Meath GAA discussion thread

Hammer Archer

Senior and Junior football finals have been moved to the bank holiday Monday (this day fortnight) to avoid a clash with the Ireland - Argentina rugby game. While obviously there's going to be some condemnation of this decision, I think it's only common sense as there are plenty of fans in Meath (myself included) who would like to have the opportunity to see both. Plenty of players as well I'd wager.

iDave

First Bray now Kevin Reilly.

Hammer Archer

Feel incredibly sorry for him. Without injuries, he could have been one of the best full backs in the game. We'll never see his trademark goals for Meath from 90 yards out again. Wish him all the best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4q0MEH-fn8

Hammer Archer

Rumours that Brian Menton is gone for next season as well due to travelling.

iDave

Very dignified statement from him.
The list of injuries is absolute madness.

Hammer Archer

Just thought I'd compile the list of the Meath champions' (and Moylagh's) Leinster opponents:

Leinster SFC
Navan O'Mahony's/Na Fianna v Winners of Killoe(Longford) - St. Martin's/St. James'(Wexford), November 8th

Leinster IHC
Kiltale v Wexford IHC Champions, October 25th

Leinster IFC
St. Patrick's Donabate(Dublin) v Ratoath, October 17th

Leinster JHC
Wolfe Tones/Clann na nGael v Lusmagh(Offaly), October 25th

Leinster JFC
Winners of Kilmacanogue(Wicklow) - Erin Rovers/Cappincur(Offaly) v Curraha/Dunsany, November 8th

Leinster Special JHC
Moylagh v St. Patrick's Tullow (Carlow), November 1st

Green_Tae

I thought the Longford champions looked very capable on TG4 when I saw them, really good calibre of football played in a very small county but then that's often showed through at underage level, something Meath supporters know only too well.

Hammer Archer

Pretty sure O'Mahony's were bet out the gate by the Longford champions three years ago

rpurfield

Sad to see Kev Reilly go, but the fact he's lasted this long with all the injuries is amazing. I hope it has no long term effect on his health anyway.

RoyalCelt

Most likely meath v louth next year and the winner plays dubs. Best draw. One or 2 derbies early on and then enter the qualifiers before its too late. Just have to hope we don't draw the best team in the qualifier like we did this year.

Hammer Archer

Glad we weren't on the opposite side to Dublin 4 years running. Anyone figured out the A and B side of the qualifiers yet? For the first two years of this system we were on the far tougher side of the qualifier draw.

It's unbelievably depressing to be talking about almost certainly losing to Dublin (assuming we get past Louth) a full 9 months before the game is played.

westernfrenzy

Up to the semi finals, the A side seems to be Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Derry, Tyrone, Cavan, Armagh, Laois, Wicklow, Dublin, Carlow, Louth, Meath while the B side is Mayo, London, Galway, Fermanagh, Antrim, Monaghan, Down, Donegal, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Kildare.

Not sure about which side is which for Munster, pictures of that draw don't show an A side or B side like the rest do.

Rock Lesnar

I wouldn't be worried about the championship yet lads, lets wait and see what the squad of players will be there 1st

Hammer Archer

Ratoath beat St. Pat's Donabate relatively comfortably by 2-12 to 11 points in the first round of the Leinster IFC. That was without both Wallaces and Conor McGill so a decent result. To say the Dublin side were "physical" would be an understatement. They finished with 13 men and were lucky not to have finished with less.

Ratoath play Railyard, Kilkenny Senior Football Champions, in the quarter final.

Littlehorny

My old club Clann Na nGaels have claimed the intermediate title after being 4 points down with 4 minutes to play! Hard luck to the Tones, it's great to see us back senior, hope we can stabilise ourselves at the grade for a while.

rpurfield

Pretty decent result for Ratoath that now fair play.

Hammer Archer

rpurfield wrote: »

Pretty decent result for Ratoath that now fair play.

To be fair, Donabate were fairly limited. They lost the Dublin final to St. Vincent's. Doesn't really say much for the Dublin club scene if St. Vincent's have won the Dublin Senior, Intermediate and Junior championships in the last two years.
It would be interesting if we manage to go all the way in Leinster. That would probably mean there would be no Ratoath players in the Meath team in the new year.

rpurfield

Hammer Archer wrote: »

To be fair, Donabate were fairly limited. They lost the Dublin final to St. Vincent's. Doesn't really say much for the Dublin club scene if St. Vincent's have won the Dublin Senior, Intermediate and Junior championships in the last two years.
It would be interesting if we manage to go all the way in Leinster. That would probably mean there would be no Ratoath players in the Meath team in the new year.

I wouldn't put any pass on Vincents winning with their second team and all, they're second team is AFL 4 in Dublin, and competitive. The big city clubs have serious picks, I was reading the other day Na Fianna have 4 teams entered in various U21 competitions! Standards in Dublin are well ahead of Meath so I'd mark it down as a good win.

Green_Tae

So we are potentially looking at entering the league without Kevin Reilly, Brian Menton or Conor McGill at full-back? That's a problem. We have some good man-markers on the team, Keogan and Tobin spring to mind but we don't have too many big men who could do a job on the edge of the square. Brian Power, I feel has potential to be a good full-back (and he's played there for his college) but he's another player who could be club-tied in the new year.

