Jack McCaffrey briefly considered 2026 Dublin comeback

The 2015 footballer of the year says Dublin do not need to create a siege mentality stemming from Ger Brennan's 12-week suspension

Pictured at the launch of PTSB’s new sponsorship of the PTSB Dublin Club Leagues and Championships were Jack McCaffrey. The new partnership between Dublin GAA and PTSB includes all four codes, from minor level upwards, with PTSB now the official Club League & Championship Sponsor of Dublin GAA, Dublin LGFA and Dublin Camogie. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Jack McCaffrey isn't convinced that Dublin will use the Ger Brennan suspension saga as motivation ahead of their make-or-break clash with Cavan.

Brennan will be permitted to return to the sideline for the All-Ireland SFC Round 2B tie at Kingspan Breffni after a 12-week suspension.

The Dublin manager made his first public comment on the episode last week, saying he felt 'disenfranchised' and 'undervalued' and he described GAA President Jarlath Burns' public comments around the case as 'insulting'.

Six-time All-Ireland winner McCaffrey, who revealed that he considered a comeback with Dublin this year, said he doesn't think they'll adopt any type of siege mentality.

"I think that kind of stuff is a little bit overrated," said McCaffrey, who was speaking at the announcement that PTSB will sponsor the Dublin club leagues and championships. 

"I don't think you need a siege mentality. Maybe some individuals find it useful but I think most of your motivation when you're playing inter-county football is intrinsic, and if you need to rely on the actions of others to get yourself up for games or seasons, then you can get some short-term gains maybe but long-term you're onto a loser. And I certainly am not of the opinion that there's an anti-Dublin conspiracy at work or anything like that."

McCaffrey is positive about Dublin's ability to bounce back strongly this weekend after losing to Louth in their All-Ireland opener, the team's seventh defeat since the start of the League.

The 2015 footballer of the year believes it's simply a question of 'if they click' and he said he was encouraged by the quality of their performance in the narrow loss to Louth.

"I really don't think they need to change a lot to go from being a little bit off it, to right at the top table," said the wing-back.

"Look, I'm wearing blue tinted glasses but I've shared a dressing-room with a lot of those lads. There's no doubt in my mind that, particularly up front, there's phenomenal forwards there who, when they hit form, I would take them over any six forwards in the country."

McCaffrey, again, didn't agree that Dublin's lack of success in the underage grades in recent seasons is a big problem for the senior team.

"There definitely is a link between good underage structures and succeeding at senior level," he said. "But at the same time, you only really need two or three players. Like, two or three players aren't going to win you a minor championship, or an U-20 championship, unless they're truly exceptional. But two or three lads, two or three years in a row, going into a senior setup can have a huge difference, a huge effect. I'd love to see our minors and 20s winning and competing at the top end but I don't think it's all doom and gloom at all."

The Clontarf man, 32, briefly considered being part of it all again this season having previously stepped away from the county fold in 2020 and again at the end of the 2024 season, following a successful second coming.

"I spoke with Ger and I kind of had a bit of a feeling that I might be able to get back up to the pitch of things," revealed McCaffrey, who works as a medical doctor in Dublin.

"So I set about doing some training but it kind of quickly became apparent that it wasn't possible. I know I've stepped away from inter-county football a few times and it's usually been because I didn't want to be there. But I'm just too busy at the minute.

"I was trying to go out three times a week to train on my own and I was not able to do that, whatever about trying to commit to a group.

"The one thing about inter-county football is when you're in it, you're in it. And so it wasn't going to work."

On his father Noel's long-running campaign to tie county players down to a set number of games with their clubs, Jack said he agreed with the sentiment.

"Part of Dad's idealistic approach to it is, would it be any harm if the inter-county game was 10% worse across the board?" said Jack. "It would still be very competitive, and he's right, but no-one will ever agree to that."