Meath GAA discussion thread

rpurfield · 08-07-2015 01:21PM

Two things on the keeper situation, 1. is Paddy not out for a month? and 2. where is the young lad that was knocking around during the O'Byrne cup, I think he damaged himself in the warm up against Longford, surely it would be more relevant to bring a lad in as third choice?

Rock Lesnar · 08-07-2015 01:55PM

Is there no other Keeper in the county good enough to replace O'Rourke instead of Murphy coming out of retirement to sit on the bench

Hibbeler · 08-07-2015 02:45PM

Rock Lesnar wrote: »

Is there no other Keeper in the county good enough to replace O'Rourke instead of Murphy coming out of retirement to sit on the bench

Touch wood he won't be needed but I agree, surely they could have given the under 21 keeper a call up for example?

Anyway it's rare we get to see the sub-keeper so probably won't have any bearing on Saturday. Does anyone know what our injury list is currently like? will Gillespie or Shane O'Rourke be fit? Do we think there will be many changes on the team that played Westmeath?

mushykeogh · 08-07-2015 02:50PM

Hibbeler wrote: »

Shane O'Rourke be fit?

Didn't he get a few minutes of action just recently? Certainly wouldn't be fit to start.

Rock Lesnar · 08-07-2015 02:53PM

Hibbeler wrote: »

Touch wood he won't be needed but I agree, surely they could have given the under 21 keeper a call up for example?

Yeah he probably wont be needed, but if i were the under 21 keeper, with o'rourke suspended, i would be saying to myself, i should get a call up now, and show what i can do at training, now i'd be asking whats the point.

HighKing33 · 08-07-2015 04:07PM

O'Dowd has shown remarkable fate to many members of this team, despite many of them repeatedly putting in performances for only one half. He has to show he has the cajones to make changes. I would be disappointed if we didn't see at least four changes from last week's team, not including the keeper.

Having said that, the performance in the first half was for at least 25 minutes really impressive stuff, as good as any team could put on. If we just get an hour of that we could make waves, we're certainly good enough to make the last eight.

dixiefly · 08-07-2015 04:50PM

HighKing33 wrote: »

O'Dowd has shown remarkable fate to many members of this team, despite many of them repeatedly putting in performances for only one half. He has to show he has the cajones to make changes. I would be disappointed if we didn't see at least four changes from last week's team, not including the keeper.

Having said that, the performance in the first half was for at least 25 minutes really impressive stuff, as good as any team could put on. If we just get an hour of that we could make waves, we're certainly good enough to make the last eight.

I agree, tbh I am very surprised at how little MOD has freshened things up.

Did he make any changes to the squad post league? There are a few players on the panel that he seems to have completely lost faith in and wont use them. He continues to use Joey Wallace as a sub in circumstances where its not appropriate. What about keoghan at chb? Will he keep him there, we have conceded 6 goals with v poor defending in recent games. Westmeath and Wicklow walked through at times.

Chris O'Connor and Alan Douglas were probably the two best players on the junior team, I am surprised that even those two didn't get a call up.

HighKing33 · 08-07-2015 05:41PM

True but Keogan was magnificent at 6 the last day and in that free role he's key to our pressure game at midfield. I still think Harnan or maybe Davy Dalton could do the same job and offer better distribution. Still, he can't be blamed for the goals. Also Paddy O'Rourke was maybe our best player during the first half of the season.

Our midfield (and I'm including much of the so-called middle 8 here) switches off during games so our centre can be left vulnerable. I would be looking at changes here.

As for Chris O'Connor, I'm a huge fan and while he does seem to have recovered his best form is he any better than Nicky Judge or McEntee?

If Newman comes back in we can reshuffle our midfield. Bring Wallace out to wing-half and slot Biggy into centre-half with Menton moving to centrefield. McGill can play corner-back assuming he starts. Kevin Reilly should be marshalling the square. Dalton can start on the wing. Mick needs to shake things up. He would have known that Westmeath were lethal during the final quarter. We need cool heads and staying power.

Meath Centre Forward · 08-07-2015 09:15PM

O'Rourke was injured for a period between the League and the Wicklow game. I'd have thought there'd have been at least a third goalie involved even during this time for training games but it seems not.

O'Dowd runs a very closed squad from the start of the League onwards. As far as I can recall, he rarely brings in players after this time bar the odd u21 showing good form. It makes some kind of sense I suppose as you can imagine a player coming in would be a fair bit behind on preparation, etc.

I would agree in a way, there should be several changes from the last day. The trouble is that team had 5 changes from the Wicklow game so the management are running short on options. Maybe a few positional changes and take a chance on Damian Carroll who hasn't got many opportunities this year.

