Dean Rock
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Sport | Gaelic football | ||
Position | Left corner-forward | ||
Born |
Ballymun, Dublin, Ireland | 26 February 1990||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Occupation | Fundraising & communications manager | ||
Club(s) | |||
Years | Club | ||
2007–present |
Ballymun Kickhams | ||
Club titles | |||
Dublin titles | 2 | ||
Leinster titles | 1 | ||
Colleges(s) | |||
Years | College | ||
2011–2014 | Dublin City University | ||
College titles | |||
Sigerson titles | 1 | ||
Inter-county(ies)* | |||
Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
2013-2023 | Dublin | 53 (11–253)[1] | |
Inter-county titles | |||
Leinster titles | 12 | ||
All-Irelands | 8 | ||
NFL | 6 | ||
All Stars | 3 | ||
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 22:43, 2 September 2021 (UTC). |
Dean Rock (born 26 February 1990) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who was a senior member of the Dublin county team from 2013 to 2023.[2]
He has represented Dublin at all grades, Minor, Junior, U21 and Senior. He is a noted free taker and scored the winning point from a free in the
Early life
Born in Ballymadun, Garristown, Rock was born into a family with a strong association with Gaelic football.[citation needed] His great-grandfather, grandfather and granduncle all worked as groundsmen at Croke Park, while his father, Barney Rock, is an All-Ireland medal winner with Dublin.[4]
Playing career
Secondary school
Rock attended the Catholic University School where he played rugby union in the absence of a Gaelic football team.[citation needed]
Club
He simultaneously came to prominence at juvenile and underage levels with the Ballymun Kickhams club before making his debut with the senior team in 2008. Since then he has won one Leinster medal and two county senior championship medals.[citation needed]
Inter-county
Minor and under-21
Rock made his debut on the inter-county scene when he was selected for the Dublin minor team. After an unsuccessful tenure with the minor team, he later won an
Junior
Dean Rock represented Dublin at Junior level in the 2009 Leinster Junior Football Championship. Dublin were knocked out in the semi-final by Louth. Dean Rock scored a total of 14 points for Dublin in his two appearances for Dublin Juniors. [5]
Senior
Rock made his senior debut during the 2012 league when he was introduced as a substitute against Donegal in March. He made his championship debut the following year against Westmeath. Since then he has won six All-Ireland medals, beginning with his first title in 2013 and followed by five successive championships from 2015 to 2019. Rock has also won six Leinster medals and five National League medals. Rock has been awarded two All Star awards for Dublin in 2017 and 2016, when he finished the season as top scorer of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
Rock only started his first league match for Dublin in 2015, after which he participated in 63 consecutive league and championship games.[1]
He is noted for his taking Dublin's frees, while attaining hitherto unimaginable levels of accuracy.[1] Having spent to years as a substitute in 2013 and 2014, he studied placed-ball kicking and worked kicking expert Dave Alred, as he revealed in 2017.[1]
In the
In the
In the
Rock's fifth point of the drawn
Rock holds the record for the fastest goal scored in the history of
On 16 January 2024, Rock announced his retirement from inter-county football.[7][8]
Career statistics
- As of match played 14 August 2021.
Team | Season | National League | Leinster | All-Ireland | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
Dublin | 2013 | Division 1 | 2 | 0–02 | 3 | 0–06 | 3 | 0–04 | 8 | 0–12 |
2014 | 0 | 0–00 | 3 | 0–08 | 2 | 0–02 | 5 | 0–10 | ||
2015 | 9 | 1–52 | 3 | 2–12 | 4 | 0–11 | 16 | 3–75 | ||
2016 | 9 | 1–40 | 3 | 1–28 | 4 | 0–30 | 16 | 2–98 | ||
2017 | 8 | 0–48 | 3 | 2–11 | 3 | 1–20 | 14 | 3–79 | ||
2018 | 8 | 1–32 | 3 | 2–16 | 4 | 0–25 | 15 | 3–73 | ||
2019 | 7 | 2–32 | 1 | 0–04 | 5 | 1–35 | 13 | 3–71 | ||
2020 | 7 | 3-37 | 3 | 1-16 | 2 | 1-10 | 12 | 5-63 | ||
2021 | 0 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-08 | 1 | 0-07 | 4 | 0-15 | ||
2022 | 3 | 0-12 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-12 | ||
Total | 53 | 8–255 | 25 | 8–109 | 28 | 3–144 | 106 | 19–508 |
Personal life
Rock is married to
Following the completion of the five-in-row in 2019, Rock spent a week in New York with Ciarán Kilkenny and Paddy Andrews.[12]
He debuted the "Dean Rock Free Taking Project" in mid-2020.[13]
Honours
- Dublin City University
- Sigerson Cup (1): 2012
- Ballymun Kickhams
- 2012
- Dublin Senior Football Championship (2): 2012, 2020
- Dublin
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (8): 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 , 2023
- Leinster Senior Football Championship (10): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
- National Football League (5): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021
- All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship (1): 2010
- Individual
- GAA-GPA All Stars Awards (3): 2016, 2017, 2020
References
- ^ Independent News & Media. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
- ^ Breheny, Martin (1 August 2013). "Rock set to spearhead Dublin attack for Rebels date". Irish Independent. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ^ O'Rourke, Colm (22 September 2019). "General Gavin makes history with no histrionics, victory without vanity". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "Barney Rock: Dean more than a 'super sub' for Dublin". RTÉ Sport. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-9954793-7-1.
- ^ "Rock smashes fastest goal record in All-Ireland SFC final". Hogan Stand. 19 December 2020.
- ^ "Dean Rock brings down curtain on inter-county career". RTE Sport. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Dean Rock, Dublin's all-time record points scorer, retires from inter-county football". Irish Independent. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "'When our training schedules are heavy we're still getting to hang out' - Dubs football stars Niamh McEvoy and Dean Rock move in together". www.independent.ie. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "All Star McEvoy out to shine in Bangkok before cheering on the Dubs". www.rte.ie. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ "Double take: Two Dublin GAA WAGs wear the same colourful dress to celebrate team's win". www.independent.ie. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- Independent News & Media. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ "Dean caught between a Rock and a hard place over training sessions". RTÉ. 23 July 2020.