Dean Rock facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Left corner-forward | ||
| Born | 26 February 1990 Ballymun, Dublin, Ireland |
||
| 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) | |
| 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 was born on February 26, 1990. He is a famous Irish Gaelic football player. He was a key member of the Dublin county team for many years. He played for them from 2013 until he retired in 2023.
Dean Rock played for Dublin at all levels. This includes Minor, Junior, Under-21, and Senior teams. He is especially known for being very good at taking "frees." A free is a special kick in Gaelic football. He even scored the winning point from a free kick in the 2017 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Many people, like sports expert Colm O'Rourke, say he is one of the best free-takers ever.
Contents
Dean Rock's Early Life
Dean Rock grew up in Ballymadun, near Garristown. His family has a long history with Gaelic football. His great-grandfather, grandfather, and granduncle all worked at Croke Park. This is a very famous stadium where big Gaelic games are played. His father, Barney Rock, also won an All-Ireland medal with Dublin. So, football was always a big part of his life!
Dean Rock's Football Journey
Playing for His School
Dean Rock went to the Catholic University School. His school did not have a Gaelic football team. So, he played rugby union instead.
Playing for His Club
Dean Rock also played for his local club, Ballymun Kickhams. He started playing for their senior team in 2008. With his club, he has won important titles. He won one Leinster medal. He also won two county senior championship medals.
Playing for Dublin County
Starting with Minor and Under-21 Teams
Dean Rock first played for Dublin when he joined the minor team. After that, he played for the Dublin under-21 team. He helped them win an All-Ireland medal. This was a big achievement early in his career.
Playing for the Junior Team
In 2009, Dean Rock also played for Dublin's Junior team. He scored a total of 14 points in just two games.
Becoming a Senior Star
Dean Rock made his first appearance for the senior Dublin team in 2012. He played his first championship game in 2013. Since then, he has won many amazing titles.
- He won eight All-Ireland medals. This includes five in a row from 2015 to 2019!
- He also won ten Leinster medals.
- He won six National League medals.
Dean Rock also received three All Star awards. These awards celebrate the best players in Gaelic football. He was the top scorer in the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
Dean Rock became a regular starter for Dublin in 2015. After that, he played in 63 games in a row. These included both league and championship matches. He is famous for how accurate he is with his free kicks. He even worked with a kicking expert, Dave Alred, to improve his skills.
In the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final replay, Dean Rock scored 9 points. Seven of these were from frees. In the 2017 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, he scored 7 points. Three of these were frees, including the winning point! In the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, he scored another 7 points.
In the 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, Dean Rock made history. He became the second-highest scorer ever for Dublin in league and championship games. He achieved this mainly through scoring points, which is quite unusual.
In the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, Dean Rock scored the fastest goal ever in an All-Ireland final. He kicked the ball into the net right after the game started!
Dean Rock announced he was retiring from inter-county football on January 16, 2024. Now, he shares his knowledge on the GAAGO podcast.
Dean Rock's Life Outside Football
Dean Rock is married to Niamh McEvoy. She is also a talented Gaelic footballer for the Dublin senior ladies' team. They have a daughter named Sadie Rose Rock. They live in Malahide, a town near Dublin.
Dean Rock's Awards and Honours
Here are some of the big awards and titles Dean Rock has won:
- With Dublin City University
- Sigerson Cup (1): 2012
- With Ballymun Kickhams (his club)
- Leinster Senior Club Football Championship (1): 2012
- Dublin Senior Football Championship (2): 2012, 2020
- With Dublin (the county team)
- 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 (6): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021
- All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship (1): 2010
- Leinster Under-21 Football Championship (2): 2009, 2010
- Individual Awards
- GAA-GPA All Stars Awards (3): 2016, 2017, 2020
