Bernard Brogan hoping Alan and Cluxton stick around

Bernard Brogan says brother Alan is "questioning whether to go on" and continue playing for Dublin, but that he hopes his elder sibling will find the inspiration to carry on for one more season with the recently crowned All-Ireland champions.

Alan Brogan, a Dublin regular for 11 years, endured a tough season in 2013 as he battled serious injury problems for the entire year. He didn't play at all in Dublin's successful 2013 championship or league campaigns due to a number of injury problems.

A long running osteitis pubis injury saw him miss the first half of the year and then a hamstring injury suffered on his road to recovery in July saw him miss out on the remainder of the season.

Dublin still triumphed on all fronts in the absence of the 2011 Footballer of the Year, but his brother admitted on Tuesday that Alan was seriously considering his future after a "massively frustrating" year.

"I felt very sorry for him," he said. "He worked so hard and no-one sees the work that people who are injured do in the background. He got back and he was so close, he was flying but then he pulled his hamstring again so that put him out for another four weeks.

"I love playing with Alan because he's such a good footballer. There's not many people who can pass the ball like him - the likes of Diarmo (Diarmuid Connolly), Paddy Andrews, Ciarán Kilkenny - they are well able to kick pass it, but the way he strikes the ball into the full-forward line, the one bounce pass. The likes of the Gooch, you see the way he kicks the ball in, it's a very hard thing to do.

"A lot of people don't see it, but as a full forward, I know the ball that I like. The hardest ball to mark against is the one bounce, then I'm able to turn and I'm going to make strides. People often say I find it hard to play when Alan is not around. That's because he can play such good quality ball into the full forward line. In fairness, we've got a few other guys there who can do the same."

As for his brother's future with Dublin, Brogan the younger admitted there had been "talk" about Alan's future.

"There was talk, obviously with his family life and that, he's been talking over the last few years about when he's going to retire. I'd say if he had played in all the games this year, he might have retired.

"I'm hoping that will give him the inspiration. What I'd like to see is that he goes out on his own terms. He's given such service to Dublin that I'd like to see him go out in front of 80,000 people."

Bernard Brogan expressed confidence that a "quiet word in his ear will get him over the line."

He was speaking at a large media event held in Dublin city centre on Tuesday to mark AIG's major new sponsorship deal with the Dublin team across all codes . The event also saw Dublin launch their new jersey.

Representatives from all four Dublin adult teams (Football, hurling, Ladies' football, camogie) were in attendance, as were a number of Dublin stars of the past such as John O'Leary, Paddy Cullen and Anton O'Toole.

With the Sam Maguire Cup, the Allianz League trophy and both the Leinster senior football and hurling championship trophies all at the top table, it was hard to escape the sense of positivity currently abounding in Dublin GAA circles.

Fresh from the All Stars banquet last weekend where he was one of six Dublin players to receive awards, Brogan was able to reflect on Dublin's glorious season at a remove of almost two months from their All-Ireland final victory over Mayo.

Since then, he admitted it has been a hectic period of both celebrations and official duties. He recently attended the 2013 Fexco Asian Gaelic Games in Kuala Lumpur and last weekend was in New York and Chicago with the Sam Maguire Cup.

Many of the questions on Tuesday naturally centred on how the 2013 win felt in relation to the 2011 win, and Brogan said he felt it was more relaxed this time around, in terms of the way the final and the celebrations went, compared with the dramatic "fairytale" of 2011.

He said he was particularly proud of the achievement of winning a second All-Ireland in three seasons, and that as soon as January comes, the focus will be on making it three in four years.

"It's probably something we won't realise how special it is until we finish up. Here today you see Paddy Cullen and Anto O'Toole sitting down there and having a giggle to themselves, 30 years on from their three or four All-Irelands.

"When they sit down and have a pint that's when they really enjoy and see how special it is to win an All-Ireland. You can sit back and have a look at it."

In terms of his own season, he admitted that he felt the pressure at times, especially when he found himself being substituted a few times in some of Dublin's early championship games. He says he felt he played a bit too much football in a consecutive period in the earlier half of the year, a run which included Allianz League and M Donnelly Interprovincial Cup games, and that it contributed to some injury niggles which persisted.

However, Brogan delivered in spectacular fashion in the All-Ireland semi-final v Kerry (scoring 0-6, 0-4 from play) and in the All-Ireland final, when he hit 2-3, 2-2 of which was from play.

"For a year that was probably one of my more difficult years, I had a few up and downs, a good start to the year in the league, then I had a couple of injuries. I found it hard to lock down my role in the team and to put in some good performances.

"I was probably happier with the game against Marc Ó Sé (v Kerry in the semi-final), who I'd see as one of the best footballers that has ever played the game. To score four points from play off him, I was nearly happier with that than my return in the final.

"Myself and Marc had a few pints in Jury's after the game. We had a bit of craic and stuff. We've had some great battles over the years but he usually comes out on top."

Apart from his brother, one other man who there has been a few retirement rumours about since the end of the season is Dublin goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton. The Parnells man had another stellar season between the posts for Dublin, picking up his fifth All Star, the joint most for a football goalkeeper along with John O'Leary, and Brogan seemed confident that the 32-year-old would stick around.

"I have heard the rumours but you know he's a peculiar fish at the best of times so he just needs a bit of love every now and again!" he joked. "We'll give him a bit of attention now at the end of the year and will put the arm around the shoulder and I'm sure he will come again.

"I don't think he knows his own mind himself! But he's put massive effort into Dublin for 11 years or however long he's there but I think there's loads left. He's the fittest man, he's the top of every sprint, he's the top of every long run we do."