Meath GAA discussion thread

rpurfield wrote: »

Going completely off Meath for a second here, didn't Monaghan play one of their outfield players in goal in an Ulster Championship match in the last number of years?

David Gallagher would have been another one to play out the field for his club and in goal for Meath.

Yes they did. Can't remember who it was, but it was a late change and RTE were losing their minds over it.

It was Darren Hughes in 2010

Nick Weir will continue as senior hurling manager for 2021
David O’Reilly will also continue in his coaching role.
Nick has added Meath legend Steven Clynch, Tipperary men Johnny Enright & Timmy Hammersley to his coaching team

https://twitter.com/MeathGAA/status/1353770356457304066

Festive Life wrote: »

Nick Weir will continue as senior hurling manager for 2021
David O’Reilly will also continue in his coaching role.
Nick has added Meath legend Steven Clynch, Tipperary men Johnny Enright & Timmy Hammersley to his coaching team

https://twitter.com/MeathGAA/status/1353770356457304066

Little to be said about those appointments really. We achieved exactly as expected in 2020. God knows what sort of competitions will be played in 2021 but I just don't see any evidence of us making the step up. I may have read somewhere about the J McD now being 2 groups of 3, so maybe a miraculous draw with Kildare and Down could give us a chance to reach the final.

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Am I going mad or was Barry Dardis played in goals at one stage 2 or 3 years ago too?

Wasn't there a time Barry (and David Gallagher) carried a keepers and an outfielders no 16 jersey

vapor trails wrote: »

Just hope it was more to do with the uncertainty about commencement dates for Championship '21 as opposed to anything to do with the inter-county setup.

I'd hazard a guess that it's even simpler than that and it's just the case that he hopes to make a career out of soccer. An expenses/part time contract at Wexford FC will still do far more for his soccer prospects than playing on the Meath team.

I'm generally not one for simplistic "X did something, why aren't we doing it too?!" comparisons, but I really have to wonder how is it that Louth can make €1.2 Million raffling 2 houses, but Meath's raffle of 3 houses made a relatively paltry €0.16 Million?

I'm genuinely curious what exactly happened that brought such an underwhelming return, not just looking for the usual "Useless county board!!1!" stuff.

CrabRevolution wrote: »

I'm generally not one for simplistic "X did something, why aren't we doing it too?!" comparisons, but I really have to wonder how is it that Louth can make €1.2 Million raffling 2 houses, but Meath's raffle of 3 houses made a relatively paltry €0.16 Million?

I'm genuinely curious what exactly happened that brought such an underwhelming return, not just looking for the usual "Useless county board!!1!" stuff.

I think the difference between the 2 was Meath just told clubs they had to sell tickets and that was that. The only time I heard something about the Meath draw was when it was launched and then when they deferred the draw due to poor sales.

Louth pushed it and advertised it. Every second ad on Facebook was a Louth draw ad. I dont remember seeing much ads, if any, for Meath.

Just seems to be down to marketing and getting sales in.

vapor trails wrote: »

I'd actually go reverse on it and query how Louth county board made €1.2m raffling the two houses. Seems a ridiculously large figure. Works out that every single adult in the county spent €12 in the draw or something like that.

Roscommon made €900,000 from one house! Interestingly they give the break down of their spend etc in this article and I think Meath County Board had somewhere too. It would be interesting to see Louth's by comparison

https://roscommonherald.ie/2020/12/30/profit-of-over-e900000-for-roscommon-gaa-from-win-a-home-in-london-draw/#:~:text=in%20London%20draw-,Profit%20of%20over%20%E2%82%AC900%2C000%20for%20Roscommon%20GAA,a%20Home%20in%20London%20draw&text=The%20Club%20Rossie%20team%20alongside,took%20place%20on%20Wednesday%20evening.

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Word is now that Corcoran is no longer on the panel and is with Wexford FC. Was nice while it lasted.

I'm hearing now Jimmy has a deal with Wexford that allows him to play with Meath. I heard it from a Drumbaragh man so would hope its reliable enough info.

Carlow or Longford in the Championship for Meath so a decent enough draw. I'd imagine it'll be Longford, although Carlow have Ger Brennan and a few involved so might improve.

The more I've been thinking about it over the last few days the less I have been bothered by that Leinster Championship draw. I really think a decent year is getting back up to Division 1. We should be aiming to get into the semi finals of the league and take it from there, its certainly doable. If you can tag on beating Longford and possibly a Leinster final on the back of avoiding the Dubs till then well and good, but the league needs to be priority.

Cavan_King wrote: »

Meath have showed they are better than Kildare

Have they? Kildare comfortably the better team in the first half of their championship game last year. Then they had a few bouts of self inflicted kamakaze defending. Kildare lost the game rather than Meath winning it. Meath looked less likely to pose a challenge after the game than before it

rpurfield wrote: »

The more I've been thinking about it over the last few days the less I have been bothered by that Leinster Championship draw. I really think a decent year is getting back up to Division 1. We should be aiming to get into the semi finals of the league and take it from there, its certainly doable. If you can tag on beating Longford and possibly a Leinster final on the back of avoiding the Dubs till then well and good, but the league needs to be priority.

This sums up the mentality in Meath football these days. Hoping for micky mouse minimal gains, which even if slight improvement happens, will still not solve the real issue. Meath don't have a talent, pyhsical or fitness problem, they have a psychological problem, and they aren't improving until it's sorted.

Meath current demise and problems started in 2013 with Mick O'Dowd. Before this they were solid, could beat any team on their day, get over the line, raise their game for the Dubs. Mick's first season wasn't the worst, put up a decent display v Dublin. Then the meddling started that has sent Meath back years, and I think it's obvious enough to see.

