Alan McCrabbe has set himself two targets for 2010, winning a second All-Star and helping Dublin win some silverware.
Alan McCrabbe has set himself two targets for 2010, winning a second All-Star and helping Dublin win some silverware.
Dublin reached the Leinster SHC final last term, only to be beaten by eventual All-Ireland winners Kilkenny, but McCrabbe was rewarded for his efforts by being named an All-Star, the first time a Dublin hurling had won the accolade since 1991.
The Craobh Chiarain clubman expects to be targeted this year but he is confident Anthony Daly's men can build on their impressive run in 2009 and he has his sights set on a National Hurling League winners' medal.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself. I want to get back-to-back All-Stars," McCrabbe admits. "It is more hurling talk I want to be doing, not going out on the streets and getting noticed by people.
"The All-Star probably will make me a marked man. It is up to myself to up my own game, create some space and get scores.
"We'll have to go and win some sort of silverware this year. Getting to a final and losing a final is not great progress unless you are winning something to say that you are moving one.
"The league is the first thing we will target - try to get to a league final and win the league."
McCrabbe feels inexperience rather than lack of talent prevented Dublin from beating Kilkenny in the Leinster final and he is confident they will be stronger this year having tasted defeat.
"I don't think it is a question of improvement, I think it was the lack of experience that let us down last year," McCrabbe added in The Sun. Inexperience let us down in the Leinster final. After losing to Kilkenny by six points people were saying 'Jesus ye did well'.
"Tipp and Kilkenny are up there at the moment and we are not too far off them.
"Obviously we want to catch them this year. We will target the league and then hopefully move on.
"We'll be no surprise package this year. Getting to a Leinster final last year was a big thing and we want to push on from that."