ON THE BUTTON
The curious case of all-conquering Dubs who appear to be getting younger as boss Gavin gets transition spot on
THE team Dublin field in tomorrow’s All-ireland final will likely be younger than the three that have brought them to the brink of four-in-arow.
How did that happen? Well, just six players have started every All-ireland final Dublin have competed in under Jim Gavin, who has almost stealthily regenerated the team while largely maintaining incredibly high performance levels.
The youngest side he has fielded in an Allireland final was that of 2013, when the average age was just short of 25.
His three subsequent Allireland final wins from 2015-17 saw the side re- markably boast an identical average age of 26.9 years.
But the team that started the semi-final stroll against Galway last month averaged an age of just 26.1 years. Take out 36-year-old goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton and that drops to 25.4.
The ultimate test of Dublin’s resources will most likely come when Cluxton finally stands aside, but Evan Comerford hardly missed a beat when he slotted in during the Leinster Championship.
When Rory O’carroll effectively decided to retire at just 25 after the 2015 Allireland win, it looked like the full-back had left a gaping hole in defence. Now he’s almost a forgotten man, so little has he been missed.
“You think of Rory not being around, Diarmuid [Connolly] not being around, and Bernard [Brogan] obviously injured, three integral players of previous All-ireland winning teams,” says O’carroll’s fel- low Kilmacud Crokes man Ray Cosgrove (inset). “It just shows you the conveyor belt of talent coming through is phenomenal. “Con O’callaghan stepped up to the plate last year, young Eoin Murchan is having a massive year.”
Jack Mccaffrey, when he was reigning Footballer of the Year, also took a year out at the same time as O’carroll’s departure and it didn’t halt Dublin’s success. Neither did Paul Mannion’s absence in 2015.
Given the impact he had when introduced in last year’s final, Connolly’s departure earlier this year was identified as potentially crippling but there’s been no sign of it so far.
“I thought he would have been a big loss,” Cosgrove admits. “But it just shows you it created an opportunity for other guys to step up to the plate, young Brian Howard has stepped into the breach and has had an unbelievable year.”
There’s more to it than just plugging holes as they materialise, however.
Gavin has maintained, and reduced, the team’s age profile by limiting highly decorated players like Paul Flynn, Michael Darragh Macauley and the Brogan brothers to impact roles.
“In fairness to Jim, he’s always given youth its chance,” says Alan Brogan (left). “If it’s a tight call between an older guy and a younger player then he’ll always go for the young guy.
“I was on the wrong end of that call a couple of times but it probably is the right thing, to bring the younger guys through.
“The likes of Con O’callaghan, who had a fantastic season last year, and other guys that have performed for him. He’s showed his faith in them.
“If you look at other counties like Mayo, for example, they’ve been a little bit guilty of not bringing players through and giving guys a chance. The likes of Conor Loftus, I would have thought should have been left in the team to develop.
“Every team moves on. In the current game there’s no substitute for pace and that’s what the younger guys bring.
“That’s why Jim has persisted with the likes of Niall Scully. At certain stages he could easily have dropped Niall and played Kevin Mac [Mcmanamon] or someone else but he’s persisted with him and Niall has repaid the faith in bucketloads.”
Jonny Cooper is one of the six, along with Cluxton, Philly Mcmahon, James Mccarthy, Cian O’sullivan and
Ciaran Kilkenny, who have started every final under
Gavin.
“It goes back to that drive for competition for places.
“We would talk a little bit about it internally and just move on quick enough,” says Cooper.
Relentlessly so.
Dublin seem far too well drilled not to have answers