“This is our All-Ireland final,” says Bernard Brogan, not exactly convincing us, but perhaps convincing himself that Dublin can’t think they’ll just waltz their way through the Leinster football championship.
It can’t be easy, when the entire country thinks Dublin will do just that, although at least now they can focus on their opening opponents: in beating Wicklow on Sunday, Laois earned the right for the first shot at the All-Ireland champions, in Croke Park June 8th, and for Brogan, that’s enough to think about for now.
“I think they’ll definitely have something to say against us,” says Brogan. “I see Ross Munnelly is moving really well, and he’s caused us a lot of trouble in the past. They’ve some lovely footballers, and when they play on their day, they’re very hard to beat.
“Against Wicklow, the last day, they had 21 scores, and the style they’re playing at the moment is more open, more attacking football. It’s the style of football that we like to play ourselves.
“So I think they’ll just go at us, will want to express themselves. So I’d say it will be a toe-to-toe battle, and we’re taking them as seriously as we’d take an All-Ireland final.”
The worry for Laois, obviously, is that few teams can attack a game like Dublin do. Brogan’s own role in that was underlined last week when he helped his club St Oliver Plunkett-Eoghan Ruadh pull off a surprise win over Kilmacud Crokes in the Dublin championship – not just putting them out of the county title hunt, but giving Brogan’s club the belief that they might just go all the way this year.
Indeed the one honour missing from Brogan’s personal list is a Dublin championship medal. And at a time when the pull between club and county has become a touchy subject for some players and managers, Brogan sounds equally excited about both. It helped that last week’s game saw him line out alongside his three brothers – Alan, James and Paul – for the first time in several years, as Paul was only recently back to full speed after undergoing a third cruciate operation.
“The club is still a massive thing,” says Brogan, who was speaking at an AIG sponsorship event in Parnell Park. “And last year was a massive disappointment, going out in the first round and having to go into the B championship. We have struggled, even with a really good side over the last five or six years, and just haven’t got there, beaten in two finals as well.
“So this year it’s probably the first time we have had a full complement. And having Paul back, too, is very special. A lot of people around the club would say he’s the most talented Brogan. To see him coming back from three cruciates was great.
“And it’s great to get the confidence back, against a Crokes team who are the best in the business.”
Seeing his brothers Paul and Alan battle against injuries also reinforces Brogan’s own notion that no game or indeed season can be taken for granted – especially given his own groin injury, that forced him out for much of the league last year.
“It is one of the main things for me now, keeping the body right, getting the pre-hab right. The groin is a difficult one, but touch wood, I’ve reacted okay, and I hope it will stay away.”
Also showing up well in last weekend’s Dublin championship was Irish 400 metres record holder David Gillick, who helped his club Ballinteer St John’s beat O’Tooles, although Brogan is not predicting that Gillick might be called up to Jim Gavin’s panel anytime soon.
“It is an interesting one. I was actually talking with his brother John [Gillick], and it sounds like David got up and down the pitch very well. He is one the fastest men in Ireland, so he would be a nice asset to have on the pitch.
“If he’s able to play ball, we all know Jim Gavin loves a man with pace. But I don’t know. It will be interesting to see how he goes over the club championship.”
