O'Carroll, Connolly and Sherlock to start, but hype has to sit this one out

LEINSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL:THIS WILL be neatly filed under: "Yet another Dublin piece, part VII." The fourth estate showed up to query Dublin manager Pat Gilroy, captain Paul Griffin, Conal Keaney (an expert on politely revealing nothing in interviews) and media liaison officer Ciarán McCarney about matters football at their base camp off Griffith Avenue yesterday.

There are three notable changes to the team that welcomes Westmeath down the Jones Road on Sunday, but in reality much ado about nothing.

Still, it is June, the sun is shining and so we write about Dublin.

Against Meath, Mark Davoren threatened to follow in the footsteps of Kilmacud Crokes club-mate Ray Cosgrove, who sparkled in the 2002 championship. Instead, he undergoes surgery on a torn cruciate knee ligament in a fortnight.

Not that the Crokes contingent has been reduced, with teenager Rory O’Carroll handed his first senior start at corner back in a straight swap for fellow rookie Alan Hubbard.

Three other current All-Ireland club champions — Mark Vaughan, Liam óg Ó hEineachain and commanding Dublin under-21 captain Cian O’Sullivan — returned to inter-county training recently. The bench has yet to be announced.

Concerns about O’Carroll’s — whose brother Ross is fighting to regain fitness ahead of the Leinster hurling final – readiness for the unique pressures of a heaving Croke Park were dismissed by both Griffin and Gilroy who noted his recent experiences at club and under-21 level.

“Rory is just a good footballer,” said Griffin. “He is only out of minor so it is not his fault that he is not experienced. He is only 19 and he came in late to our club team last year. He has done really well.

“He attacks the ball well from the full-back line and gives it off nice and easy. That is exactly what he will do on Sunday. He doesn’t need to change his game.

“That is how he has always played his football and hurling. He has done that with the club and with the under-21s and out here at training. He has just gone about his training and he should fly this Sunday.”

One imagines a senior defender such as David Henry, or even Griffin, will be charged with minding Westmeath predators Denis Glennon or, if fit, Dessie Dolan.

Bernard Brogan takes the number 14 jersey as Jason Sherlock returns to prove his continued relevance in this his 15th championship campaign as the target man option is seemingly shelved.

Dermot Connolly is another entrusted with improving Dublin’s horrible wide count against Meath as Paddy Andrews makes way for the talented St Vincent’s forward.

“We want to get those scores, you can’t say it will help that the lads missed,” said Gilroy of the 17 wides registered the last day. “It is something that we have to improve on because you can’t just flick a switch and start to do that. We need to start improving on that quickly. There are only five or six games in this competition and you need to be making progress in each.”

Ciarán Whelan has failed to dislodge the younger midfield partnership of Ross McConnell and Darren Magee, while 2008 All Star Shane Ryan isn’t in the picture at the moment.

Besides that, discussions centred round the extensive media attention Dublin football commands. Gilroy answered the same “hype” questions his predecessors back to Kevin Heffernan have had to contend with. Well worn topics are rehashed because everyone currently resides in a vacuum, waiting to see what Gilroy’s 2009 group are capable of achieving.

Yet, Gilroy is calmness personified, unlike more recent predecessors refusing to over-hype matters with extravagant or crass language (like Tommy Lyons’ “arse-boxing”) or antagonise the press with curt, dismissive responses (alá Paul Caffrey), no matter how tedious the questioning.

“It is the analysis within the group that really matters and we are fairly honest with each other about what went well and what could be improved.

“As Dublin, things are in hyper-focus and that is just the way it is. People are entitled to do that. That is just the way it is when you are involved in Dublin but the analysis within the group is very grounded.

“Guys, in particular the more experienced guys, are well used to it and we just have to get on with it. That is just part of the joy of being involved with Dublin.”

Keaney was asked to talk about defeat to Westmeath in 2004, perhaps prompted by The Irish Times’ archive piece that ran in yesterday’s newspaper.

“Yeah, it was one of my first games playing for Dublin in the championship and it still sticks in my memory, everything that happened. I don’t think it went too well for me that day and the crowd really got on Tommy Lyons’ back afterwards. It might be a couple of years ago, but it’s still very fresh in a lot of our memories, not just myself. We’re just really looking forward to putting down a marker at the weekend.”

All told, there were over 2,000 words spoken during the gathering. We trawled through them, but struggled to find any more of interest. That’s not the Dublin management or players fault. There simply isn’t much to say right now. But don’t worry, that won’t last long.

DUBLIN (SFC v Westmeath):S Cluxton; D Henry, D Bastick, Rory O'Carroll; P Griffin, G Brennan, B Cahill; R McConnell, D Magee; P Flynn, A Brogan, D Connolly; C Keaney, B Brogan, J Sherlock.