Jones is due back in May or June next year so he might join the squad around championship time. Mickey Burke and Graham Reilly aren't on the squad at the moment and the door has been left open if there club form is strong. Mickey is with the hurlers now and I'd expect him to complete a full campaign with them and he could then come into the football squad if required.

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 997 - 19/11/2019 19:33:09    2250388

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1523 - 19/11/2019 19:42:16    2250390

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 19/11/2019 20:33:02    2250395

I see the Ladies National League fixtures are out.

Why the delay on the mens fixtures?

oldsam_newsam (Meath) - Posts: 638 - 20/11/2019 17:08:19    2250546

82300 (Louth) - Posts: 31 - 20/11/2019 18:25:33    2250559

Well lads ye are back at the top table again

Will you go one better from your recent Super 8 experience and actually collect a single pt?

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20689 - 22/11/2019 12:29:06    2250849

overthehill72 (Meath) - Posts: 334 - 22/11/2019 13:07:28    2250858

I see Seamus lavin is on crutches .

Monkeycatcher (Meath) - Posts: 155 - 22/11/2019 13:33:35    2250865

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 22/11/2019 13:36:10    2250867

Royal.Legend (Meath) - Posts: 681 - 22/11/2019 14:56:58    2250885

Do you not think winning 3 games, maintaining division 1 status would be a fantastic league campaign?

We were struggling in division 2 not so long ago. We havent beaten a division one team in 2-3 years.. last year we beat div 2 teams at best. i am just being realistic and hopeful

overthehill72 (Meath) - Posts: 334 - 22/11/2019 15:05:12    2250886

When will the GAA finally get around to announcing the fixtures? Is it really that difficult considering they must know the weekends of the games and the opponents?

oldsam_newsam (Meath) - Posts: 638 - 22/11/2019 15:15:22    2250887

ASaminthehand (Meath) - Posts: 422 - 22/11/2019 15:22:32    2250888

We can consider avoiding relegation an achievement, but i'd rather not. Think we've a great chance of resurrecting Meath football here, first time back mixing it with the big boys in years. It's a step up no doubt, but write us off at your peril. Meath love a good underdog story, and hopefully we can pick off a few of the so called elite teams in this competition. I'd love nothing more than Meath to express themselves playing fast, direct attacking football in this competition. Traditional 15 on 15, win your individual battles.

LoyalRoyal66 (Meath) - Posts: 85 - 22/11/2019 16:16:51    2250895

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 22/11/2019 19:10:26    2250926

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 22/11/2019 19:13:03    2250927

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 22/11/2019 19:14:53    2250928

Talking_Sense (Meath) - Posts: 209 - 22/11/2019 20:47:08    2250940

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 22/11/2019 22:21:05    2250950

1 Players called up to the Meath panel. These players have been definatly called up
Donal Lenihan, Jack O Connor, David Toner , Oisin O Brien , Brian Conlon , Paddy Kennelly , Jordan Morris , Thomas Murtagh , Matthew Costello, Caolach Halligan and Harry Hogan.
2 According to the Meath chronicle, players they expecting to feature also are Eamon Wallace, Joey Wallace, Cian O Brien, Daithi McGowan, Gavin McGowan, Sean Reilly, Jason Scully, Robyn Clarke, Niall Hickey and Daragh Griffin. While according to lads here, Ronan Jones will be back next May from the US, so he could be an option for the championship.
I wonder will Ruari O Coilean, Alan Forde be called up also.
3 Players gone from the Meath panel
eg Marcus Brennan , Adam Flanagan , Shane Glynn, Sean Curran, Daragh McGovern, Thomas McGovern and Owen McDonnell.

What I notice, Kennelly, McGowans, Conlon and Jones will help around the middle, we are a small team , who lack big men around the middle. This leads to problems with kickout, we lack high fielders and physicality around the middle. Also player like Morris and O Connor are able to win ball, bigger young forwards then lighter pacy forwards we have developed in recent years. Its noticeable allot of the new players are forwards. We need more in this area of the field. A forward line of Lenihan, Walsh and Newman would be my first choice for me with pacy forwards like J Wallace and Conlon as impact subs as well as Dardis or T O Reilly or maybe Morris.

There seems to be quite allot of players in the frame that were missing last year coz of travelling, working,studying abroad or long term injury or took the year out. Allot of these returnees are still relatively young , experienced inter county players who when last on the panel were starting. I definatly feel the depth and strenght of the panel is stronger next year, and I think that will keep us in div 1. I think we will stay in div 1 .The return of players like Lenihan, Wallace, Kennelly, Conlon will really strenghten the depth of the panel. And that could be the difference.

The first 3 games are massive, 2 of them at home. If you look at teams who stayed in div 1 eg Monaghan 2015 ( won 2 of their first 3 games) , Roscommon 2016( won 2 of their first 3 games) and Galway 2017 ( won their 3 first games), an early good start is essential. The top teams can be vulnerable in the first few rounds , after week 3 or 4 , things really hot up in div 1. Games v Donegal and Mayo in Navan in week 2 and week 3 are massive , and of course if we could get victory in Omagh, that would be brillant. 6 points is the magic number, 6 points , 97% of the time keeps you up in div 1. I cannot wait for the league, its a massive league for Meath and if we go down , I still think we go back up in 2021 ( the age profile is still young). But the question is will we yo yo between div 1 and 2 like Cavan, Roscommon and kildare are will we stay in div 1 like Monaghan and Galway. We havent put two seasons back to back in division 1 since 1996 1997 1998. Incredbile when you think of it. Stay in division for 2 or 3 seasons, well its obvious your team will break into top 6 in the country. Next 24 months are massive for McEntee and allot of the players who are now peaking from the 2012 minor team and players who debuted in 2012 , 2013, 2014 leinster final seasons.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 23/11/2019 06:54:27    2250965