HIS FIVE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1. The importance of perseverance

ROCK was actually dropped off the Dublin panel just months after joining it.

Pat Gilroy (inset) wielded the axe before the 2012

All-ireland, Rock vowed to do what he could to return and after Ballymun

Kickhams won the club All-ireland in 2013,

Jim Gavin restored him. He is now his county’s all-time leading scorer in League and Championship,

2. GPS muck (right)

HE kept his nerve beautifully to kick the winning point in the 2017 All-ireland final, despite Mayo’s Lee Keegan throwing his GPS at the ball as Rock made contact.

Asked about it later, the Dubliner said he was “oblivious” to the act, claiminging “I genuinely thought it was a piece of muck”. Keegan later commented,

‘To be fair to

Dean Rock, he never batted an eyelid”.

3. The five-in-a-row saviour

FOUR minutes into injury time with three to play, if it wasn’t for Rock’s unerring 10th point of the 2019 All-ireland final then there may not have been a replay against Kerry.

He nailed it, the Dubs lived to fight the week after and marched into history with a six-point victory, becoming the first team in championship history to win the five in a row.

4. Rapid strike

THE 2020 All-ireland final took place less than a week before Christmas in that Covid-hit year. Rock wasted no time in putting Dublin on the front foot against Mayo, batting home from close range (right) from James Mccarthy’s pass. The time? A record-breaking 14 seconds for a final.

He added four frees in a 2-14 to 0-15 success. Four of his All-ireland wins came against Mayo.

5. A record that speaks for itself

IT was surely in the genes for Rock, whose father Barney was beloved of Hill 16.

Over the course of 132 games for the Dubs between 2012 and an eighth All-ireland final victory last summer, he scored 24-591 – 663 points in total.

In an astonishing run from 2015 to 2018, he made 63 consecutive League and Championship appearances. He won three All Stars. DUBLIN HONOURS 8 All-ireland SFC

12 Leinster SFC

6 National Leagues

3 All Stars

1 All-ireland U21

DUBLIN SCORES

24 goals 591 points