If Dean Rock wasn’t as deadly at frees he’d be getting the praise he damn well deserves

Dean Rock is one of the most consistent performers in the game.

The Ballymun Kickhams club man has ice running through his veins standing over a dead ball, and his prowess and unerring accuracy from frees is unrivalled by any other footballer in the GAA. Rock's precision and razor sharp accuracy from the deck is a major facet of his game - but he's often the victim of just how good he is at frees. How often do we hear people saying that Rock wouldn't be on this Dublin team were it not for his frees? Not only is that argument self defeating based on the fact that scoring these frees is so important to a team, but also because his consistently healthy contribution from open play is so often ignored because of this. It's a joke that a player's ability to score frees and 45's can be used as a stick to poke them with, but that's just what we do in the GAA. Dean Rock isn't alone in receiving criticism based on the opinion that, "Ah without the frees, he wouldn't be starting." Supporters seem to take it as a guarantee that free-takers will score their frees, and refuse to praise a player for doing so. A player should be heralded for honing one of the most important skills in the game, and being able to use these skills when the pressure is at its highest so many times during a game. There are certain players who only score from frees - but a manager still won't drop these players simply because they are worth their weight in gold. On average a team will receive between five and ten scorable frees in every game. It's obviously so important, then that you trust the player in charge of scoring them. The thing is, though, Dean Rock isn't one of these players. How often do we see Rock curling a fine effort with that glorious right boot of his from open play? Very bloody often, and it's about damn time he got some credit for it. We've now seen the man score goals in Dublin's Leinster semi-final against Westmeath, final against Kildare and Saturday evening's All-Ireland quarter final against Monaghan. Rock didn't hit a ball wide against Monaghan. Almost every single one of his frees was measured to fine perfection, landing just over the black spot, and he managed a goal from open play too. He is a vital cog in this well-oiled Dublin machine. He isn't selfish, he passes when he should, he moves well and he takes on the shot when he needs to. Rock is a sharpshooter, he is a finisher. He is tall, he is strong, he has athletic. He has every single attribute required to be a good footballer, and he gets great use out of these attributes from open play.