Meath pretty much had a cull of experienced players for youth. Battle hardened seasoned players for kids. Kids, some at the time playing intermediate club football (the senior championship is poor enough in Meath, let alone intermediate), thrown into county senior football. At least keep the older lads around to bring them up to the intensity of championship football. But no, kids straight in at the deep end. And of course, battering after battering from Dublin ensued, taking any belief or confidence out of these kids and team in general. Something in the psychology of the Meath team broke around then. And that is very very hard to get back.

You look at Meath now. In 2012, they'd have a go at Dublin with belief and confidence. Now devoid of both. Can't even kick a point from 20 yards out with certainty against Dublin. They fair better against teams a level down, but often with 15 minutes to go, they realise they're winning and the bottle goes. Against Tyrone and Donegal, regularly, despite often having their boot on their neck. Goalie gives away stupid balls with 15 minutes to go, no confidence in possession all of a sudden, no leaders and the head drops. Often throw huge leads, the opposite of what you expect in Meath.

The most disappointing thing seems to be the attitude in the county like the above post. Now hoping for Division 1 football or a good run here or there. None of that matters until the psychology of the team is fixed. And I haven't heard one Meath person putting their finger on this issue. They have talent, which isn't the issue, but tactics and gameplans and new players don't really matter until someone somehow puts real belief back into Meath. That fight and fire and belief. It's been missing in Meath since 2014. Nothing will change until that's put right

It looks to me as if we are going to go through this season with the same goalkeeping problems we've had in previous years. There is no real wild card in our deck to see a potential avenue to improvement anywhere in the side. After the absolute drubbing, the Dubs gave us last year off the premise of hope and morale we had built up to that point in the championship, it's really going to be hard for Andy to convince the lads for a serious effort again this year. The fact of the matter is the league does garner my interest way more than the championship because it's a competition. (I'll still obviously cling to some sort of hope).

In terms of the league I think we are neck and neck with Kildare, Behind Mayo and possibly Cork and maybe just ahead of Down.

Can anyone lift my gloomy outlook for the season?

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Have they? Kildare comfortably the better team in the first half of their championship game last year. Then they had a few bouts of self inflicted kamakaze defending. Kildare lost the game rather than Meath winning it. Meath looked less likely to pose a challenge after the game than before it

This sums up the mentality in Meath football these days. Hoping for micky mouse minimal gains, which even if slight improvement happens, will still not solve the real issue. Meath don't have a talent, pyhsical or fitness problem, they have a psychological problem, and they aren't improving until it's sorted.

Meath current demise and problems started in 2013 with Mick O'Dowd. Before this they were solid, could beat any team on their day, get over the line, raise their game for the Dubs. Mick's first season wasn't the worst, put up a decent display v Dublin. Then the meddling started that has sent Meath back years, and I think it's obvious enough to see.

Meath pretty much had a cull of experienced players for youth. Battle hardened seasoned players for kids. Kids, some at the time playing intermediate club football (the senior championship is poor enough in Meath, let alone intermediate), thrown into county senior football. At least keep the older lads around to bring them up to the intensity of championship football. But no, kids straight in at the deep end. And of course, battering after battering from Dublin ensued, taking any belief or confidence out of these kids and team in general. Something in the psychology of the Meath team broke around then. And that is very very hard to get back.

You look at Meath now. In 2012, they'd have a go at Dublin with belief and confidence. Now devoid of both. Can't even kick a point from 20 yards out with certainty against Dublin. They fair better against teams a level down, but often with 15 minutes to go, they realise they're winning and the bottle goes. Against Tyrone and Donegal, regularly, despite often having their boot on their neck. Goalie gives away stupid balls with 15 minutes to go, no confidence in possession all of a sudden, no leaders and the head drops. Often throw huge leads, the opposite of what you expect in Meath.

The most disappointing thing seems to be the attitude in the county like the above post. Now hoping for Division 1 football or a good run here or there. None of that matters until the psychology of the team is fixed. And I haven't heard one Meath person putting their finger on this issue. They have talent, which isn't the issue, but tactics and gameplans and new players don't really matter until someone somehow puts real belief back into Meath. That fight and fire and belief. It's been missing in Meath since 2014. Nothing will change until that's put right

While I’d agree with parts of your post, comparing Dublin 2012 to Dublin 2021 is like comparing apples & oranges.



In terms of Meath and 2012, was the clear out you speak about required? Cavan did similar at the same point because a change in attitude was needed. We went through a few years of having numerous debutants in the championship each year but went from near relegation to Division 4 in 2012 to a couple of years in Division 1 in 2017 & 2019 and, more importantly, an Ulster title last year.

I remember talk at the start of the decade of Meath players growing too fond of turning up in the Palace in Navan in their Meath training tops, win, lose or draw.

Football has changed a lot in the last decade. Even the club game is gone too serious if you ask me. You had numerous counties in Ulster training 25+ days in November 2019 before Covid hit - would the Meath older lads of 2012 have done that?

You talk pf a psychological problem. I don’t see it. For me, those Meath lads were doing well to even put it up to Tyrone or Donegal because they are less talented and aren’t as well conditioned. I saw them beat Kildare & Armagh at home in the League in 2019 - games they easily could have lost but for what I felt was a never say die attitude.

I would see a problem at club level in Meath with conditioning. You’d hear Mickey Brennan refer to it on We Are Meath and as I live near the Meath/Cavan border I would hear it mentioned by locals - Meath are even behind other counties club teams in terms of conditioning.

Heard that too but again it’s not confirmed from them either