As if Dublin needed any more improvements, Jim Gavin might’ve found them anyway.
The most interesting thing about their resurrection in Clones when Monaghan had them on the ropes wasn’t just their nerve or their ability to come back from six down, it wasn’t their whitewashing final 20 minutes that saw them win that last period 2-6 to 0-3, it was how they went about it.
Dublin scored. Dublin got back into position. Dublin went again. Next ball.
Bernard Brogan hit the net. He just got back into position. Next ball.
Men started popping up from everywhere in their hour of need and time and time again, their only focus was on the next ball.
Jack McCaffrey won the game with a bloody screamer at the end. There were no celebrations. All they cared about was the next ball.
None of the Dublin team celebrated anything during that game, they just kept going until the very end and it stood out too because it’s not like they haven’t enjoyed themselves after a score before.
Now, their enjoyment seems to be coming solely from winning and they don’t let up until they’ve reached that goal.
Perhaps Bernard Brogan wasn’t interested in celebrating his fine finish because they were still three behind or because he wasn’t happy in general at being used from the bench.
But perhaps it’s coming from the top. No showboating or complacency. Just bloody well get on with it.
@bernardbrogan got his first goal against Laois and so tired after celebration he never touched it again..
— Alan Brogan (@alanbrogan13) April 2, 2017
During a fascinating segment on The GAA Hour (from 08:10), Colm Parkinson asked if these lack of celebrations are a deliberate instruction from Jim Gavin.
“It’s not a stick to beat Dublin with,” he said. “I think it’s really interesting if they’re not celebrating scores and it’s a clear tactic.”
Think of it this way, there’s absolutely nothing you could ever pin to the changing room wall about how the Dubs have behaved. They don’t get caught out in the media, they don’t show off an ego, they don’t do anything but play football and they do that better than anyone.
Now, if they’re not being allowed to celebrate, there’s even less to give away to anyone in terms of motivation.
And, listen, Bernard Brogan has always enjoyed a celebration or two.
For club, county and country, Bernard Brogan has always let himself enjoy his scores but Colm Parkinson couldn’t help but notice the difference in the last outing against Monaghan.
“He scored a goal against Monaghan to get his team back into it, a beautiful finish into the far bottom corner, and he just runs back, workmanlike, into his position,” Wooly said on The GAA Hour.
“Bernard Brogan is a man who loves to celebrate a score, traditionally. He used to love that celebration in front of Hill 16 and that must be one of the most incredible feelings in the world.”
But it’s not just Brogan.
“Jack McCaffrey scores a goal to win the game – a rocket – and he runs back into position,” Parkinson continues.
“Corner back Philly McMahon scores a lovely long range score and he almost stands there emotionless, like ‘what has even been done here?’
“James McCarthy, his points are usually real rousing ones because they’re coming off a burst real fast, but every time he scores he just jogs back, workmanlike, into his position.
“It’s very clear to me that this is an instruction from management and it’s all building into this media stuff and the perception of not looking cocky.”
This no-celebrating tactic is something which Wooly and his Laois team mates tried themselves in a Leinster final back in 2007.
Despite losing to Dublin that day, Parkinson believes that it helped them.
“I remember when we played Dublin in the Leinster final in 2007, Liam Kearns was our manager and before the game he said there were two things we were going to do today,” the Laois man explained.
“We weren’t going to celebrate scores and I thought that was aimed at me because I scored two points against Wexford in the semi-final and I celebrated both of them with a jump and a fist into the air – that was more for myself than anything else.
“He said, ‘we’re not celebrating scores, we mean business today. We’re not going to be celebrating any scores.’ I didn’t really mind it at the time. I scored three that day against Dublin, didn’t celebrate any of them, I just ran back into my position, business-like, focused. I thought it kind of helped us on the day.
“The other thing he said was that we weren’t going to stand in a line in midfield together before the game. We were going to line out in our traditional positions and wait for the Dublin lad to come down to us. We’re waiting, we’re ready, we’re in our position and we’re not into any of the rest of that.”
And he thinks this is coming from the top in the capital too.
“When I see them [Dublin] not celebrating, I’m convinced it’s a tactic and an instruction because you can’t go from what Bernard Brogan loved to do and go to what he did against Monaghan.
“The whole thing about Dublin is business as usual – nothing to see here, no egos here, no interviews, no nothing. They say a team is a reflection of their manager – Jim Gavin’s worked in the army all his life, he’s used to answering orders and getting on with the job.”
Listen to the whole discussion on The GAA Hour (from 08:10) below.
