Meath GAA discussion thread

Fantastic result. Incredibly exciting considering I thought they were done and dusted by half time :)

An especially good result considering Orla Lally has a bit of a stinker and she was player of the match in the quarterfinal. In a way Dublin might suit them better as they are a bit more open and our ladies like to play on the break.

Vicki Wall and Emma Duggan are absolute beasts going forward.

What a win for the ladies. Will the GAA allow 40k at the final?

It’s a great service they provide for free. I watched the Kells game live on Sunday and must watch the Summerhill game - I saw them a couple of years ago in 2019 when they were playing Na Fianna in a QF after Kells played Don Ashbourne and thought they looked a talented team.

I’m still surprised to see rankings like Rispin’s that put Kells as the number two team in Meath. They look fairly ordinary to me most days I see them and the Michael McDermott managed Tones put a lot of pressure on them with a high press. Kells had 1-2 after 5 minutes (including a square ball goal that I thought should have been disallowed) so they only scored 5 points over the remaining 65 mins. Saran O’Finnegan (or something like that, Tones 15) was the best player of the two teams for me. Popped up everywhere.

I love Meath football, their tradition and what they stand for. The Meath teams of old are the greatest champions in GAA history imo. Warriors. So it was hard to watch them struggle for so long. Some think I've been heavily critical of Meath, but only because they never did themselves justice in recent years.

As I said before, their current low started with Mick O'Dowd. He was well intentioned but sent Meath back years. Got rid of many battle hardened players for kids, didn't even keep them around to bring young lads up to championship level, many playing intermediate club football.

So of course they got routinely battered by Dublin. Young kids with confidence destroyed despite bags of talent. Had their foot on the neck of the likes of Tyrone and Donegal, but panicked in winning positions. The Meath spirit and fight dead and buried, beaten dogs.

I was criticized for saying the mentality of Meath fans was to try get into division one and try and build slowly. They were never less talented than division one teams, the problem was the psychology of Meath football was broke. The above division one scenario would only give minimal gains at best. No true belief in the team.

This changed against Dublin, and will be the turning point in this teams development. For the first time in ten years I saw Meath fight, the result didn't matter. They needed a spark and it happened with a goal in the second half. People underestimate the significance of that second half performance.

For the first time these young players who came in under O'Dowd now know what it takes and what's needed to complete at top championship level. They died with their boots on, for the first time in years. They smelt blood, let the shackles off and finally went after a team, all the better it was Dublin. First time they stood up to Dublin since 2013, first time they went after a team.

Meath never had a talent problem, it was psychological, no real belief. I think they've gone a huge way to addressing that with their second hand performance v Dublin. A huge huge effort in terms of self belief, intensity and fight. Meath should be very dangerous next year, for the first time in a decade they have that fight back, and the GAA is a poorer place without Meath at the top table.

Significant achievement reaching the final for Meath and leinster football.

This Meath team are first leinster team reach an All Ireland minor final in last 9 years, since 2012. If Meath win the final, they would be only the third leinster team to win minor All Ireland title in last 21 years since 2000. Since 2000, in the last 21 years the only leinster All Ireland minor winning teams are Laois in 2003 and Dublin in 2012.

This is first Meath team to reach All Ireland minor final through front door since 1993. The Meath teams who reached All Ireland minor finals in 2002 and 2012 were through back door.

Since 2000 the only leinster All Ireland minor winners and finalists are

2001 Dublin finalist

2002 Meath finalist

2003 Dublin v Laois final Laois winners

2011 Dublin finalist

2012 Meath v Dublin final Dublin winners

2021 Meath Finalist Winners TBA

Great win for the lads and great for us to now have 2 all Ireland’s to look forward to! I never thought it at the start of the championship!

The story coming out Tyrone this is the best underage team to come out of Tyrone in long time. They will be favourites. But Tyrone played Dublin and Sligo in challenge games this summer and lost both games. Now you cannot read to much into challenge games, you don't know who was playing, but Meath two recent victories were over team who defeated Tyrone recently is not a bad sign. Tyrone will be facing the best defence they have met so far. Kelly at 3 and Corbet at 6 are best in the country in their position at the age group. Both will play for Meath seniors, Kelly particularly look like the next Meath number 3 in waiting. While defender Like Ennis is another excellent marker and Leonard also another quality footballer at wing back. Meath also strong around mid sector with Corbet, Wilson, kinlough, Emmanuel all strong big players. And upfront Corcorcan Finley O Murchu have scores in them. Best underage team I have seen come out of Meath in 30 years since Giles Geraghty Murphy. Tyrone could be strong, but I have been really impressed with this Meath team. Sligo were very impressive v Roscommon, who had beaten Galway and Mayo. But Meath never looked like losing and only for player sent off at start of second half when Meath were 9 up, it would have been a double margin win. Also penalty shouldn't have being given, it wasn't one.

Another factor the game looks like it will be Croker. Which is good experience for the young Meath players. Problem its before sold out Kerry v Tyrone game, meaning there will be 12000 Tyrone supporters and 0 Meath supporters. Which is incredibly unfair. Massive advantage for Tyrone. U know how that crowd never shut up about 96. The horrible nasty comments they will be shouting v Meath young lads. It will mean this young Meath team could be playing All Ireland final in front of the most hostile crowd any Meath underage team has faced in final. No Meath supporters would be so unfair. Even if they were allowed they would be outnumbered. But at least some cheers is better than total silence. Every Tyrone score roared, every Meath score total silence. I have never heard of such conditions for any team to play a final. It could swing game to Tyrone.

Ticket details being announced on Meath social media tomorrow so something will be available but I doubt it will even be half of what Tyrone bring. Have to say yesterday, particularly in the first half the score taking was immense. What I really liked was all the talk so far was about Hughie Corcoran, and rightly so, but yesterday Christian Finlay was brilliant. Always a good sign when lads can more or less take turns at being the main threat. The spine of the team is really good and strong, you really cannot say enough about them as a squad.

Contact yer clubs for minor tickets for anyone looking. Meath GAA have a limited number going through the clubs.

Has the attendance been confirmed for the final? Can't see where it says it's included in the pilot events?