Brogan: We can’t get carried away

BERNARD BROGAN knows how deadly a mixture it is for Dublin going into All-Ireland quarter-finals as favourites.

He was there for the latter part of Paul Caffrey’s era when they coasted through Leinster only to be caught out at the last eight stage or an All-Ireland semi-final.

At least the test provided by Meath had Dublin on guard but as they prepare to face Cork, Brogan and the more experienced members of Jim Gavin’s side are forewarned by the ghosts of All-Ireland quarter-finals past.

“Looking at past games thinking we were better than we were, we came through Leinster handily enough winning games by 10 or 15 points. And you come into a quarter-final series then and you are built up to be All-Ireland favourites and this and that and it never really worked for us,” he said.

“So I think over the last couple of years we looked back and said, ‘lads, we are not world beaters and if we want to win anything we are going to have to work harder than the team out there’.

“It’s not just going to happen for us. It’s about not looking past any game, looking at the All-Ireland quarter-final as our All-Ireland final and going out there and giving it everything on the pitch whereas in the years before, lads might have had eyes on All-Ireland final day, and talk of big days.

“That’s something that Pat [Gilroy] started, this step by step routine, it’s a journey of six games if we win them all, take one game at a time and that’s what we’ve done.

“At the end of the day, it’s knock-out now and if you take your eye off the ball at all you are out on your ass.”

All-Ireland favourites they may be but Brogan knows how much work they’ve to do. Decision-making in front of goal is one area, for example.

“We’re definitely not the finished article. We’re playing a nice brand of football, it’s nice to watch and it’s great to play in but we obviously have to keep an eye on things.

“Our goal-conceding record isn’t too bad but Meath did look like they opened a few doors.

“Jim realises that and he’s been asked the same questions himself after the game. He knows we’re definitely not the finished article but there’s lads there that individually are very good defenders and we feel that if there’s a man to man battle, we feel that we’ve lads there that are able to step up.”