Meath GAA discussion thread

dobman88

How much is it into the final today lads?

This is it

Only following on Twitter but seems to be a fairly open start 2-2 to 1-2 Ratoath in front. No where showing this?

dobman88

This is a cracking match. Quick, open, attacking football. Ratoath more organised defensively and more ideas going forward. Some bad wides for Summerhill. Would expect Ratoath to see it out based on that first half.

This is it

9 points in it with 15 to go

This is it

Ratoath win 3-15 to 2-13

dobman88

That was some match. I think that's the best game I was at all year tbh. And I include 2 all Ireland finals in that. 2 teams just going at it with fast attacking free flowing football, proper tackles and ferocious defending. Hugely impressed with Ratoath. Best team all over the pitch imo and fully deserving winners.

One player that stood out for me was Joey Wallace. Kicked some unreal scores 1st half and then ran the show 2nd half when he came out around midfield. Surely has to be close to the county panel next year?

mattser

Congrats Hammer. Enjoy the celebrations. Hard luck to Summerhill.

Obrieski

YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!

A day I never thought I would see. Not a huge long time ago I was playing on Ratoath teams that were in division 3/4 underage and not able to field enough players. Incredible testament to the huge amounts of work being put in at underage levels by players, parents and coaches.
Pity I'm currently abroad but from the images and videos from home I've seen, the whole village seems to have bought into it...the celebrations will be fierce and long!

Rath To abu!!

windy shepard henderson

Well done lads great story, and mighty succes over a short period of time ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

Hammer Archer

Absolutely incredible performance. Can't believe we're senior champions. Less than 10 years ago we were failing to get out of the Junior championship group stages. Hats off to all the players. Hats off to Davy Byrne who seems to have added something extra this year.

Feared the worst after conceding the early goal but they showed great maturity not to let the heads drop. They had a bit of a blip early in the second half but were able to keep the scoreboard ticking over and kill any momentum that Summerhill had.

Some people will say that it's the population increase but they'd be ignoring the huge amount of work that's gone on behind the scenes. There are underage coaches who have been there for around 30 years at the club. They coached me as a juvenile and they're still doing it today. Pretty much the entire squad today (bar Duffy and O Fearraigh) were coached underage by these guys.

Onto Leinster now against Garrycastle. I hope we can give it a lash as it's been way too long since a Meath team has made an impact in Leinster.

Commiserations to Summerhill. Can't be easy to lose three finals in a row but you don't make it to three finals in a row if you're not an excellent team. They were just second best on the day. Wouldn't bet against them next year.

Hammer Archer

dobman88 wrote: »

That was some match. I think that's the best game I was at all year tbh. And I include 2 all Ireland finals in that. 2 teams just going at it with fast attacking free flowing football, proper tackles and ferocious defending. Hugely impressed with Ratoath. Best team all over the pitch imo and fully deserving winners.

One player that stood out for me was Joey Wallace. Kicked some unreal scores 1st half and then ran the show 2nd half when he came out around midfield. Surely has to be close to the county panel next year?

It was the best senior final I can remember seeing. The last number of them have been damp squibs. For Summerhill, 2-13 would have won all but two finals since the turn of the century. I know 1-2 of that was scored in injury time but they still played their part in an entertaining final.

Joey is an incredibly skillful player. He took a break from football this year and only came back to the squad after the summer. Seems to have done him the world of good. Overall, the forward line we have is frightening when they're in form.

sc86

Congrats to ratoath !

Surprised at the poor turnout for a meath senior football final , with 2 big clubs involved
Hurling final wasnt a million miles away from same numbers which is crazy!

10k at 2003 final , how times have changed
I would think the price and standard of recent finals has put off many neutral people

Technophobe

Was some open final alright and congrats to Ratoath...

Tough for the Hill losing 3 in a row and double disappointment as the minors lost narrowly too:(

LeoB

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Absolutely incredible performance. Can't believe we're senior champions. Less than 10 years ago we were failing to get out of the Junior championship group stages. Hats off to all the players. Hats off to Davy Byrne who seems to have added something extra this year.

Feared the worst after conceding the early goal but they showed great maturity not to let the heads drop. They had a bit of a blip early in the second half but were able to keep the scoreboard ticking over and kill any momentum that Summerhill had.

Some people will say that it's the population increase but they'd be ignoring the huge amount of work that's gone on behind the scenes. There are underage coaches who have been there for around 30 years at the club. They coached me as a juvenile and they're still doing it today. Pretty much the entire squad today (bar Duffy and O Fearraigh) were coached underage by these guys.

