Dublin’s Cian O’Sullivan says that the introduction of the black card has had little impact on him. The All-Ireland champions’ most versatile player – he played in three lines for the team during last year’s championship – says that it never occurs to him to commit cynical fouls.
Asked was it something he was conscious of, the Kilmacud Crokes All Star said it wasn’t: “In the last three games it’s not something that popped into my head and generally it never would have. The thought to pull down a player or kind of cynical play never really would enter my head as it was anyway, so it’s not something I was overly cautious about.”
He added that the team management haven’t laboured the point either since the introduction of the sanction, which requires a player to be replaced if he commits one of a prescribed list of cynical fouls.
"Just the fact that you have to be wary that if you do this you have to be off the field of play," he replied when asked about any team instructions. "With or without the rule you can't pull a jersey or pull a man down so don't do it and you won't get a black card. It's as simple as that really."
Chronic injury
O'Sullivan has recovered from a tendency towards chronic injury earlier in his career to become one of Dublin's most important performers. He played corner back in the All-Ireland win of three years ago and was nominated for an All Star but also featured at centre back and corner back during Pat Gilroy's management.
Current manager Jim Gavin deployed O’Sullivan at centrefield during last year’s league and once he got used to the position, his athleticism and intelligence saw him become arguably Dublin’s best performer during the All-Ireland stages.
In the celebrated semi-final win against Kerry he dropped back at half-time to centre back and played a significant role in the success by getting to grips with a hitherto rampant Colm Cooper. In the final after Jonny Cooper had to leave the field with concussion, he moved to corner back for the fraught final quarter and actually fielded the last ball of the match from Stephen Cluxton’s kick-out.
"Obviously you are in a more defensive role so you haven't as much license to play a free role as you do in the middle of the park," he said about last weekend's positioning at centre back against Cork.
Primary objective
"Your primary objective is to mark your man and stop him from doing damage. Centre forwards are generally quite good players so it's trying to take care of that man first and then act as a platform for an attack thereafter. When you are midfield you are doing a bit of everything, you are attacking and defending."
The Cork match marked a milestone of sorts for the dual All-Ireland and league holders. Defeat meant that they had fallen two weeks short of going 12 months unbeaten in league and championship, a record stretching back to the Tyrone match on the St Patrick’s weekend of last year.
Dublin were short a number of significant players and O’Sullivan says: “It wouldn’t be something I ever thought about – going unbeaten for however long we did. It was a tough game and we lost by two points and any game you lose like that you are going to be frustrated by it but that’s sport.”
Facing Kildare tomorrow at Croke Park Dublin need to raise their game, as difficult away fixtures in Derry and Tyrone remain. The visitors are smarting from the late, late robbery that saw Tyrone slip through a five-point deficit with two last-minute goals.
If O’Sullivan is troubled by the sluggish form so far in the league, he suppresses any signs of anxiety.
“I wouldn’t be overly concerned with that. We have won two of three games and lost to a very strong, fit, mobile and organised Cork team at the weekend and lost by two points. I thought we played quite well but were a little off in one or two aspects but we are happy with where we are at the moment. We have things to work on but any team you ask and they will say they have things to work on as well.”
