GAA - Brendan Rogers hoping for All-Ireland redemption
SLAUGHTNEIL’S defeat to Cuala last month was the 45th championship game for Slaughtneil’s dual players since the start of the 2014 season. The collapse to the Dublin champions was also a sixth defeat for Brendan Rogers in the same timeframe.
Wallow on self-pity? No. Spend his free evenings on the sofa? No. Rogers doesn’t follow the trend and six days after his latest defeat he was strutting his stuff on the stage in Swatragh Hall.
The All-Ireland champion Irish dancer knows nothing different: “That is downtime. It’s like boys playing 5-a-side soccer - that’s their downtime. The Scór is something I probably didn’t need at this time of the year, but when your auntie asks you to do something, you just have to do it,” stated Rogers at Slaughtneil’s press night.
Rogers won the first of his 13 All-Ireland dancing medals at the age of 7. There are four Worlds and ‘I couldn’t tell you’ how many Ulsters.
The All-Ireland medal up for grabs on Friday is the one he craves most. On St Patrick’s Day two years ago Corofin, and Michael Lundy in particular, slammed the same door of opportunity shut on Rogers.
The reunion with Lundy came a month later at the most unlikely of locations, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.
“We were actually sitting about on a Sunday, thinking what we could do on a good day. Myself, Patrick (Rogers), Dominic Mullan and Smiley (Neil McAllister) made a Sunday tour of it.
“We had just paid into the rope bridge and walked up the wee path about 20 yards. I looked up and laughed. Nobody paid any attention and walked on up and I said ‘Well Michael, how’s it going’, I shook his hand and asked were the celebrations all over.
“He was just getting a holiday away from it all, with his girlfriend…a dead on fella, he was very civil.”
Lundy scored three first-half points that day in Croke Park, a game that continues to come into Rogers’ thoughts. The disappointment. Coming back to the hall empty handed. Not really wanting to talk to anyone. Defeat does that.
“I was thinking back on that game and it makes me think about how to approach a game, maybe manage myself and it has maybe made me a better player because of it. It didn’t make me any worse of a footballer,” Rogers uttered.
Rogers would love another crack at Corofin. An All-Ireland Final or a friendly game. The desire to see how much Slaughtneil have progressed and on a personal level – to ‘right the wrongs’.
“I would say we are stronger, but to cement that fact we’d have to win the All-Ireland. We are a thran bunch, as our reputation proceeds. I see that as a positive as that means you care.
“It’s a traditional thing in Slaughtneil – you want to present yourself the best way possible and getting beat wasn’t ideal but the only way to rectify that is to go again. The old analogy of a fight, if you get beat then you want a rematch. That’s the mentality around Slaughtneil all the time.”
Is there a danger that talk of Corofin is dangerous – on the mouth of a showdown with Dr Crokes?
“It’s not a danger,” was Rogers’ instant reply. “It’s a reminder that you can never think you are too good going into an All-Ireland Final, because it can keep you grounded. I’m pretty sure it was Jack O’Shea or Páidí Ó Sé who said: “You remember defeats, so you don’t get red in the face again.”
Rogers’ first game in Slaughtneil’s senior team resulted in an extra-time defeat against Glenullin in 2013. Cathal Coary and Brian Burns summoned Rogers from the Owenbeg sub bench for a cameo role.
“It was a five minute appearance. I made a tackle on Gerard O’Kane and turned the ball over, but then they turned us over again and Brian Mullan scored the winner. My actual debut was when I was marking Benny Heron (the following year), my first start as a 19-year-old.”
After Brian Tiddles’ wonder point, Lavey have been the only side to beat Slaughtneil in Derry during their recent run.
FLY ‘KEEPER
Rogers also has fond memories of his underage: “I remember the Castledawson blitzes. It was like the championship for U10s, it was ‘the’ tournament and you are chomping at the bit. I had a while habit of solo-running the pitch so Pat Purvis put me in nets. I still managed to run the pitch and even scored a goal before running back down again.”
It gave Rogers the confidence both in his legs and his running power. Scoring two important points against Kilcoo last November ‘probably was’ the Slaughtneil’s defender’s finest hour.
Rogers’ next statement gives an insight into his mentality. His confidence. A desire to step away from any form of comfort blanket. A man always wanting to excel in the white heat of championship.
“I saw the one against Kieran Donaghy as pivotal, but I didn’t have much to do,” Rogers offered.
Did you really relish it? Honestly?
“I did aye. Why not? You want to be playing on the best players and you want to be playing at the top level. There is (Donaghy) one of the best players, he has won a couple or three All-Irelands, he was captain of Kerry and I get a chance to get a rattle at him – so why not.
“He wasn’t getting on a pile of ball and I was thoroughly enjoying being on him. I was in good enough form and on reflection…because we won, it made it more memorable.”
Mickey Moran’s research on teams is thorough, sussing out every eventuality. Rogers follows the trend. Watching the Sunday Game in the chance a nugget or two of information on a full-forward might present itself – for a later assignment,
“I watched the All-Ireland Final this year, just to see Lee Keegan on Diarmuid Connolly, because of their feistiness,” stated Rogers, who confessed he wanted that particular brief.
“Yeah, why not? I wanted another crack at a big guy to see if I could come out on top…but I let Chrissy at him as he was in quite good form.”