Onto Leinster now against Garrycastle. I hope we can give it a lash as it's been way too long since a Meath team has made an impact in Leinster.

Commiserations to Summerhill. Can't be easy to lose three finals in a row but you don't make it to three finals in a row if you're not an excellent team. They were just second best on the day. Wouldn't bet against them next year.

Population means nothing if youdont have a structure in place. If you dont have itright at juvenile level, especially from 12 to18 it is unlikely you will get to far. I have seen Rathoath from afar but this was on the cards because they are doing things well.

It is also vital now that they work harder now at juvenile level as once you reach the top there will be loads trying to knock them off the perch.

Well done to all involved

vapor trails

sc86 wrote: »

Congrats to ratoath !

Surprised at the poor turnout for a meath senior football final , with 2 big clubs involved
Hurling final wasnt a million miles away from same numbers which is crazy!

10k at 2003 final , how times have changed
I would think the price and standard of recent finals has put off many neutral people

I was going to ask was there much of a show of support from the Dubs living in Ratoath but I suppose the poor turnout tells me there wasn't much of a buy in from the new populace.

Littlehorny

Clann na nGael won the Junior final last night in Ashbourne 3-08 to 1-09.
Clann led from start to finish playing with a strong enough breeze in the first half. They are very young and Moyleigh just didn't have the legs to keep with them.

Hammer Archer

Very good year for Clan na nGael in both football and hurling. Some of their players are going to have a busy month or so if they progress in Leinster in both codes.

vapor trails wrote: »

I was going to ask was there much of a show of support from the Dubs living in Ratoath but I suppose the poor turnout tells me there wasn't much of a buy in from the new populace.

To be fair, lots of the newer people would be helping to coach the underage sides but wouldn't necessarily have much interest in the adult teams.
And sure our manager is a Dub and he's helped us win two junior championships and now a senior championship.
The fact that the final was on a bank holiday weekend and coincided with the Dublin Marathon would undoubtedly have had an effect as well.
The final in 2003 was a bit unique in that in contained two sides that had never even been in a senior final before. I don't think there were as many Summerhill supporters there on Sunday either given that it was their third final in a row.

Tombo2001

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Very good year for Clan na nGael in both football and hurling. Some of their players are going to have a busy month or so if they progress in Leinster in both codes.


To be fair, lots of the newer people would be helping to coach the underage sides but wouldn't necessarily have much interest in the adult teams.
And sure our manager is a Dub and he's helped us win two junior championships and now a senior championship.
The fact that the final was on a bank holiday weekend and coincided with the Dublin Marathon would undoubtedly have had an effect as well.
The final in 2003 was a bit unique in that in contained two sides that had never even been in a senior final before. I don't think there were as many Summerhill supporters there on Sunday either given that it was their third final in a row.

That's a really interesting point for gaa clubs.

As we see more and more really large clubs in GAA, right around the country but in Dublin and its commuter belt especially - that each year in underage becomes a mini club in its own right. You'll have say 2009 boys, and there will be 70 to 100 kids in the group, maybe 12 or 15 mentors. They are out training twice a week, playing games on Saturday or Sunday.

Its a whole little bubble in its own right - that is completely unconnected to what is going on elsewhere in the club.

sc86

Hammer Archer wrote: »

The fact that the final was on a bank holiday weekend and coincided with the Dublin Marathon would undoubtedly have had an effect as well.
The final in 2003 was a bit unique in that in contained two sides that had never even been in a senior final before. I don't think there were as many Summerhill supporters there on Sunday either given that it was their third final in a row.

not sure they are valid excuses to justify the poor turnout ,it does surprise me how poorly ratoath games are attended in both codes with the huge numbers playing gaa in the area and how well the club is going.
It was ratoaths first senior final in decades and summerhill is a big football area.
4000 was very very poor but the ticket prices have a huge part to play aswell as general lack of interest from joe soap in the county.

Hammer Archer

sc86 wrote: »

not sure they are valid excuses to justify the poor turnout ,it does surprise me how poorly ratoath games are attended in both codes with the huge numbers playing gaa in the area and how well the club is going.
It was ratoaths first senior final in decades and summerhill is a big football area.
4000 was very very poor but the ticket prices have a huge part to play aswell as general lack of interest from joe soap in the county.

But it's the case in more built up areas. People generally don't care much about the adult GAA teams. People would be involved at underage when their kids are involved but they've no connection with the adult side.
The Dublin semi finals double header at the weekend probably had around 1000 people at it and you had teams from Stillorgan, Tallaght, Ballyboden and Tempelogue competing.

