Rock aims for starting brief

December 16, 2014

Dublin's Dean Rock celebrates. INPHO

Dean Rock hopes to nail down a starting place in the Dublin team in 2015.

The Ballymun Kickhams forward has been used almost exclusively as an impact substitute by Jim Gavin in the past two seasons but will be pushing hard for a starting shirt in '15, beginning in next month's O'Byrne Cup:

"Everyone wants to start. That's fair enough, but your role is just as important coming on and making that impact on the game from the bench because it's up to you to turn the game," he is quoted in The Irish Independent.

"You've just got to stay ready. You've to watch the game and just be prepared to come on and make that difference.

"Myself and Kevin McManamon have done it pretty well in 2013 and 2014, so who knows? This time it could be someone else in that role, it could be myself. Hopefully I'll be starting next year, and get a good run in the national league, that's the aim.

"I've only ever played two National League games for Dublin. In the last three or four years I've either been injured at this time of year or had club commitments with Ballymun, so the only two league appearances I've ever made was in the last group game against Donegal away in 2013, and then the league final that year.

"So that's two games, maybe about 20-25 minutes in total. For me it's great to be injury-free at this time of year. I'm hoping to use the O'Byrne Cup to get match practice and then hit the ground running hopefully for the national league."


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