At the mention of Slaughtneil’s clean sheet record this smile becomes more defined. The cat who has just got the cream.
“It’s great. You’d go into the changing room and mention the clean sheet. The rest of them wouldn’t be long at telling you they scored one on Tuesday night. It’s all good fun and you are never too long before being brought back down to earth (in training) and might even get the odd shoulder in the back on the way out,” joked Rogers.
“That’s what makes you appreciate a clean sheet more and how effective it can be in a game. At training you can see boys making a hard run, to put their body on the line to not concede a goal even in training. Maybe that helps and can go a long way in a game.
“If you watch the St Vincent’s game, you see Paul (Bradley), Sammy (Bradley) and Shane (McGuigan) back making an interception in the six yard box. Meehaul (McGrath) was up and down all day and even Cormac (O’Doherty) – you can see him off the ball tracking his man.”
Friday brings a huge threat to the nine game clean sheet record. Rogers spoke of Dr Croke’s scoring the lobbed goal (Gavin O’Shea) against Corofin.
Does the squeaky clean record carry a burden this week as Slaughtneil’s season meanders towards the last bend in the road. The finish line is in sight but there are a few big strides to be taken yet.
“You can’t worry. If we conceded four goals and we win the game by a point I wouldn’t care. I would be more than delighted. It is a nice stat to have, that would be ideal, but if it doesn’t happen…what odds. As long as we, win – that’s all that matters,” added Rogers.
Three Derry titles and two Ulster titles sit more favourably with Rogers. He wants the ‘big one’ though: “You want the one you don’t have.”
Rogers would not always have been a regular at Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day. He was mixing in different circles. As a former MacRory player, that was often the port of call. Losing the 2012 decider to Enniskillen by two points was as close as he got to glory.
“I would have always went to the MacRory Final, you maybe know someone playing – you get involved in them (finals) and you forget about the All-Ireland Club Finals.”
The Irish dancing aspect of his life kept him busy too, as Rogers added: “I have done a lot of dancing on St Paddy’s Day. You go to bars, Walsh’s Hotel, the Wild Duck, the streets of Ballymena one year…or even in Debenhams”.
Not this year. Mickey Moran will this week inform Rogers of his Dr Croke’s task. The Gooch, Kieran O’Leary or Daithi Casey. At the minute it is a secret. Just like it was back in 2014 - against Ballinascreen on the defender’s full debut.
“Mickey will talk about it a couple of nights before the game, when the team is named. Until that we focus on ourselves mostly.
“It is amazing what he and his (management) team bring. His knowledge is outstanding and you could listen to him all day about how a player or how a team plays and maybe that’s what makes him so good.
“He leaves it short and sweet and it sticks in the head. It doesn’t matter what age you are, or who you are – if he believes in you, then that’s it.”
It gives players reassurance and that calmness has been a hallmark of Moran’s preparations.
“He just keeps telling me ‘you are the perfect match’, then moves on. He didn’t even acknowledge my championship debut, he just said ‘you’re marking Benny Heron’ and moved on to the next man.”
In July, Computing graduate Rogers will start a career in CitiBank, joining his brother Michael, but for now his ‘summer job’ in Noone’s has been extended.
“I’m there to talk about football,” Rogers joked. “If there is a computer problem they’ll maybe throw it my way.”
With the camogie All-Ireland already in the bag, it brings a new slant to the conversations: “If I heard the word pressure once, I have heard it a thousand times. But fair play to the camogs, they are an absolute credit.”
Watching Aoife Ní Chaiside carrying the All-Ireland title up through the hall was an iconic moment. A first. Just like the Ulster title before Christmas. Like Rogers and the hurlers seeing off Loughgiel for a first hurling success for a Derry team.
What has been Rogers’ stand out memory of the last three years? He takes time to think, to sift back through all the medals he has picked up. He elects to offer a different memory – one from his phone.
It was more than a success. It was the ‘first Ulster’ and how it touched an entire community.
“That’s the most iconic thing that sticks out about Slaughtneil,” Rogers outlined. “It is probably a reflection, it was that night and we were up here (in the hall). I took a picture of the crowd and I tweeted it. It summed up Slaughtneil.
“You could see grown men crying, it reflects us having a bit of success lately and the good memories. It shows you about the community - it (the hall) was packed. Everyone wanted to be there. Children, old, young, men, women – everyone engulfed at a few men on the stage with a piece of silverware,” continued Rogers.
“It meant as much to them as it did to the players – that sums up Slaughtneil. It’s hard to understand it if you weren’t there – but it is a memory that sticks with me. That’s what it is all about.
“The silverware made it happen, but unless there was anyone there, it wouldn’t have been worth it. Coming back to here, to people welcoming you back, that’s what it is all about.”
These are deep thoughts – especially for a player. Rogers wears that devilish grin but doesn’t miss the tradition. His Granda Tommy put in a big shift on the development of camogie. His aunt Therese tirelessly promoting Scór.
When Brendan Rogers shook Michael Lundy’s hand on that April Sunday on the Antrim’s North Coast, it was a surprise – a very prompt reunion.
On Friday Rogers will have another reunion - with Croke Park. Two years on. A winner’s medal would top off the season. Not near as much as another photo of Slaughtneil Hall, packed to the rafters. That would top it all.