Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1003 - 29/10/2020 08:17:59    2302718

Best wishes to the legend that is Graham Gerathy. Please god he all goes well for him.

sourmilk93 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1186 - 29/10/2020 09:12:46    2302727

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 29/10/2020 10:45:15    2302747

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2564 - 29/10/2020 10:55:52    2302751

Best wishes to Graham and family, get well soon.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2195 - 29/10/2020 17:57:18    2302907

BEST wishes to Graham Geraghty from all in Longford

gaasport (Longford) - Posts: 30 - 29/10/2020 18:39:14    2302923

News seems a bit more positive tonight.

https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2020/10/29/early-signs-positive-for-graham-geraghty/

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2195 - 29/10/2020 19:05:32    2302931

Wishing all the best to Graham. Hope everything is okay and he makes a full recovery. One of the most talented footballers of last 40 years. Along with Mick Lyons the most loved footballer in Meath. A GAA great.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 30/10/2020 07:58:50    2302998

I think this doesnt seem to be noticed here.
It looks like the promotions and relegation for this years leagues wouldnt count next year and maybe never count.

Because Covid they are thinking of stopping counties going the lenght and breath of the country like the Donegal team going to kerry and Kerry going to Monaghan. They are thinking of having geographical divisions, division divided into 4 areas. And maybe 2022 have the divisions based on this leagues out come so Armagh and Roscommon are in div 1 in 2022. But that might not happen eitheir. Thats seems to be unlikely. I am only guessing that part myself that they might have 2022 league based on this years league. We just dont know. But having a league based geographical area and they are thinking of holding it March April May next year.

They are thinking of 4 divs of 8 and then dividing each div into one group of 4 eg 1B and another group of 4 eg 1B and winners of each group play in div final eg 1A winners v 1B Winners.
I am probaly not explaining myself well. It is very hard to teams who were promoted this year. Anyway here are the groups

North West Div 1
Donegal Sligo Derry Roscommon Fermanagh longford leitrim Mayo
North East Div 2
Monaghan Cavan Down Meath Armagh Tyrone Antrim louth
South West Div 3
Kerry Offaly Westmeath laois Galway limerick Clare
( This will be 7 team div)
South East Div 4
Dublin Cork kildare WIcklow Wexford Waterford Carlow Tippearey

Last time they this had all divisions with div 1 2 3 and 4 teams in one div was 1998 when Galway who were rank outsiders at start of the year in 1998 won Sam in Sept 98. Galway were div 3 team in 97 and didnt get promoted or relegated in 97. They stayed in div 3. Yet 98 league GAA mixed up the leagues and Kerry and Dublin were in div 3 with Wexford and Galway and Mayo were in div 1 with kilkenny. Galway topped the group and won Sam. Technically the only team in last 50 years from div 3 to win Sam.
So it is likely next years league will be shaped by Geography rather then merit.

North East Div 2
Monaghan Cavan Down Meath Armagh Tyrone Antrim louth
So that very likely be the group in. Its one of the toughest compared to kildare and Dublin who have a pile of div 4 teams. If the league went on planned league we would have 1 Ulster team eg Down. In this North East div we would have 5 Ulster teams basically a mini Ulster championship. We all know our record v Ulster teams. Our draw v Monaghan was the first result Meath got against top Ulster team in league or championship in 13 years since 2007 Tyrone Quater final. Our draw v Monaghan was the first result Meath got against top Ulster team in league in 14 years since we beat Amragh in 2006 league. Our draw v Monaghan was the first result Meath got against top Ulster team in Ulster in league or championship since in over 20 years since late 90s. If we can start beating Ulster team again. It will be massive. It is very hard to know when we will be in div 1 again. Because how long will these regional divisions continue. Playing div 1 football was essential for any team breaking into top 6 in the country in the past.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 30/10/2020 08:07:05    2302999

Furlong, great post as always

in terms of beating ulster teams we have been doing that in recent years. we've been beating Cavan and Down in the league regularly in recent times. We beat Armagh in 2019.

Our problem is against Monaghan, Donegal and Tyrone. Those teams have all been better set up, better managed and better footballers than us in the last 15 or so years and especially in the last 10. We're closing the gap for sure and hopefully we can start winning against these teams more regullarly

Based on your 4 team and sub divisions I'd guess we'd play Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. If we can't beat those teams and split results with Monaghan we're wasting our time.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 30/10/2020 11:43:28    2303041

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1523 - 30/10/2020 12:44:22    2303064

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 30/10/2020 17:56:20    2303149

ASaminthehand (Meath) - Posts: 422 - 31/10/2020 00:47:42    2303228

Just firstly I want to talk about Meath gaa in general, the general plan for the coming years, then about current team and then about the changing club scene in Meath and its impact possibly on the senior team.

