Jonny Cooper: We go again
Jonny Cooper: We go again
Jonny Cooper: We go again
By Peter Sweeney
Dublin's defence of their All-Ireland crown starts on Saturday.
The Dubs Stars game at Kilmacud Crokes is only a challenge match, but according to defender Jonny Cooper it marks an important date in the calendar.
With Sam Magiure safely stored back at Parnell Park the Dubs enjoyed a good winter with celebrations and a team holiday to Thailand.
That is all forgotten now though and this weekend they get back down to work as they aim to keep hold of the four crowns they won in 2015 - O'Byrne Cup, Allianz League, Leinster and All-Ireland.
"The last couple of weeks some of the lads probably have one eye on getting in some sort of shape for the 2016 campaign," said Cooper, a 26-year-old who captained the Dubs to the 2010 All-Ireland U21 title.
"In fairness to (manager) Jim Gavin, he gives us the full break. When we're on a break, we're on a break and even on holiday it was a break.
"I would imagine the first week in January it'll kick back in and knowing Jim and his team they'll have a plan ready to go and set out.
"This time last year we wouldn't have got the holiday with the win. With losing the semi-final to Donegal we probably would have started back a few weeks earlier, around the start of December.
"We've got the extra couple of weeks this year," said the classy Na Fianna footballer, who has proven he can play in any position across both lines of defence.
"Jim felt the extra couple of weeks' break would do us. We're on the road this year for nine months. Each year is different. This year we went a little bit further so we got more of a break so it balanced out. Hopefully that's the way it will work."
Cooper hasn't played much football in recent months, with Na Fianna going out of the Dublin SFC in October and the league already being pretty much wrapped up at that stage.
So he is keen to hit the ground running in the New Year and he has no intention of easing back into inter-county football.
Gone are the days when footballers and hurlers at this level would winter well and use the early months of the year to get back in shape.
"I don't put on too many pounds like some of the lads over Christmas so I'm not too bad!" he laughed, teasing a few team mates.
"January is never easy whatever way you look at it. Maybe for some of the younger lads it's a bit easier.
"It's straight back in; I want to try and earn a spot in the squad initially and then, as best I can, into the team. I like to play games and I did this time last year," explained Cooper, who is working in recruitment at DCU.
"I played a few O'Byrne Cup games and I thought it stood to me well. That's my experience with Jim. He picks teams on merit, be it O'Byrne Cup or League or Championship; you're there on merit.
"I like to try to get my speak in early if possible if I'm injury-free. Obviously there's a bit of a balance to strike up with how many minutes you play.
"I think a lot of the lads would be the same - try and get game time early on and kick on from there."
The Dubs Stars, a selection of the best club players from Dublin, take on the Boys in Blue at Kilmacud on Saturday, with the hurlers first up at 12.30 and the footballers throwing in at 2.0.
Just 24 hours later Dublin travel to New Ross, weather permitting, to face Wexford in the first round of Leinster GAA's pre-season O'Byrne Cup.
