GIVEN ITS FACILE nature, Dublin’s victory over Tyrone wasn’t met with unadulterated joy but more a quiet satisfaction – from the players at least – as Jim Gavin’s men strolled to their third consecutive All-Ireland final, and a fourth in five years.
Indeed, the game’s climax struck as more poignant than jubilant, as a devastated Seán Cavanagh came to terms with what would be his final ever inter-county game, a hard-hitting realisation which understandably produced waterworks – and not merely from the Omagh man.
My incredible journey ends. Blessed to have shared the highs & lows of our game with some amazing Gaels. Thanks for everything @officialgaa
— Sean Cavanagh (@SeanCavanagh14) August 27, 2017
Having departed his children and wife Fionnuala in the stands, as well as hordes of handshakers and admirers – one of them former team-mate Brian Dooher – Cavanagh’s return to the field following the final whistle garnered similarly emotional embraces, with each Dublin player footslogging towards the sideline to pay their respects to the three-time All-Ireland winner.
An exchange with fellow elder statesman Stephen Cluxton was especially affecting, the Dublin ‘keeper rubbing ears with one of the few remaining players with whom he came up, and a man who had contributed to laying waste to his own dreams in both 2005 and 2008.
“Regardless of anything else, there’s so many top players, and they seem to have created this humility within the team,” said Kildare legend Johnny Doyle of the Dubs on The42.ie GAA Show on Monday afternoon. “And when you’ve so many superstars within a team, it’s a very difficult thing to do.”
Doyle continued: “They epitomised it at the end of the game; there was no jumping around. It was over to respect one of the greats of the game [Sean Cavanagh].
That’s not rehearsed. That’s not, ‘Oh, we better do this now or Jim Gavin will be having a go.’ That’s just a mark of respect; yes, they’ll take the head off him on the field, but as soon as the game was over, most important was, ‘We’ll see this guy off. He’s been an unbelievable servant’ – to the game, really, not only in Tyrone.
Indeed, Doyle is of the opinion that Dublin’s collective modesty is one of their greatest assets.
On a day in which the forward line Gavin opted to hold in reserve could conceivably have been considered at least equal to that which tore Tyrone asunder in Croke Park, Doyle felt Gavin’s charges exuded a lesser-spotted togetherness which speaks to the very concept of ‘team’, and one which has seen them reap reward as a collective more so than a starting XV.
“That humility,” he said, “we hear about it in the All Blacks and any team that are successful. But it’s one thing talking about it, and it’s another thing [to do it]… Because we all want to play.
“I’m sure Bernard Brogan wants that jersey as much now as he ever did. But to be able to buy into it – ‘Well, look it, I’m sitting here, and when I’m called I’ll go on and do my very best, and if I’m not, what can I do?’ – and not get vexed by it, it’s very, very difficult to create that.
Jim Gavin has done a phenomenal job in that alone, regardless of the success. And that, to me, has been the big secret of his success with Dublin.
I was thinking the same yesterday. Can you imagine a player like Aidan O’Shea was left on the bench for a whole game. There would be a mutiny the day after their championship campaign ended.
@Ned Flanders: cheap shot. O’Shea showed he is the ultimate team player by switching to a totally new position over the last 2 games to help the team get over the line. I guess haters are always gonna hate though
@Pepper Brooks: ultimate team player? That particular tactic nearly blew up in mayos face. In the replay he was soloing around his 21 half way through second half and trying 40 yard outside of boot passes that ran out over the line. If kerry hadnt panicked and had taken points earlier rather than going for goals when 7 down it could have been a very different
@Pepper Brooks: O’Shea wouldn’t make the Dublin bench.
Juniors maybe
@johnnyA the game is also about opinions,for you it’s bitter and twisted against Dublin,while us Dublin fan’s are enjoying every minute of this great Team,so happy days for us Ha Ha ha
@alan dodrill: *fans
It’s a great achievement to show humility when you’re strolling through the championship. Fair play to the Dublin/AIG players for being such good winners. If Gavin exerts such control he must endorse or at least turn a blind eye to the playacting. Cooper at it again yesterday. McCarthy and McCaffrey at it the last day – good footballers but while their fans have brought the worst aspects of UK terrace culture to Gaelic Games the players have brought Neymar type playacting into our national sport. Great lads all the same.
@Johnny A: Why not just enjoy the football instead of always having a bitch , life is too short
@Tony Talbot: the football championship used to mean something. Now it’s completely hollow. Very few meaningful contests – certainly none when Dublin/AIG are involved. Instead of mitigating their natural advantages – population, money, home advantage – the GAA have bolstered these and set them in stone. Teams like Tyrone and Monaghan now come up to Croker with ridiculous defensive systems just to keep the score down. The GAA have to look at the population and reconsider a split – for example Dublin North/AIG & Dublin South/HSBC. There should be an equalisation process with the corporate loot – they should be allowed keep 20-30% with the rest being redistributed. And they should be kept out of Croker a lot more – why not make them play an away semi final for example. I’ll enjoy it then.
@Johnny A: have to hand it to you mate you have bitterness to a new level. Short memories like most non dubs. This golden era has more to do wirh jim gavin than anything else.Maybe he should only be allowed manage smaller counties?
@Johnny A: explain 1995 – 2011??
If you split Dublin now you’d risk an all Dublin All Ireland final and that would be worse! Did you see the bench. Dublin A Vs Dublin B would be some game!
Other counties need to stop making excuses… Kerry has the same population as Wicklow as is the most successful football county by far
Also, let’s split Kilkenny into North & South and actually while we’re at what about the most successful football county, Kerry…well over due a split!!
@Brendan Farrell: if you think a 2 way split isn’t enough and they’d still be too strong then a 4 way split would be ideal. Could be 4 Dublin zones – AIG1, AIG2, AIG3, AIG4. Have their own provincial championship. The metropolitan cup or something like that.
@paddy: I wouldn’t call it bitterness – more like constructive hate.