17th September 2017. Dublin are going for a three-in-a-row, while Mayo seek to win their first All-Ireland in 66 years. Dean Rock would be the key man, on his finest day in a blue jersey. On the day he announces his retirement from intercounty football, we remember that fateful September day
Seven years ago, Mayo's unfathomable heartbreak continued. The architect of their pain in 2017 was Dean Rock, who nervelessly nailed a free kick to win a third consecutive All-Ireland for the Dubs.
Having missed the free to draw the National League final earlier that year, Rock once again stood up to the plate deep into injury time, with the crosshairs trained on Mayo's heart. This time, Rock made no mistake.
It is a testament to Rock's remarkable mental fortitude: not just to convert a free in the final minute of an All-Ireland final, but also to recover from a very shaky start. Rock missed his first free off the ground and skewed the resulting 45 horribly wide. Yet the Dubs' full forward grew into the game, presumably conscious of Jim Gavin's hooked finger on the touchline.
And yet...
Here's the winning point in the 2017 All-Ireland Football Final! @DeanRock14's free saw @DubGAAOfficial defeat @MayoGAA by one #DUBvMAYO pic.twitter.com/a1krZlFS2O
— The GAA (@officialgaa) September 17, 2017
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Remembering Dean Rock's finest moment in Blue
Rock proved to be Dublin's key player, scoring seven points. He was the epitome of coolness throughout, even electing to fist over a point as he was bearing down on David Clarke's goal. Rock knew his moment would come, and such self-belief encapsulates this Dublin team's greatest strength.
It was equally evident in his post-match interview:
Dublin's match-winner Dean Rock: Diarmuid did very well to win the free and it's my job to put it over. #DUBvMayo #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/aqx5ul7iJ8
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) September 17, 2017
Here's a portion of the reaction online that September day.
Well done Dublin. They are the greatest. Mayo had it to win it but Dublin never panicked. Dean Rock = Balls, Courage, Temperament, Skill.
— Steven McDonnell (@StevenMcD13) September 17, 2017
Dean Rock star #DUBvMAY #triplechamps
— Brary Eating (@spockchocolate) September 17, 2017
#AllIrelandFinal Oh yeeeesssss! What a free taker Dean Rock!!! @Dubs_gaa
— Simone Rapple (@sim1rap) September 17, 2017
Hit the post with a last-minute free in the league final.
Nails a winner with a last-minute free in the All-Ireland final.
Dean Rock 👌— Peter McNamara (@PeterMcNamara_) September 17, 2017
What a game, two unbelievable teams. A complete joy to watch, Dean Rock the man for he big occasion #DubvMayo
— Colm Mac Rory (@Colly_Mac) September 17, 2017
This Dublin team are the real deal cool calm and stick to the plan dean rock coolness personified
— patrick curtis (@PatrickCurtis07) September 17, 2017
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Rock managed to slot over the decisive free despite the best efforts of some rogues in the Mayo defence, who chose to chuck a GPS his way in an attempt to put him off.
17 September 2017; Dean Rock of Dublin scores the winning point from a free late in injury time during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Dublin and Mayo at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
In the weeks following the decider, Dean Rock acknowledged "GPS-gate," but said that he had not even realised what had been thrown at him by Mayo's talisman Lee Keegan:
[I was] oblivious...I genuinely thought it was a bit of muck.
You'd always notice lads distracting you, putting you off or calling you different things. That's just part and parcel of it especially in Gaelic football.
For his part, Keegan addressed the controversy himself in the years following the epic 2017 decider. The half-back said in 2018 that the incident was "unfortunate" - but that he felt any player would have done anything they could have to put off an opponent in the same situation:
It’s probably an unfortunate thing that it happened. You know, I always say, ‘If you were in my shoes, what would people have done?’ Would they have come up with something else?
Obviously it’s very unsportsmanlike and I totally accept that. But, I suppose, you’re looking into losing your fourth All-Ireland.
Perhaps the more pertinent of Keegan's comments were those when he commended Rock for getting the job done and bigged up the abilities fo Dublin's greatest-ever scorer:
To be fair to Dean Rock, he never batted an eyelid. As I think he said in the paper, he went through his routine and it just sailed over the bar. That’s the mark of how good he is.
Rock is one of the game's best free-takers, but even on that 2017 afternoon, in landing the biggest kick of the Championship, he proved he is much more than just a free-taker. He led the attack from play, and his overall coolness is a microcosm of what makes his team so great.
Ballymun's Dean Rock retires from intercounty football as Dublin's all-time leading scorer with 24-391 to his name in league and championship football. His finishing tally of seven Celtic Crosses is hardly too shabby either.
A truly special footballer steps away.
This piece was originally written in 2017 by Gavin Cooney.
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