A lot of Meath players are playing below their best. I actually thought Menton wasn't great against Westmeath. Whatever hand injury he had, it must still be hanging over him. Keogan and Tobin have also looked like they are lacking any kind of sharpness. Tormey the same. These are the guys Micko placed his faith in to lead the team forward and a mixture of bad judgement by him and the players letting him down have contributed to where we are. We know they are capable of better so hopefully they can step up on the two games so far. They'll have to.

CrabRevolution · 08-07-2015 09:19PM

I think since match day panels were trimmed to 26, a 3rd keeper seems a bit superfluous.

Hibbeler · 09-07-2015 10:32PM

Here's a very interesting interview with Sean Boylan on the GAA website if anyone is interested.

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0807151614-legends-sean-boylan/

Hibbeler · 10-07-2015 08:54AM

Only two changes to the team for tomorrow. McHugh starts in goals and Dalton comes in place of Burke

However Menton moves to midfield and K Reilly to CHB. Keoghan plays at wing back

paul71 · 10-07-2015 09:40AM

Hibbeler wrote: »

Here's a very interesting interview with Sean Boylan on the GAA website if anyone is interested.

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0807151614-legends-sean-boylan/

"Seán Boylan was a hurling man. Although he had played plenty of football for his club, and a bit for Meath, hurling was, and to this day remains, his first love. He reckons that until Meath's breakthrough All-Ireland win of 1949, hurling had the potential to be as strong as football in the county. Either way, the only sport he was ever likely to be a saviour for Meath in, was hurling."

Quote from above, this is so true and I have always been interested in it. I believe that there was a enormous shift in Meath GAA in the 1930s/40s, up to that point meath although not particularly strong was a true duel county with a geographical split, hurling in south Meath and football in North/East Meath. My family background has always clearly highlighted this to me. My fathers family was Athboy and his father and uncles were hurlers exclusively, my mothers father and uncles were founding members of St Colmcilles but had also played for St. Pat Stamullen, to them hurling was alien.

I know my uncles and Granduncles always claimed that land commission people from the west and south brought football to south meath. Anyone else with similar thoughts or ancedots?

dixiefly · 10-07-2015 10:35AM

Hibbeler wrote: »

Only two changes to the team for tomorrow. McHugh starts in goals and Dalton comes in place of Burke

However Menton moves to midfield and K Reilly to CHB. Keoghan plays at wing back

Not sure if the named team means much anymore though Menton at midfield is interesting. I suspect that K Reilly will swap with McGill & Keoghan and Tobin will also swap.

CrabRevolution · 10-07-2015 06:21PM

paul71 wrote: »

"Seán Boylan was a hurling man. Although he had played plenty of football for his club, and a bit for Meath, hurling was, and to this day remains, his first love. He reckons that until Meath's breakthrough All-Ireland win of 1949, hurling had the potential to be as strong as football in the county. Either way, the only sport he was ever likely to be a saviour for Meath in, was hurling."

Quote from above, this is so true and I have always been interested in it. I believe that there was a enormous shift in Meath GAA in the 1930s/40s, up to that point meath although not particularly strong was a true duel county with a geographical split, hurling in south Meath and football in North/East Meath. My family background has always clearly highlighted this to me. My fathers family was Athboy and his father and uncles were hurlers exclusively, my mothers father and uncles were founding members of St Colmcilles but had also played for St. Pat Stamullen, to them hurling was alien.

I know my uncles and Granduncles always claimed that land commission people from the west and south brought football to south meath. Anyone else with similar thoughts or ancedots?

I dont think hurling was as dominant as you're saying. Trim, more known for hurling over the years, were fielding football teams for 20 years before they started hurling. The first winners of the JFC were a Trim team.

Kilmessan even have a few SFC titles to their name from the early years.

Think the Land Commission settlers line is a myth, like attributing the more olive complexion of some westerners to shipwrecked spaniards. My family on my mothers side either came here with the land commission, or were children of land commission settlers, and I've never heard anything supporting the theory they brought football to us.

paul71 · 10-07-2015 07:53PM

CrabRevolution wrote: »

I dont think hurling was as dominant as you're saying. Trim, more known for hurling over the years, were fielding football teams for 20 years before they started hurling. The first winners of the JFC were a Trim team.

Kilmessan even have a few SFC titles to their name from the early years.

Think the Land Commission settlers line is a myth, like attributing the more olive complexion of some westerners to shipwrecked spaniards. My family on my mothers side either came here with the land commission, or were children of land commission settlers, and I've never heard anything supporting the theory they brought football to us.

You could be right and may have better access to info then I have but this list seems to tell a different story, I will grant that with name changes there could be a Trim club in the list whose name I dont know.

