Brennan taking nothing for granted

GAELIC GAMES CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 NEWS:DUBLIN MANAGER Pat Gilroy will this morning stage his now customary pre-match press conference in DCU to discuss, among other things, the starting 15 for Sunday's Leinster football final against Kildare at Croke Park. Given their 27-point routing of Westmeath in the semi-final he isn't expected to have a whole lot to discuss, although one thing Gilroy has shown in his opening months as manager is that he's not afraid of change.

It also emerged yesterday that Rory O’Carroll, the Kilmacud Crokes teenager who made his championship debut against Westmeath at left-corner back, still intends to travel abroad for the rest of the summer, departing later next week, and that is likely to force Gilroy into making at least one change.

Gilroy won’t be commenting on the exact circumstances of O’Carroll’s departure until this morning, but it is understood the player had aired his intentions to travel several weeks back.

His inclusion for the Westmeath game, a straight swap with Alan Hubbard, was one of three changes Gilroy made from Dublin’s Leinster quarter-final against Meath. Hubbard is obviously in line to come back in, but Gilroy may also look to Paddy Andrews, who lost his place in the forward line the last day to Dermot Connolly.

Truth is there are several positions up for grabs despite the complete dominance of the Dublin 15 that started against Westmeath. Tomás Quinn, who hit 1-1 in his 15 minutes on the field, is definitely in contention, although it does appear the experienced midfield duo of Shane Ryan and Ciarán Whelan will lose out again to the younger partnership of Ross McConnell and Darren Magee.

Bryan Cullen is also pressing to regain his place at centre back, and no one knows that better than Ger Brennan – who got the nod against both Westmeath and Meath but admits he doesn’t take that position for granted.

“Myself and Brian have been in and out of the A and B team all year in training,” says Brennan. “I’m getting the call at the moment, but I just have to keep doing my best. But it all makes you perform better. If there’s no pressure there, you’re going to relax. Same with all walks of life.

“I wouldn’t say anyone is settled in their position on this team, because there is so much competition in training that no one can rest on their laurels. Last year, to be honest, you could see the team that would be picked two months in advance from training. With the new management you wouldn’t know the week before. Even picking the team this week there’s no predicting it.”

Brennan has a particularly close relationship with both Gilroy and selector Mickey Whelan, the man who orchestrated the All-Ireland club success of St Vincent’s last year. Although he opted out of the panel last summer, he later returned under Paul Caffrey, and was then pleasantly surprised when Gilroy was named as Caffrey’s successor.

“I’d say in about two years I hadn’t got a break at all. I was with Dublin the previous season, and then went straight back in with the club, and obviously we had our All-Ireland run. And then I was straight back in with Dublin after that. So I was just knackered. My close friends and family just said I don’t seem myself, and I suppose I wasn’t happy with myself either, in that I just wasn’t enjoying my football. I spoke to Paul Caffrey, and he was nice about it, just told me to take a break, and after a few weeks I got back in touch, and was delighted when he took me back.

“But from talking to Pat he keeps his cards close to his chest, and I wasn’t sure of it until it was announced. Mickey has trained me as well since I was 16, brought me through, at centre back. He’s seen and done it all. Pat took over the senior team (at Vincent’s) for about six months, then had to leave it because of work pressure. But he was like the fifth selector with Vincent’s. He’d ring me before club games and really get you going. So there was no doubt there was a manager in him.”

Part of their qualities, he says, is keeping everyone grounded – particularly after the high praise from their win over Westmeath: “We were back training the Tuesday night, and brought back down to earth fairly quickly. You do have to take into account the form of the opposition, and the Westmeath lads will tell you themselves they weren’t in great form.

Kildare, however, present a totally different challenge: “They’ve a great forward line. And kicked some great points the last day. Croke Park won’t bother them either. Once the ball is thrown in you just forget all about the crowd. It’s all about beating your man. Trying to knock one or two lunps out of them. I don’t think that will worry Kildare because they always bring good support, and I imagine it will be 50-50 on Sunday.””