Unstoppable.
Are Dublin one of the greatest footballing teams this country has ever seen? They’re sure giving it a good rattle anyway.
Like them or loathe them, Jim Gavin’s men now have three All-Irelands in a row, and these boys are showing no signs of slowing down.
They may not have been much better than Mayo on Sunday, but in the end, it was their calm head when the game was in the melting pot that won it for them.
Here’s the four players nominated as AIB Performance of the Weekend.
James McCarthy (Dublin)
The Ballymun Kickhams man gave a tour-de-force in midfield. Scored two cracking points when the game was nip and tuck. For both of these points, he beautifully started his shot out on the right hand side of the post, before nervelessly curling in.
Made tackle after tackle. Run after run.
The midfield maestro that keeps on giving.
Chris Barrett (Mayo)
Didn’t give the Dublin forwards an inch. Game was probably epitomised in the 60th minute of the game with Dean Rock rampaging forward towards the Mayo goal, he stood him up, he horsed into him with a shoulder and made damn sure he was coming away with that ball and Dean Rock was left on the ground.
Dean Rock (Dublin)
The most remarkable thing about Dean Rock’s match-winning performance was that he started his day off in absolute nightmare fashion. He hooked two placed balls hopelessly wide early on, dropped another easy pass, it would have been very easy for him to drop the head, to go missing.
Bouncebackability.
He stood up when it mattered most, notching four from play and nailing the eventual winner with the pressure of a county on his shoulders.
Not a bother to him.
Aidan O’Shea (Mayo)
Thrown himself around the place well. O’Shea never stopped trying, hassling, harrying and offering himself up for his teammates.
Got on a mountain of possession and nearly always made the correct decision when he got it.
In the end, it wasn’t to be, but the Breaffy man can’t be faulted for that.
So get your votes in and the poll will be discussed on Monday’s GAA Hour Show.
Who was your standout performance from the final? @Woolberto will announce the winner on tomorrow's @The_GAAHour ⬇️ #TheToughest
— AIB_GAA (@AIB_GAA) September 17, 2017
