to play, whether that’s finishing a game or starting the game, to me and my management team and to the players themselves, it’s pretty irrelevant,’ said Gavin afterwards.
‘They do understand that every player wants to get game-time. That’s why they train so hard, to be on the pitch representing the jersey.
‘There are five players there today who didn’t get gametime and they’ll be disappointed as well. I know full well that when we go back next week they’ll be pushing hard just to get game-time and push this squad on.
‘But from Bernard’s perspective, yeah he did very well today. Again, that’s what we’re seeing in training. He played his part very well.’
Gavin also acknowledged that conceding 1-17 will
require attention, but pointed out the 2-23 his men tallied. ‘Any time you concede that much, not that it’s a concern, it’s something that we’ll have to look at,’ Gavin continued. ‘But to balance that is what we scored at the other end as well. ‘We’ll set ourselves up depending on whatever way the opposition set themselves up. Some teams that we’ll play won’t be as expansive and expressive as Kildare.’ Defeated manager Cian O’Neill hailed the role Gavin has played in moulding the ‘phenomenal’ champions. ‘They’re phenomenal, they really are,’ he said. ‘Listen, they’ve a great manager, the way he conducts his business. ‘Obviously a team that keeps on coming back year after year, that’s down to the quality of players they have, but it’s also down to the quality of their management team and their back-room team. When you see teams that have had that success and still have the hunger to come back year after year, it is quite phenomenal.’ Kildare will be sweating on the availability of their outstanding midfielder Kevin Feely after the former professional soccer player picked up his third black card of the season in the 66th minute yesterday. Feely was outstanding until he was black carded for bodychecking Jack McCaffrey late in the game. Having already picked up black cards in the National League games against Cork and Clare earlier this season, it means Feely will be suspended for the fourth round qualifier against either Armagh or Monaghan, unless Kildare appeal one of the three sanctions that he picked up.