Short of Keogan donning the no. 3 jersey I don't see what other options we have. Is it worth taking a look at someone like Ciaran McConnell again who I felt was excellent during the O'Byrne cup last year? Or maybe Harnan who's something of a utility player? If only Mickey Burke was a few inches taller!

Hammer Archer

Long way to go in Leinster before we know if none of the Ratoath players will be available. And even if we did win Leinster, the All Ireland finishes in early February and only one Leinster team has ever made it to the final in the 12 year history of the competition (the great Wolfe Tones team got knocked out in the semis in 2005).

So how do we see the Senior and Junior finals going on Monday? Weather looks pretty horrific. I think Curraha may win the Junior fairly easily so long as they don't take their eyes off the ball. Wouldn't begrudge Dunsany the title though after so many near misses.
O'Mahony's are obviously favourites for the Senior but I feel that if they repeat what they did in the semi final by letting Dunboyne back into the game so often, Na Fianna will take advantage. Dunboyne could easily have snatched a draw right at the death. If they play to their potential for 70 minutes, O'Mahony's will win.

Meanwhile, there's a couple of clubs in Leinster club action. Kiltale play Naomh Eanna of Wexford in the Leinster IHC on Sunday in Trim at 2.15pm. Before that at the same venue, Clann na nGael play Lusmagh of Offaly in the Leinster JHC at 12.30pm.

Two Minor football finals are on tomorrow in Páirc Tailteann also. Skryne play Summerhill in the Division 1 final at 4.15pm. Kilbride will play in their first ever Minor final when they take on Moynalty at 2.45pm in the Division 5 final.

Hammer Archer

Curraha win the JFC after beating Dunsany 2-12 to 2-11.
Deserved win but they did everything possible to lose it. 6 up in the first half only to give away a stupid penalty and their full back to get a straight red minutes later. Then they went 7 up early in the second half playing with a strong wind only to let Dunsany back into it again. Clung onto the one point lead in the end.

James McEntee was easily the best player on the pitch. Kicked 1-4 (I think), made Curraha's other goal and set up countless other scores for them. Dunsany just couldn't handle him when he got the ball but he didn't get on the ball enough in the second half.

iDave

Good luck to NOM in Leinster against Emmet Og.

Hammer Archer

Think they'll really have to improve to get past them. Emmet Óg had a massive win over the Wexford champions yesterday.
Poor game today. Stephen Bray and the O'Mahony's keeper were best. Dalton McDonagh was good for Na Fianna until he got injured.

westernfrenzy

Most exciting part of the final was the umpire being cleaned out of it

Hammer Archer

westernfrenzy wrote: »

Most exciting part of the final was the umpire being cleaned out of it

Took some hit alright. Straight back on his feet though to be fair to him.

Kiltale beat Naomh Eanna of Wexford 2-13 to 1-13. They'll play Portlaoise in the semi final in two week's time.
Clann were easily beaten by Lusmagh of Offaly 1-17 to 1-6 in the Leinster JHC.

Curraha will be away to Cappincur of Offaly on November 8th in the Leinster JFC.

This coming weekend sees Ratoath play Railyard of Kilkenny in the quarter finals of the IFC while Moylagh play St. Pat's Tullow in the Special JHC. Both games are on Sunday at 2pm and both teams are at home.

CrabRevolution

The Leinster Special JHC is a funny competition. I'm not sure how other counties supply their teams to it, but in Meath it seems we send forward the worst performing/lowest ranked team in the county each year. Presumably its just to give them more game time?

Hammer Archer

I think it's usually the Junior champions of the Christy Ring teams (and Offaly, Laois and Westmeath by the looks of it), Intermediate champions from Louth and the Senior champions from Longford. Since the Junior final this year was between Kildalkey and Kilmessan (both second teams), neither could compete in it so they picked Moylagh who were relegated from intermediate.

Chances are it'll be Moylagh next year as well as they seem to be the only first team in the JHC

Green_Tae

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Long way to go in Leinster before we know if none of the Ratoath players will be available. And even if we did win Leinster, the All Ireland finishes in early February and only one Leinster team has ever made it to the final in the 12 year history of the competition (the great Wolfe Tones team got knocked out in the semis in 2005).

True but there's potential for this Ratoath team to go far and honestly without McGill or Menton who would you be confident in pulling on that no.3 jersey?

Also, considering McEntee's performances for his club and his infrequent though impressive attacking forays in a Meath jersey surely he needs to be playing at midfield? He'd thrive at no.s 10, 11 or 12 and offers a greater scoring threat than many players there.

Obrieski

Mick O'Dowd should get down on his hands and knees and beg Stephen Bray to give it one more year. By far and away the best player on the pitch yesterday was involved in absolutely everything. An absolute class act

rpurfield

Hammer Archer wrote: »

I think it's usually the Junior champions of the Christy Ring teams (and Offaly, Laois and Westmeath by the looks of it), Intermediate champions from Louth and the Senior champions from Longford. Since the Junior final this year was between Kildalkey and Kilmessan (both second teams), neither could compete in it so they picked Moylagh who were relegated from intermediate.

Chances are it'll be Moylagh next year as well as they seem to be the only first team in the JHC

You can't send a second team into Leinster competition so normally it's the first team that lasted longest in the competition that gets nominated. A couple of year ago we were playing in Leinster despite not winning the championship as we were the last "first team" standing. Even in Dublin this year one of their grades needed to have a play off for Leinster reps in hurling as the last remaining first teams were both knocked out at the same stage.