ALL-IRELAND WINNING DUBLIN football coach Jason Sherlock has downplayed the issue of Dublin\u2019s enormous backroom team and highlighted the role that volunteers have played in their incredible run of success.<\/p>\n
Sherlock, a former Dublin star forward, was among a 23-strong group of backroom team members photographed on the Croke Park pitch after their All-Ireland final replay win over Mayo.<\/p>\n
A number of others, such as high performance manager Bryan Cullen, weren\u2019t included so Jim Gavin\u2019s entire Dublin management team could stretch to beyond 25 people.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s drawn inevitable commentary that Dublin enjoy an unfair advantage as the cash rich capital county with access to financial resources that their rivals can only dream of.<\/p>\n
But Sherlock insisted that the majority of their backroom team are unpaid volunteers and noted generally the impact that ex-players have had on bringing through vital rookie talent from development squads.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn relation to that picture, I think Jim\u2019s father was in it and maybe two or three members of the county board but anyone that was in it are volunteers as far as I know, excluding Bryan Cullen,\u201d said Sherlock.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how many volunteers are with other counties. All I know is that I was asked by Jim to see if I could assist and I\u2019m happy to do it. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on elsewhere.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI understand there is always going to be that debate about Dublin (and their finances) and all that but as far as I\u2019m concerned it was the same situation when I played. We had the biggest population, the biggest resources but we didn\u2019t have success.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nSherlock reckons that Dublin are simply more organised these days, something that can be done without major financial investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d have to look at that as a contributory factor,\u201d continued the 1995 All-Ireland medallist. \u201cFrom my point of view, I was asked to get involved in the Dublin development squads three years ago and it was a privilege to be asked and something I was delighted to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked others that I would have played with to get involved and probably to a man they all agreed and were willing to give their time. It was great to see that they were willing to do that.<\/p>\n
\n Sherlock celebrates with Paddy Andrews after the All-Ireland final.<\/p>\n
Source: James Crombie\/INPHO<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in grounds at the weekends with U-14s and U-15s, as volunteers. We have Davy Henry, Paul Griffin, Paul Casey, Declan Lally, Brendan O\u2019Brien and then we\u2019ve a few other guys as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Dublin\u2019s sponsorship deal with global insurance giants AIG is worth a reported EUR800,000 per annum while their list of \u2018official partners\u2019 runs into double figures.<\/p>\n
But Sherlock insisted all of those ex-players are simply in it to give something back to the county and he said they\u2019ve played an important role in the overall success.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhen I picked up the phone they were all happy to play their part and to contribute,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s got nothing to do with resources, they are people who are proud to have played with Dublin and want to give something back.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nSherlock was recognised as one of the most creative and exciting forwards of his generation and is responsible for mentoring the current Dublin forwards.<\/p>\n
Those forwards\u2019 challenge has been more difficult in recent seasons as a result of consistently coming up against packed out defences. Former Dublin defender Ger Brennan claimed after the drawn All-Ireland final with Mayo that Dublin\u2019s attacking edge has been blunted by being continuously forced to recycle and retain possession.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t control how a team sets up against us,\u201d said Sherlock. \u201cThere\u2019s a big emphasis on the defensive side of the game at the moment and that\u2019s a challenge Dublin have had over the last number of years so there\u2019s no point in doing something a certain way if you don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to have benefits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe stage where the players are at is that they have to decide themselves on the pitch what is the best way of reacting to something.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a coach, that\u2019s all you can do, empower your players to deal with situations and full credit to the lads, they\u2019ve been able to deal with what\u2019s in front of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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