Dublin have 1 full time coach for each club. This began in mid 00s. Bertie Ahern saw that southside Dublin suburbia had so many areas lacking gaa. He also said that teachers were not able to train kids gaa after school as so much time after school was a big communter travel home for teachers. Ahern and the Irish government gave gaa in Dublin 1 million under Irish sports council to increase participation in gaa in Dublin.And so begins 60 plus full time coachs for Dublin. In the following years GAA gave the Dubs 16.5 million to keep full time coachs going. It was a huge sucess. It worked. Clubs like Ballyboden Kilmacud Crokes and Cuala became super clubs and the following decade Dublin won more All Irelands in one decade then any county in history.

While Dublin had 60 plus coachs a year from 2005 to 2020. Up to 2018 Meath had 4 and kildare had 3 full time coachs. With Meath kildares population exploding , Meath doubled its popumation to 200000. When Meath beat Mayo in 1996 Mayo had a bigger populstion. When Meath won Sam in 87 to 99 the population was one of the lower counties that won Sam in last 60 years with population of just over 100000. From 1960 to 2000 all the All Ireland winnere had bigger populations then Meath. Kerry, Dublin, Cork Down Galway Derry Donegal. Only Offaly had a smaller population then Meath. Meath had rural population which was well spreadout.

Now Meath has a massive suburbia area to the South east. Gaa started up 3 years ago the East leinster Project were 1.5 mill was given to kildare Meath Wicklow and louth. All 3 countied got 100000 upfront in 2017
Since 2019 Meath now has 17 full time coachs. So basically 1 coach can cover 4 or 5 clubs. In the past with 4 coachs in total 1 coach had to train / coach 20 clubs. Kildare have 17 full time coachs and louth and Wiicklow have 7 each since 2018 and 2019.

While its nothing like Dublins investment . The Dublin investment has showed this works very succesfully.If this is continued and all 4 counties can pay for these coachs. I think you will see inprovement in underage teams in louth and Wicklow anf Meath and kildare soon.

Already before this Meath and kildare in response to Dublins dominance got their act together at underage. Kildare have won leinster minor titles nd under 20 All Ireland title. Meath have won leinster minor titles at under 16 17 and 18. Meath have a problem at under 20 no leinster title at u20 or u21 in 19 year, 1 leinster final appearance at u20 or u21 in 19 years is shocking. Dubs won 5 under 21 Irelands in the same period. It explains Dublins sucess and Meaths decline the above u20/u21 stats. Meath are competitive at under 20 the only team in country to beat under 20 t All Ireland champions kildare n the championship. The problem is the Dubs. The Dubs when they hit under 20 their coaching strenght and conditioning and orgainsatiion kicks in. But if Meath can get one victory at under 20 v Dubs I think in 2020s I think Meath will start winning leinster under 20 titles. If we keep producing players who are beating at Dublin minor it should in time lead to a stronger Meath at under 20.

Meath at minor are beating Dublin at levels unheard of in history leinster football at underage While Meath havent made impact nationally at minor the results v Dubs are eye catching. When Meath hammered Dublin by 11 points in leinster minor championship 2 weeks it was said that it was 3rd time in 4 years Meath have beaten Dublin at minor. Actually its better then that if you include Meath minor hammering of Dublin in 2016 and 2 victories over Dublin in inaugural first minor All Ireland championship
Meath have beaten Dublin 5 times in last 6 years in leinster minor chanpionship.


For example Shane Walsh has beaten Dublin twice at underage and Jordan Morris who was man of the match in this years leinster league game which Meath beat Dubs at under 20 ( Dubs won leinster championship v Meath later on in the year) means Jordan Morris has beaten Dublin three times at underage. For years Meath players were coming on the team with no confidence after bad defeats to Dublin and also kildare at underage. These new young Meath footballers have huge confidence. Beating Dublin at any level in any era gives Meath footballer huge confidence. Their confidence increases tenfold. And you can see Shane Walsh at 19 scoring 4 points from play v Dubs recently and Jordan Morris 19 scoring two points from play v Dubs. These guys have no fear of Dublin because they are not only beating Dublin in many cases they are hammering Dublin at underage
. For example
n 2020 Meath beat Dublin by 11 points in leinster minor
In 2018 Meath beat Dubs by 2 points in leinster minor
In 2017 Meath beat Dubs by 5 pointd leinster minor
In 2017 Meath beat Dubs by 5 points in leinster minor Group stages
In 2016 Meath beat Dublin by 10 points in leinster minor

Meath players like Shane Walsh looked better and bigger then Dublin players at minor. And this has meant Meath have players coming off underage teams and making immediate impact at senior like Jordan Morrris scoring 7 points as a sub v Monaghan. You have to go back to the 90s to see Meath footballers that age making such impact.

