Free-scoring Rock adding to impressive repertoire

By Brendan O’Brien

Dean Rock’s first championship start for Dublin didn’t exactly bode well.

The reigning All-Ireland champions had toyed with Wexford across the expanse of the opening half of that 2014 Leinster semi-final but, like a bored cat playing with a wounded mouse, they had allowed their quarry to run free.

Jim Gavin’s first order of business was to replace Rock with Cormac Costello and, though the former had converted four frees, the latter’s introduction corresponded with a much greater degree of ruthlessness from open play. Costello finished with 1-5. Nobody was talking about Rock.

Naturally, you’re very disappointed because you feel like you were doing alright,” said Rock. “I think I made four or five points in the first half and Jim changed it up and that was it. You’ve just got to take it in your stride. I didn’t start another game then until 2015.

“I came off the bench for every remaining game of the championship in ’14. You’re still involved but you’re just not starting.

“You weren’t where you wanted to be at that stage yet, but thankfully it turned around in 2015 and it was all good since then.”

‘Good’ undersells it.

His winning free in last season’s final against Mayo will go down in folklore and the lack of fuss that accompanied him as he executed that high-stakes kick was typical of the metronomic way in which Barney’s offspring has written himself into the fabric of a side now chasing history.

He has vied with Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor for the top spot in the scorers’ charts this past two campaigns, claiming the summit in 2016, and is already virtually guaranteed a podium place this time around as he sits third, two points behind Tyrone’s Conor McAliskey. Monaghan’s Conor McManus won’t be caught by either of them.

Rock’s average per game peaked at 8.7 points three seasons ago but the 6.66 he boasts with another 70 minutes to go in 2018 is virtually identical to what he posted last year — and this from a Dublin team that has reined in its appetite for destruction in some outings.

If his dead ball skills continue to act as a calling card, then Rock’s contributions from play have become more conspicuous since his first full campaign in 2015 when he failed to score on the run in the semi-final and replay against Mayo or the decider against Kerry.

Twelve months later and he had pitched in with five points from play in the three All-Ireland series games against the same opponents.

And it shouldn’t be overlooked that only three of his seven points in last year’s epic decider came from the ground.

All in all, Rock has amassed more than enough credit in the bank to offset an average display against Galway in the semi-final because, while Dublin’s reserves are unmatched, Gavin understands implicitly the value he brings to the most competitive of markets.

It’s no surprise that a player stymied in his early 20s by a run of injuries, and one operating in a squad of such depth, should be eager to feature on a weekly basis but Rock’s appearance figures are off the charts.

Only Gavin’s decision to give so many of his second string the run of Croke Park against Roscommon in the last of the Super 8 ties brought a four-year, 60-plus run of consecutive league and championship outings to an abrupt end.

“Yeah, 63 in a row, I think,” he said ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final. “It’s gone now. It’s starting from scratch now. Ah, I suppose that was eventually always going to go at some stage. It was nice that it lasted for that long. Then it was great for the squad to be able to get game time in the championship in Croke Park and it’s served the squad well. Guys are brimming with confidence and very much feel a part of it. That can only be good.”