Hammer Archer

Jack Regan has been named player of the Christy Ring Cup.
Along with him, Seán Geraghty and Keith Keoghan have been named on the Champion 15 team.

sc86

Hammer Archer wrote: »

But it's the case in more built up areas. People generally don't care much about the adult GAA teams. People would be involved at underage when their kids are involved but they've no connection with the adult side.
The Dublin semi finals double header at the weekend probably had around 1000 people at it and you had teams from Stillorgan, Tallaght, Ballyboden and Tempelogue competing.

Yes the dublin thing is baffling , and yet you cant get a ticket for county games at times

Hammer Archer

Not a good day for our club hurling teams. Kildalkey beaten by Offaly Senior B champions Seir Kieran 1-18 to 0-11 in the Leinster Intermediate hurling championship.
Clann na nGael beaten in the Leinster JHC quarter final 4-9 to 1-10 by Westmeath intermediate champions Cullion.

Na Fianna beat St. Pat's 1-10 to 0-12 in the Junior 2 hurling final thanks to a goal with 2 minutes of normal time remaining.

rpurfield

I missed the finals as I was away but I was delighted for Ratoath. Great to see a new name on the cup. Hopefully they give Leinster a good rattle now, I think they've the depth for it. Instead of quoting a load of posts, I'd echo Hammer's sentiment about the good set up over there. I've been over a few Saturday mornings when we'd have them in Go Games the last few years and there are serious numbers playing, but the support set up is as good. Even down to people laying on the tea and sambo's. I'd imagine it will kick on again now with the adult success it normally does.

I'd also agree with the point about people new into an area not buying into the adult teams although their kids play or they coach kids teams themselves. I've been saying it the last few years that the Pats here are like three clubs at the minute, underage, adult and ladies. It's hard to bring all that together especially when people are so busy. I don't coach myself but I can find it hard to justify getting down for an A league or championship game when I've been stood watching the young lad two or three times a week if you include training.

It's been a cracking year for Clann na nGael too. Surely they're in the running for club of the year? Some achievement to win two championships with a cross over of dual players like that. Also delighted for Nobber, from what I heard Brian Farrell is rolling back the years.

Hammer Archer

Another good prospect lost to the Aussies as Cian McBride has been signed by Essendon.

dixiefly

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Another good prospect lost to the Aussies as Cian McBride has been signed by Essendon.

Yes, it is something as a county we will have to live with especially as a consequence of our underage structures getting better.

Hopefully we will get more and better players through and that Cian and Conor Nash become only afterthoughts in Meath GAA players and supporters minds.

Dickie10

or maybe nash and mcbride will not make it in oz and be back with all that strength and conditioning to be a decent midfield duo for meath in 2 or 3 years

Hammer Archer

Whatever about McBride, by all accounts Nash is doing very well at Hawthorn. And chances are, even if he did leave Australia, he'd probably be more likely to get into rugby than football.
Looking it up, it's a nice earner for a young player. Minimum $80000 per year, free car and rent for two years and three free return flights between Ireland and Australia per year for him and his parents. Honestly, if it's offered to you in your late teens, why wouldn't you take it?

Stationmaster

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Whatever about McBride, by all accounts Nash is doing very well at Hawthorn. And chances are, even if he did leave Australia, he'd probably be more likely to get into rugby than football.
Looking it up, it's a nice earner for a young player. Minimum $80000 per year, free car and rent for two years and three free return flights between Ireland and Australia per year for him and his parents. Honestly, if it's offered to you in your late teens, why wouldn't you take it?

Do they get that much in their first year? Very hard to turn it down if you're a young lad.

rpurfield

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Whatever about McBride, by all accounts Nash is doing very well at Hawthorn. And chances are, even if he did leave Australia, he'd probably be more likely to get into rugby than football.
Looking it up, it's a nice earner for a young player. Minimum $80000 per year, free car and rent for two years and three free return flights between Ireland and Australia per year for him and his parents. Honestly, if it's offered to you in your late teens, why wouldn't you take it?

I read and listened to a few interviews with Conor Nash when he went over there first and the only conclusion I took from it was football was just something he took up because a lot of his mates played. He definitely came across as being more into rugby and I'd agree if he hadn't gone to Australia he would've gone the rugby road. I don't think we would ever have seen him line out with the Meath Seniors.

I don't blame any young lad for heading down there to give it a lash. You'd only regret it if you didn't. Especially if you are from a Leinster county (at least in other provinces you might have a shot of a provincal title), with everyone being miles off the Dubs it's not much of a choice between slogging all winter to win sod all or getting paid to play!