“I would have went to rugby training rather than Gaelic” – Dean Rock’s journey to become the best free-taker in football

“Forty metres out. Rock kicking up into the air... And over the bar!”

Often times when you’re so enthralled in a moment you don’t realise how truly great it is or how it is going to be immortalised. All of your emotions are flying everywhere and you just get caught up in it all and let yourself get lost in it. Perhaps the same thing happened when Dean Rock stuck the ball over the bar in the dying moments of the All-Ireland final for Dublin but there has been so much focus on it since that it will not be forgotten anytime soon. https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/909680917031018496 Dublin bridged a massive gap in history as they won three-in-a-row and they broke Mayo hearts again. Rock's free-taking was crucial to this. Rock is synonymous with free-taking, so was his father, Barney. It’s something he works incredibly hard on and he's learned not to get caught up in the moment. Doing that is vital - so says the best free-taker in the country.

“It is something that has pretty much developed over the past three years,” Rock explains. “It probably has brought a lot more consistency to my freetaking in terms of that mental side of focusing on the process of the kick, rather than worrying about if I don't get this or I do get this. “For me, it is about a process that is consistent. I now know if I miss a free kick, why I missed a free kick. If I do score free kicks I could maybe have put that a bit closer to the posts, so you are understanding why you are scoring and not scoring which is brilliant. "That has all been brought up through that mental resilience piece that I have worked on.”

https://twitter.com/SportsJOE_GAA/status/838108980719325184 The Ballymun Kickhams' forward's attitude mirrors what Jim Gavin instils in his players and coaching staff, trust the process. It’s not about riling up the players to win this game or that game, it’s all about preparation. If A, B and C are all done right you are putting yourself in the best position possible to achieve success. That’s how Jim Gavin sees it when coaching his team, that’s how Dean Rock now sees it when taking frees. But it’s not enough to just say that, a lot more goes into it than trusting a process and Rock learned from the best kickers of all time to get the most out of himself:

“It was something I wanted to add layers to my game, to make small improvements in my game,” Rock notes. “That was one thing I noticed just through reading different books on different kickers. Whether it was Johnny Wilkinson or looking at a Johnny Sexton type figure, it was something that I read up a lot about and understood the power of the mind. Obviously, moments and training like that gears you up for big moments on big days.”

https://twitter.com/SportsJOE_GAA/status/909461916321492992 Anyone can kick a free with a bit of practice. Okay, a lot of practice. Most inter-county players are well able to kick a ball from the ground but Rock’s technique is better than most which puts him up in the top bracket. September proved the mental resilience that he has. It’s one thing kicking a free and it’s another doing it in front of a packed out Croke Park in the last kick of an All-Ireland final:

“Once a free is awarded and the whistle is blown, you shift your mindset into a completely individual perspective. "For me it is just a shift that I find quite natural now, it just takes a few breaths to set yourself, to go through your kicking routine, your process. The rest will look after itself.”

Before Rock was a football star he could have had a promising future in rugby - he played for his secondary school, CUS.

“We weren't the greatest rugby school, but we qualified for the Senior Cup First Round once which was a huge achievement for the school. Yeah, I played for six years and did some placekicking as well,” the forward is happy to admit. “I don't know if it helped my Gaelic kicking, probably not to be honest. It was just something I always would have done, whether I was playing soccer or Gaelic or Rugby, I always wanted to take the place kicks.”

The 27-year-old went hell for leather at both growing up both opted to stick with the GAA. Mainly because he was better at it.

“I would have played a huge amount of rugby and I would have went to rugby training rather than Gaelic training on numerous occasions," Rock said. "I suppose when I came to 18, I thought which one am I better at and I was slightly better at the Gaelic even though I enjoyed rugby just as much. It was just a decision that I made that I would stick with the Gaelic. Obviously, I'm glad that I have done so.”

https://twitter.com/SportsJOE_GAA/status/893768733256294400 Rock’s father has an All-Ireland medal to his name too but was always encouraging of his son to play different sports. There may have been some subliminal messaging through the years to get his son to follow in his footsteps though.

“When I was growing up it was every sport for me, but I'm sure now that I think about it that he threw in subtle hints about the Gaelic along the way. It probably went into my subconscious so when I came to make a decision it was always going to be Gaelic.”

There has, at times, been a perception that the Ballymun Kickhams’ man was a one trick pony when he first broke into he Dublin team, just a free taker. Two All-Stars later and Rock has certainly proved his critics wrong. He’s as good as any forward in the game from open play and Rock admits that he has really worked hard on this.

“I'm very confident in my own abilities and my teammates know what I add from general play so outside people and their opinions are grand. Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Rock says reassuringly. “I'm sure I have showcased my talents from open play along with the frees over the last couple of years which is great personally. It is always nice to prove people wrong if that was their opinion. For me I always knew what I was doing for the good of the team, maybe it is just being reflected or highlighted a bit more now. That is just the way it is, I haven't got worked up about it.”

And Rock's not afraid to debunk the myths surrounding the Dublin camp and one that has been circulating is that the team have put on emphasis on basketball and adapting it to their game plan. Really it was just to get the team fit.

“We only did a number of sessions in the winter to keep ticking over," he said. "That is all it was, but you know yourself: people catch on to something and the fire grows. We did very minimal basketball stuff, it was just three or four sessions here and there in the winters, back and forth on the court getting your cardio up. That is all it was, some other people will tell you we did this and that.”

But it is now time to unwind and enjoy the remainder of the off-season. It is one that has been extra special for Rock. Not only did he score the winning point for Dublin to capture a third successive All-Ireland, his girlfriend, Niamh McEvoy also won an All-Ireland after years of hardship. With that comes endless celebrations and ones that Rock and McEvoy have no doubt been able to enjoy.

“It was a great year with Niamh winning her All Ireland, it was great for herself and all of the other girls who had come up short in the last number of years,” it’s clear that the win means a lot to Rock. “They have certainly been enjoying the last number of weeks and months, but they might have to pay for it in January with plenty of running from Ken (Robinson). Look, they are well entitled to enjoy their time off, to celebrate because ultimately that is why you play football, to enjoy it. If you get an opportunity to win an All-Ireland, it is extra special.”

https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/914537388684320768 And they've been savouring it.

“If ever there is a few lads out, myself or whoever, we wouldn't be afraid to jump in on it because obviously once January comes around there are no nights out or off-season then. We do most things as a group, that includes our socialising too.”

The new year won’t be long coming around and these players will certainly enjoy the time off as much as they can.