Meath Senior Hurling Championship winners

1902 Navan Hibernians
1903 Navan Young Irelands
1904 Navan Young Irelands
1905 Navan Young Irelands
1906 Navan Young Irelands
1907 Kilmessan
1908 Dunboyne
1909 Dunshaughlin
1910 Dunshaughlin
1911 Dunboyne
1912 Dunboyne
1913 Dunboyne
1914 Dunboyne
1915 Trim
1916 Trim
1917 Null and Void
1918 Killyon
1919 Trim
1920 Trim
1921 Trim

Junior football
championship winners

Matthew Ginnity Cup

1905 - Navan Gaels
1906 - Martry
1907-10 - Not known
1911 - Kells Stars
1912-13 - Not known
1914 - Curraha
1915-16 - Not known
1917 - Kells
1918 - Slane
1919 - Enfield
1920-21 - Not known
1922 - Kells Stars

CrabRevolution · 10-07-2015 08:20PM

http://meath.gaa.ie/archive_category/junior-football-champions/

Seems they had one JFC in 1897, then none for 8 years. Newtown were a Trim team from the eastern side of the town.

rpurfield · 10-07-2015 11:29PM

Just on the hurling there I was dispatched to check out had the Pats won a hurling championship back in the 40s or 50s (I think it was around there) a bit of digging later, and a payment to some news clipping archive online, it seems there was an amalgamation of Ratoath and a couple of clubs around there that called themselves St. Patricks for hurling purposes at the time.

Felexicon · 11-07-2015 03:28PM

Only listening on radio but this game sounds rough

Rock Lesnar · 11-07-2015 04:42PM

All i'll say is, We could have won that game, we were so defensive 1st half, it was unreal, Newman, one of our best forwards on his day, playing around midfield, 2nd half we attacked, and we got scores, so what do we do, we take our main scoring threats in Newman and Bray off, the mind boggles

Its gonna be a long spin home

iDave · 11-07-2015 07:51PM

Gutted Tyrone where there for the taking.

Hammer Archer · 11-07-2015 08:25PM

How many steps did the Tyrone lad take before getting the penalty? He looked to have taken at least 10.

Awful day. Got in 30 minutes late thanks to traffic in Ardee and Omagh and got soaked. Anyone know if Wallace got injured?

Mongfinder General · 11-07-2015 08:31PM

Pox bottle of a manager has to go.

rpurfield · 11-07-2015 09:04PM

Rock Lesnar wrote: »

All i'll say is, We could have won that game, we were so defensive 1st half, it was unreal, Newman, one of our best forwards on his day, playing around midfield, 2nd half we attacked, and we got scores, so what do we do, we take our main scoring threats in Newman and Bray off, the mind boggles

Its gonna be a long spin home

We were giving out about how open we were two weeks ago!! Brayer was cramping up too before he came off, it was good timing imo. A bit more nous we'd have won that match today, too much panic kicking up front in the first half hour killed us.

The question now is to stick or twist with MOD. We haven't progressed in three years, for me this year was the year to go up to division 1 and get past the round 4 hurdle, something we haven't achieved.

Meath Centre Forward · 11-07-2015 09:10PM

I was very disappointed with the line after the Westmeath game but would find it hard to be critical after today. I thought they done a good job in getting the players back up for the game - it was a spirited performance - and to be honest, I couldn't fault the defensive tactics. They appeared to work but unfortunately worked that bit better for Tyrone who maybe have that bit more experience implementing them.

There's a few players I could be harsh on but overall it was a spirited performance and the group should take credit for that.

Unfortunately though I find myself talking about the performance to cover up for the lack of a result and this has been the narrative since Micko took over. There was potential this year for Meath to claim a big scalp, go on a bit of a run to a Quarter-Final, reach Division 1 but they kept coming up just short, similar to other years. Micko's record doesn't look great; in 3 years he's managed championship wins over Wicklow twice, Carlow, Wexford and Kildare and losses to Dublin twice, Tyrone twice, Armagh and Westmeath. There's been plenty of chances to claim a big scalp and reach a QF but it hasn''t happened.

I would be in agreement it's not working out as expected but the lack of an obvious alternative would make me side with Micko for another while. I would add there's a few big named players he placed a lot of thrust in in preference to the likes of Sheridan, Ward, Farrell, Byrne, etc and those players have let him down too.

Another thing to add and it maybe very soon to be talking like this but exiting the championship at the last 16 stage is in line with Meath's record at minor/u21 over the last 7/8 seasons and to be honest, looking 5-10 years down the road, I would think there'll be a lot more early July exits for Meath.

Hibbeler · 11-07-2015 09:11PM

Hammer Archer wrote: »

How many steps did the Tyrone lad take before getting the penalty? He looked to have taken at least 10.

Awful day. Got in 30 minutes late thanks to traffic in Ardee and Omagh and got soaked. Anyone know if Wallace got injured?

Yeah I only managed to get to the ground half time but it sounded like I didn't miss much from listening to the radio.

