Brogan back for Dubs

Conor McKeon

BERNARD Brogan has handed Dublin boss Pat Gilroy a timely pre-championship fillip after making his long-awaited return to football last night.

The 2010 Footballer of the Year came on for St Oliver Plunkett's/ER with 15 minutes remaining of their AFL Division 1 victory over St Maur's in Rush and kicked two points in the process – his first competitive action in over three months. Brogan hadn't played since featuring for Plunkett's in their (2011) Dublin AFL1 semi-final defeat to Na Fianna back in January but then missed the All-Ireland champions' inconsistent Allianz League campaign.

The two-time All Star returned late to the Dublin panel after spending a stint travelling following September's success.

He subsequently underwent what was described by manager Pat Gilroy at the time as “very minor” surgery on March 16 to remove bone fragment from his knee, thus missing Dublin's remaining Division 1 fixtures.

Brogan is now in line to start for Plunkett's when they meet Round Tower’s Clondalkin in the opening round of this year's Dublin SFC and is firmly back in Gilroy's plans as he cranks into gear preparations for the Dubs' first match in Leinster against Westmeath or Louth on June 3.