Casey sticks tightly to man and script

Gavin Cummiskey talks to the Dublin wing back who prefers a low profile

It was difficult to hear this Paul Casey interview as the grass-cutting machine of Croke Park groundsman Robert Ellis whizzed past every couple of minutes. Casey is working off Jones' Road this summer for the the Women's Gaelic Football association. The perfect environment for a Dublin footballer.

One more year of a Sports Science degree at DCU and the real world will envelop him. In football terms he has already graduated as the Sigerson medal rests on the mantelpiece.

First thing Casey seeks to defuse the recent furore over a reported Dublin media ban. Nobody on the management team instructed the players to be silent, he avers. It just suits some to avoid the limelight leading up to a Leinster final, especially as Dublin must again wear the raging-hot favourites tag.

"That all got blown out of proportion. There was nothing ever said about a media ban. There are enough fellas in the dressingroom who are well able to talk and very comfortable talking to media. For some fellas it is just not their cup of tea.

"After the last day some were in demand and that's fair enough. The media have their job to do, the players have their job to do on the pitch so it is just a personal choice."

Casey is not a high profile player. He's a super-fit wing back, who won't say anything controversial in an interview anyway. It's like his on field persona. Under the radar.

He is the kind of guy you ask to track Brian Dooher over 70 minutes. He is one of those annoying defenders who never go away. Never speaks. Never reacts. Just hits and moves on, usually with the ball. His brief on Sunday should be to stifle quick ball into Offaly's razor-sharp inside forwards.

"Offaly are a good team, you only have to look at their results over the last couple of months. People said they had a bad league campaign but what they were doing was building towards the championship. They have a great blend of youth and experience, which is key to success of any team. They are going to be a huge obstacle to us."

Sunday will be Casey's third provincial final since the watershed summer of 2002. Others to breakthrough and shine that year were Alan Brogan, Bryan Cullen and Stephen Cluxton. It will also be another coming of Ray Cosgrove. The year 2006 is the latest footballing resurrection for the Kilmacud Crokes forward.

"Ray has been playing very well in training and he has had a great year with Crokes. He has been off the (public) scene for a while but he has always been around. He gives it as much as any other fella on the panel. It was great for him to come in the last day and bring his training ground form. Hopefully, he can continue that for the summer."

Casey rejects the notion that Paul Caffrey finally found the correct balance in the emphatic victory over Laois. This may be borne out of the experience of being dropped in the past.

Still, switching Cullen to centre back and reintroducing Cosgrove to Hill 16 proved the tonic in the semi-final, while at the same time exorcising the demons of Pearse Park.

"We have picked a different team for every match but we are still the same team that beat Longford by two points. Laois played poorly by their own admittance. Things went well for us. We got goals at crucial times that had a major baring on the result. What was important was everyone was focused for that match."

The way matters are shaping up elsewhere, if Dublin build on that performance this weekend they will automatically become All-Ireland contenders. Again, however, Casey moves to talk down any movement towards hype

"It's a great thing knowing the players you are playing with. Many of us played together in college and underage teams. You feel so comfortable within the squad but there are a lot of new faces in this current Dublin panel. Last year was the first year of this management team so we are still early days."

And yet, noting short of victory will feed the masses.