Brogan feels all the lean years were worth it

2011 FOOTBALL ALL STAR NOMINATIONS:SURELY ALL Alan Brogan is waiting on now is the Footballer of the Year award to wrap up the perfect championship season, although it's obvious this is all just fancy back-slapping, and the only prize he ever cared about was winning that All-Ireland with Dublin.

“I always said in interviews that if I never won an All-Ireland medal it wouldn’t be the end of the world,” he says. “But, you know, it probably would have been.

“For myself and all the lads who have been there for the last 10 years or so, you don’t put that work in without that being your ultimate goal. If I go on to win two or three or four of course that matters too, but it’s not the end of the world for me anymore.”

Brogan was speaking in Croke Park at the announcement of the 2011 football All Star nominations, of which he was naturally one.

He also collected the Player of the Month award for June (presented retrospectively), and remains odds-on favourite to win the 2011 Footballer of the Year – thus succeeding younger brother Bernard, who won the honour last year.

“It’s been a great couple of weeks, a couple of weeks we’ve been waiting for a long time,” he adds, looking none too worse for the great celebrations that followed their victory.

“I think we showed great character and belief to win in the end. It’s probably a game we wouldn’t have won three or four years ago, so from that point of view all that work over the last three or four years, discussing how to close out games and how to get back into games, finally paid off.

“That half an hour on the field after the match, special feelings like that, only come around maybe once or a couple of times in your lifetime. Obviously there is a great sense of achievement, and such a buzz around the city.

“It was probably the one day when everyone in the country was shouting for the Dubs. They might let us have one. I’d say that would be it, then.”

Yet like many of his Dublin team-mates Brogan, now 29, had to endure some lean times and real downers before tasting that success, and admits the 2006 All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Mayo was probably the most frustrating of them all.

“That was a game that we should have won and, who knows, if we had got to a final that year, what might have happened. All those bad memories are banished in the memory now, make no difference, but obviously there were a lot of steps along the way, and a lot of lessons we had to learn along the way.

“And I think the final, the Donegal match and even the game against Kildare, when we went down to 14 men, showed that we have learned lessons and we’re finally able to close out those games.”

It’s still too early to start asking questions about 2012, and Brogan doesn’t really want to hear them, yet there are still a few uncertainties, such as whether they’ll have the same hunger, or indeed even the same manager. Needless to say, Brogan feels Pat Gilroy has to stay.

“Obviously Pat has a few things he wants to sort out, but the players are obviously hoping that he will come back. The easy thing to do would be to leave when you’re at the top but I don’t think he’s that type of guy, that type of character. Everything going right for him I think he will want to stay on but that is his decision and he has to make it himself.

“For us players I think hunger is always a problem for any team that have been starved of success, and then they win. Look, it is going to be difficult but it’s something we won’t address now. We’ll address it in January.

“But there’s a young team there, and they don’t really know anything else only winning football matches. I think those will be the guys that will really push the older fellas on, to try and win more. And potentially we can get even better, definitely.”

The only slight downside to Dublin’s success is the backlog of club fixtures, and with Brogan now back committed to St Oliver Plunketts-Eoghan Ruadh – along with Bernard – it means no International Rules in Australia at the end of the month: “Looking at the club fixtures it’s not going to be a runner. We play next on the 16th, and the International Rules fly out on the 21st, so I haven’t given it much thought.

“All I can do is concentrate on the club stuff at the moment. We’re back training with the club which is obviously hard after everything but you have to be fair to the club guys. We have to give everything to that.”

Upcoming Fixtures

Today

Derry SHC Final replay: Kevin Lynchs v Lavey, Celtic Park, 8pm.

Friday

Dublin SHC Quarter-finals: St Brigid’s v St Vincent’s, Parnell Park, 6.45pm; O’Toole’s v Kilmacud Crokes, Parnell Park, 8.15pm.

Saturday

Clare SHC Semi-final: Sixmilebridge v Cratloe, Cusack Park, 4pm.

Galway SHC Quarter-final: An Carnmore v Craughwell, Athenry, 4.30pm.

Dublin SHC Quarter-finals: Faughs v Lucan Sarsfields, Parnell Park, 4pm; Ballyboden St Enda’s v Ballinteer St John’s, Parnell Park, 5.30pm.

Leitrim SHC Final: Cluainin v Gortletteragh, Carrick-on-Shannon, 4pm.

Kerry SFC Quarter-final: West Kerry v Kerins O’Rahillys, Austin Stack Park, 6pm.

Tyrone SFC Semi-final: Clonoe O’Rahilly’s v Derrylaughan Kevin Barrys, Dungannon, 4.30pm.

Waterford SFC Semi-final: Stradbally v The Nire, Fraher Field, 7.30.

Sunday

All-Ireland Women’s JFC Final replay: Wicklow v New York, Croke Park, 2.30pm.

All-Ireland Women’s IFC Final replay: Cavan v Westmeath, Croke Park, 4.15pm.

Carlow SHC Final replay: Mt Leinster Rangers v Naomh Eoin, Dr Cullen Park, 3.45pm.

Clare SHC Semi-final: Crusheen v Kilmaley, Cusack Park, TBC.

Galway SHC Quarter-final: Portumna v St Thomas, Ballinasloe, 12; Clarinbridge v Mullagh, Athenry, 3pm; Gort v Loughrea, Athenry, 4.30pm.

Kerry SFC Quarter-finals: Rathmore v Mid Kerry, Killarney, 2pm; Dr Crokes v Austin Stacks, Killarney, 3.30pm.

Kildare SFC final: Athy v Carbury, St Conleth’s Park, 3.30pm.

Kilkenny SHC Semi-finals: James Stephens v St Martin’s, Nowlan Park, 2pm; Ballyhale Shamrocks v O’Loughlin Gaels, Nowlan Park, 3.30pm.

Laois SHC Final: Clough/Ballacolla v Portlaoise, O’Moore Park, 3.45pm.

Meath SHC Final: Kildalkey v Navan O’Mahonys, Páirc Tailteann, 3.30pm.

Offaly SFC Final: Clare v Edenderry, O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 3.30pm.

Sligo SHC Final: Calry/St Joseph’s v Tubbercurry, Markievicz Park, 4pm.

Roscommon SFC Final: St Brigid’s v Elphin, Dr Hyde Park, 4pm.

Tyrone SFC Semi-final: Dromore St Dympna’s v Omagh St Enda’s, Pomeroy, 4.30pm.

Monaghan SFC Final: Latton O’Rahilly v Scotstown, Inniskeen, 3.30.

Waterford SFC Semi-final: Kilrossanty v Ballinacourty, Fraher Field, 7.00.

Wexford SHC Final: Oulart the Ballagh v Rathnure, Wexford Park, 3pm.

London SHC Final: Robert Emmetts v St Gabriels, Ruislip, 3pm.