Not much point whinging over the penalty we had enough opportunities to kick points to cancel that out but didn't convert

The difference was that Tyrone when it counted won the midfield battle and managed to keep us at bay. It's disappointing that they really were there to be taken but we'll just have to come back next year

Rock Lesnar · 11-07-2015 09:46PM

rpurfield wrote: »

We were giving out about how open we were two weeks ago!! Brayer was cramping up too before he came off, it was good timing imo. A bit more nous we'd have won that match today, too much panic kicking up front in the first half hour killed us.

The question now is to stick or twist with MOD. We haven't progressed in three years, for me this year was the year to go up to division 1 and get past the round 4 hurdle, something we haven't achieved.

Who was giving out about us been to open, I have been crying out for us to be open, we built 1st half leads v wicklow and westmeath by playing open fast direct football, then 2nd half we sat back and conceded the lead, now personally even if stephen was cramping up, we should still have kept him on, he is still our best forward, and only needs a half chance to kick a point where others need 3 or 4 twists or turns before shooting and usually wide.

On to MOD, wasn't a fan when he got the job and not a fan now, but he nearly turned me after his 1st leinster final, we gave the dubs a good game for 50mins things looked good, then in my opinion he cut players who still had something to offer, Sheridan and Ward especially, maybe starting games were beyond them, but as impact subs, they could still do a job, and ward on frees is probably still better then what we got now, we go to the 2nd year, league was tough with Donegal in it, so i didnt really expect much from that, then we get to our 2nd leinster final and we get blown away.

This year we've completely gone downhill, we couldn't get out of an easier league, and we don't even make it to the quarter finals, we didnt seem to have a settled game plan, one half we're attacking, kicking scores, next we're packing the defense and running out of steam very quickly, and we seemed to have a good few injured.

Personally i can't see how he could stay on, but i reckon he will get another year, just my opinion and back to the club championship now

rpurfield · 11-07-2015 10:43PM

Rock Lesnar wrote: »

Who was giving out about us been to open, I have been crying out for us to be open, we built 1st half leads v wicklow and westmeath by playing open fast direct football, then 2nd half we sat back and conceded the lead, now personally even if stephen was cramping up, we should still have kept him on, he is still our best forward, and only needs a half chance to kick a point where others need 3 or 4 twists or turns before shooting and usually wide.

On to MOD, wasn't a fan when he got the job and not a fan now, but he nearly turned me after his 1st leinster final, we gave the dubs a good game for 50mins things looked good, then in my opinion he cut players who still had something to offer, Sheridan and Ward especially, maybe starting games were beyond them, but as impact subs, they could still do a job, and ward on frees is probably still better then what we got now, we go to the 2nd year, league was tough with Donegal in it, so i didnt really expect much from that, then we get to our 2nd leinster final and we get blown away.

This year we've completely gone downhill, we couldn't get out of an easier league, and we don't even make it to the quarter finals, we didnt seem to have a settled game plan, one half we're attacking, kicking scores, next we're packing the defense and running out of steam very quickly, and we seemed to have a good few injured.

Personally i can't see how he could stay on, but i reckon he will get another year, just my opinion and back to the club championship now

Sorry, even though I was quoting you the reference to us being too open was in general terms not aimed at you! Can't argue with your points to be fair, it's been a regression for three years. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the team between 07-10 was streets ahead of this one really.

I don't even know where it goes now, for me the problem in Meath football is much deeper than the senior manager. As referenced above look at our underage record, it's no coincidence we had underage success that the bones of 96-01 team came out of, we were middling in the early 2000's at underage that brought some players into that 07-10 era, but what have we done since? I think there's hardly a county in either code that has had success at senior that wasn't preceded by a win or a good run at underage. Solving that isn't short term though.

Rock Lesnar · 11-07-2015 10:53PM

rpurfield wrote: »

Sorry, even though I was quoting you the reference to us being too open was in general terms not aimed at you!.

No, twas my fault, didn't mean my comment to sound quite so b*tchy, i had a feeling you meant in general, just wrote my reply wrong, just been a long day

Huntergonzo · 12-07-2015 09:17AM

Missed the first 10 mins because of awful traffic but didn't miss much on the field, it was another predictable disappointment, yet another opportunity missed by Meath, we haven't taken a real scalp since beating Dublin in 2010, that's shocking!

The goal killed us yesterday, given the conditions a goal was always going to be crucial and it proved to be. We did defend well but Tyrone are clearly more experienced at setting up defensively and I thought we done pretty poorly around the middle and going forward in the second half.

Apart from showing promise in 2013 under O'Dowd we've flattered to deceive ever since and I'm not sure he can do much more for us, 2015 has been our worst championship since 2008 results wise. Now I'm not naive enough to think that a new manager would be the answer to all our prayers but I think O'Dowd will struggle to hold on to his job after 2 very disappointing championships in a row.

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