Dara Mullin says the rest of the Kilmacud Crokes forwards have had to step up in the absence of their three-time All-Star Paul Mannion.
The former Dublin star suffered a knee injury during the Stillorgan club's march to the Leinster SFC title and is not expected to play any part in Saturday's All-Ireland club final against Kilcoo of Down.
"Obviously, we'd prefer to have Paul playing if we could, given the the quality of player he is, but such as the situation that we're in," said Mullin, who was part of the last Dublin squad to lift Sam Maguire in 2020.
"As a forward (division) united we just took it upon ourselves to raise our game an extra couple of percent.
"There has been more of an even spread of scores around the place and everyone's just kind of realising that they need to step up to the plate and take on a little bit more responsibility in his absence.
"He is such a quality player that most of the time when he gets the ball a score comes from himself or through someone else.
"He's been a huge player for us in the past. But I suppose come Saturday, as the six forwards we're just trying to get as many scores as we can and help the team to get the right result.
"We've played two games without him now but I think I think we have improved, and there still is more room for improvement. I think we're going in the right direction."
Mullin says Mannion has adapted to being a valuable member of the management.
Obviously, he's still a big part of our team at the moment. Like Rory (O'Carroll) and (Mark) Vaughany, he’s got a massive amount of experience of playing in these big games.
"Having that experience, he’s able to take a couple of lads aside that may not have played in those big games before, and just letting them know that it’s just any old game really. It’s the exact same game you’ve been playing since you were five or six."
Then, giving some tactical advice on different situations in a game. He’s very knowledgeable in that sense."
Mullin was barely a teenager when Crokes last won the All-Ireland title in 2009. One of the stars of that side, Mark Vaughan, now 36, is still part of the squad.
"I think I was 14 at the time, gearing up for Féile or something like that so going into the game in my over-sized O'Neills gear," said Mullin.
"I would have been looking up to lads like Mark Vaughan, Pat Burke, these sort of guys and trying to be as good as them some day and fill their shoes. It was a great day and one that inspired an awful lot of us to try and to try and get to that level now.
"I’ve been playing with him (Vaughan) now for a couple of years and, as someone who I looked up to as a youngster in terms of his skill-set, his confidence and that. It was just no matter what happens in a game, he was always willing to take on the next ball, the next shot.
"He’s probably one of the most enthusiastic players on the teams to be honest. He’s always out there kicking balls and taking penos and kicking scores off the outside of the left and things like this. He’s great again, for the young players, to see that enthusiasm he has for the game at his age."
