DUBLIN FORWARD BERNARD Brogan says his older brother Alan could feature in their county’s defence of the National League title this spring.
Alan Brogan has been out of inter-county action for over a year with pelvic and hamstring injuries, but made a welcome return to club football with St Oliver Plunkett’s in November.
“He has been out at training and stuff already,” says the younger Brogan, “so he could be in with a shout for the coming league games. That’s a decision he has to make. We will be pushing him in the direction to play for another year or two anyway.”
Having missed out on the run to All-Ireland glory in 2013, Bernard Brogan agrees that his brother may feel a sense of unfinished business with the county scene, even though he was part of the Croke Park celebrations in September.
“Personally, I felt very sorry for him because he has given so much to the Dublin jersey over ten years. He carried them for a long time on his own and when other lads came in to give him a hand he wasn’t there for one of the years that he would have loved to have been.
“He was there on the pitch afterwards and he enjoyed it and all but it’s just not the same when you are not playing. He’ll say that himself. I’d say, deep down in himself, he is definitely feeling there is unfinished business and please God he’ll hope to want to put it right.”
The 29-year-old , who will likely be out until March with his own injury troubles added: “[Alan] is working away with the guys in the background. As well, he’s in the gym. I’m not going to speak for him but we are hoping he will make the call.”
He “carried them” Bernard?
Alan was always one of the better Dublin players. But he was too selfish and kicked way too many wides as a result.
By 2011 he had matured and was more of a team player and had easily his best ever season.
But to suggest he “carried” Dublin at any stage is ridiculous and insulting to former Dublin players of the 2000s.
Bullsh*t. Each time he got injured against Tyrone in 05 and 08 it was the turning of the ties.
2005 – The turning point was Owen Mulligan’s goal.
2008 – There was no turning point. Dublin were beaten out the gate by 12 points.
And anyway, there’s a huge difference between saying that someone is an important player and saying that they are carrying the team. Carrying implies that the rest of the players are useless by comparison.
Alan Brogan was an important player. No more, no less.
Berno is right a about alan carrying the team.For too long he was the only forward the opposition feared and was targeted accordingly , especially by Tyrone whenever we played them .
Dublin had a few points scored in 08 before he was taken off. They collapsed after he got injured. In 05 a person taken off injured who scored six points from play would have a bigger effect than a goal scored against.
Anytime before last year whether it was the league or championship, Dublin never looked like winning the big games unless Alan Brogan was playing. Any close games he got us over the line. He has been Dublin’s most important player for the last ten years, by a mile.
Well now you’re just making things up.
Brogan went off after 5 minutes in 2008 with the score 0-1 to 0-0 to Tyrone. And Dublin were hammered, pure and simple.
In 2005 he scored 0-2 in both the draw and the replay. Dublin were 5 up at half time in the drawn game but Whelan went out of the game in the second half and Tyrone took control after Mulligan’s wonder goal. We were lucky to get a draw out of it.
And we were well beaten in the replay despite a great fightback in the second half. Turning point in that game was short kick out to Lally that he didn’t win and Mulligan scored a goal. Game over.
I’m not criticising AB here at all by the way. It’s BB who should have more respect for some of his ex teammates rather than spouting such rubbish.
Alan did carry the team, hence the form when he got injured after 2011, the difference in 2014 is that he’s back but not to carry the team anymore, he will be battling for a starting place, and if he’s on or off, psychologically it wont have a major impact on the players.