I can’t wait to be back in January: Dean Rock

The dust is still settling on the 2016 season but already Dublin’s Dean Rock is looking forward with enthusiasm to the new year ahead and new challenges.

“I’m certainly enjoying it at the minute. I can’t wait to be back in January to be a better version of Dean Rock again next year. That’s my main goal … and that will always be the case,” says Dean.

The Ballymun Kickhams sharp-shooter says that despite winning an All-Ireland in 2015, that fact that he was substituted in the decider gave him extra motivation for the season just concluded.

“Obviously the team won, that’s the main thing. But everyone looks at themselves, individually, at the end of the season – where they can improve and stuff like that.

“So I took it on the chin and obviously I was delighted that we won the All-Ireland, because they’re not easily won.

“From a personal perspective, I asked what I needed to work on and I went about it, trained hard in the off-season at the end of 2015 and kicked on from there,” adds Dean, who finished the championship as the top-scorer with 1-58 (0-45f, 0-3 ‘45’).

“As a free-taker you’re always developing and learning new things … I was a better free-taker in 2016 than I was in 2015, and I’d like to think I’ll be a better free-taker in 2017.”