Deano announced his retirement today, thanks for everything Dean, your contribution to our golden period over the last 13 years or so is immeasurable, enjoy your retirement it's well deserved, hopefully you'll have a part to play in nurturing the next generation of Dublin footballers, thanks a million pal !

DUBJOHN (Dublin) - Posts: 937 - 16/01/2024 10:34:07    2520413

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8143 - 16/01/2024 10:38:21    2520414

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1879 - 16/01/2024 10:41:02    2520415

The best of luck to him. For me, he epitomises a player who maximised his ability. Not the most athletically gifted, but worked incredibly hard at his game. There was a role for a reliable freetaker on that team and he made sure it was his.
His contributions from play also developed after that and he flourished as one of the game's best scorers.
The GPS free is probably the most iconic moment, but he had plenty more big ones.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2187 - 16/01/2024 10:42:35    2520416

ah best of luck to him, i think he was slowly starting to become a bit part player, far better to step back and let a young lad come through that could be the next best thing. Mayo just need another 2/3 of that generation to retire before they can get another shot of losing an Ireland ;)

gaelsboy (Leitrim) - Posts: 565 - 16/01/2024 10:55:28    2520419

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 3970 - 16/01/2024 10:57:40    2520420

I prefer the Mayo players myself, not a fan of the dubs

gahfan (Wexford) - Posts: 639 - 16/01/2024 11:41:09    2520425

DUBJOHN (Dublin) - Posts: 937 - 16/01/2024 12:22:58    2520431

DUBJOHN (Dublin) - Posts: 937 - 16/01/2024 12:24:05    2520432

S1234 (Mayo) - Posts: 106 - 16/01/2024 12:34:55    2520434

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 3970 - 16/01/2024 12:38:15    2520436

DUBJOHN (Dublin) - Posts: 937 - 16/01/2024 12:55:51    2520442

Best of luck to Dean in his retirement.A truly outstanding free taker and and turned out to be a very good player also.Dublins all time top scorer and also made history with the fastest goal ever in an All Ireland final.Played the game the way it should be played and nevet got involved in dirty play.A great example to all gaa players.In the words of the great Micheal O Hehir (although it was said about his Dad Barney -"and thats the Rock that manys a county has perished on".A class act.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3842 - 16/01/2024 13:28:15    2520449

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3102 - 16/01/2024 13:43:29    2520455

Some player and consistent scorer. Somewhat underrated by pundits, media probably because they had their favourites in Con O'Callaghan, Connolly, Brogan etc to talk about more but for me not a hope would Dublin have won as much as they did without a free taker as good him a prime example that a good free taker should never be underestimated. Good eye for goal over the years also. A happy retirement to Dean.

The_analyser (Roscommon) - Posts: 3907 - 16/01/2024 13:43:37    2520456

gaelsboy (Leitrim) - Posts: 565 - 16/01/2024 13:53:07    2520458

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1022 - 16/01/2024 13:54:54    2520459

Congratulations to Dean on an outstanding career! He was a truly great servant to Dublin GAA and never took playing for the Dubs for granted. He and his wife Niamh have 13 All Ireland medals between them - an incredible haul! Best of luck to them both in GAA retirement - I'm sure we will be seeing them on our screens and elsewhere before too long!! True blues both!

The big question is - will their kids play for Kickhams or Syls!!! Haha!!

Royalblufill (Meath) - Posts: 511 - 16/01/2024 13:55:57    2520460

Sad news, he will be missed, what a career, what a collection of honours and thoroughly respected throughout the game.

All the above even more incredible when you consider he only really began to break through from 13 -15, Absolute ice cold veined free taker and you knew if a team just pulled down Dublin players which was the case - he would punish.

A credit to himself and his level of determination to achieve, that he was considered surplus between 11-13 and had to break into what proved the most successful forward line of the era - plenty of other players tried and failed. Was far more then a set piece taker, he developed into a really good, clever corner forward and often was the maker and taker of some great and really important goals. He had great decision making, he was brave enogh to take a shot on and clever enough to know if someone had a better one and pass it.

The man you want over the ball in a clutch moment - how many times have we seen with a medal on the line. Always an indication of a great player. To finish as Dublin All time leading goal scorer is an inedible achievement, considering the era he played in and success he achieved.

Many will remember the GPS point to win the All Ireland final. But for me his and one of the greatest performances of any Dublin player over this incredible Dublin era, was the first final game VS Kerry for the 5 in a row in 2019. The game was going against Dublin, ball wasn't sticking and points were hard to come by and the pressure was building, step forward Deano, he led the team that day, set the tone, caught airplanes and simply refused for Dublin to be beaten that day - for me its perhaps one of the greatest and most influential individual performances by a Dublin player ive seen, id have to check but i think he hit double figures also that day . We weren't winning the five in a row without that performance that day.

Owes Dublin nothing, but thanks for everything Deano, absolute Dublin legend.

You will be missed, but always revered wherever the Dubs are.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4464 - 16/01/2024 14:05:36    2520466

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1400 - 16/01/2024 14:45:01    2520485