Dean Rock: You've got to keep improving as a player year on year

Dean Rock: You’ve got to keep improving as a player year on year

Thu, 13th May 2021

The start of a new campaign and time for Dublin's senior footballers to reset their ambitions for the year ahead - 2021 gets underway this Sunday when Roscommon host the All-Ireland champions in Dr Hyde Park (1.45, TG4).

Dublin's all-time top scorer (combined League and Championship) Dean Rock - having broken Jimmy Keaveney's long-standing tally in the Dubs league victory over Meath last year - spelled it out clearly at this week's AIG launch in Parnell Park.

“You’re not going to be selected just on what you’ve done in the past," said the Ballymun Kickhams clubman.

"You’ve got to keep on improving as a player and hopefully you’re good enough year on year because the competition coming through Dublin is scary.

"I want to play for as long as I possibly can but only time will tell.”

Dean has been Dublin's top scorer in the last six league campaigns and five of the last six championships - the odd one out was in the summer of 2015 when he was second in the championship scoring chart behind Bernard Brogan.

Dean's NFL tallies in recent years have been as follows - 2015: 1-52 (0-39f, 0-2 '45'), 2016: 1-40 (0-27f, 0-3 '45', 0-1 pen), 2017: 0-47 (0-41f), 2018: 1-32 (0-24f, 0-1 '45'), 2019: 2-32 (0-19f, 0-3m, 0-1 '45'), 2020: 3-37 (0-29f, 1-0 pen).

While Dean is Dublin's all-time top marksman in the combined league and championship chart he is second behind Kevin Heffernan in the chart based solely on league games.

Kevin Heffernan scored 36-170 (278 points) in 77 league games with Dean currently at 8-244 (268 points) in 52 games.

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Dublin hurler Davy Keogh, Dublin camogie player Leah Butler, Dublin footballer Dean Rock and Dublin ladies footballer Lyndsey Davey were in Parnell Park on Wednesday to support the roll-out of ‘AIG BoxClever’ insurance for young drivers. BoxClever is an innovative proposition that promotes and rewards safe driving that can help secure lower car insurance premiums. For a quote go to www.aig.ie/box