In the last 2 league games Meath had youngest team in div 1. Meath had 10 players who played v Dubs and Monaghan who were 21 and under. Meath in early stage of the league had 10 to 12 first team players missing in first 5 league games.and 9 first team plsyers nearly all their defence missing v Dubs. But these young Meath players came in with lots of confidence and made impact .v Monaghan game Meath had near full 15 and Meaths panel is the strongest I have ever seen now. In 80s 90s teams didnt have strong benchs. Meath had Padraig lyons and Mattie Mcabr in 80s and in 90s Meath had Jody Devine and Ray Magee. And thats pretty much it.

Anyway here is age of Meath playere v Dubs and Monaghan
Shane Walsh 19
Jordan Morris 19
Cathal Hickey 19
Eoin Harkin 21
Dara Campion 21
Ethan Devine 21
James Conlon 21
Jason Scully 21
Matthew Costello 19
Jack O Connor 19

And this minor team who hammered the Dubs two weeks go is the biggest I have seen Meath have at minor in over a decade. Look a class team and their captain Eoghan Frayne who scored 7 Dubs looks a great prospect. And we need forwards. We have good defence better then say teams ar our level Kildare anf Armagh who both are very poor at the back. Dublin forwards told Bernard Flynn and national journalist the best defendere they have faced in the last few years are Meath. Yes forwards had meltdown v Dubs , Meath did keep Dublin to lowest first half championship score since v infamous Donegal semi final v Dubs in 2011. Meath have good defenders eg McGill Harnan Lavin Gallaghet Ryan McEntee Harkin Hickey and one great efender eg keoghan. That Meath defence is as good as some defences in div 1.

Jones return means we have our first proper mid partnership since Gillespie and Meade in 2012 2013. Menton has had 9 differemt partners under McEntee. Jones is best pound for pound best midfielder in the county and his return from USA you could see v Monaghan where Jones for me was Man of the Match, Jones and Menton could form a mobile ball carrying midfield which will cause many teams trouble.

The problems last year were upfront v saw v Dubs. Problems in 5 league games was upfront. While we did ok upfront we lacked a marque forward. However we scored 19 v Dubs and 1-17 v Monaghan. That is good scoring v top teams. Anf for the first time in years our bench made a bigger impact them div 1 teams bench. When Donegal beat us three times last year and kery Mayo beat us also. Their bench made a stronger impact then our bench. V Monaghan and Dubs Meaths bench made bigger impact

V dubs.
Dublin subs scored 0
Meath subs scored 4 points ( 2 Morris, B Conlon 1 , j Conlon)
V Monaghan
Monaghan subs scored 1 point
Meath subs scored 8 points ( 7 Morris 1 Wallace)
That is good to see. These young Meath players have confidence in themselves
.
The issue upfront looks better as a group of excitig young forwards have energed in the last while. You cannot gurantee what these players can do. But if 2 or 3 of them were reallly step up into top class forwards this would be massive. We need a trio a duo upfront . Every top team has one eg Clifford, Geaney, Donoghue/ McBreaty Murphy. Every top Meath team had one eg O Rourke Stafford Flynn in 80s and Graham and Ollie in 90s. In last few years we have chopped and changed our inside line. But maybe Morris Walsh O Reilly could be that trio. Walsh scored 10 point v Dubs and kerry at 19 and kerry couldnt handle him at all. He the modern target man we have been crying for. Thomas O Reilly has really done well on frees. An area we were struggling on. I think we have gone from 60% free conversion rate to 90% one. Thomas is improving especially last 12 months. In next two years I think he can be really important player. Jordan Morris comes from that part of Meath the small villages in the north that produce best finishers best inside forwards in Meath and sometimes Ireland from places like Nobber Kilmainwood Carnaross. Players like Stafford Murphy Magee Newman and Farrell. Young Morris is the heir to those forwards. He is a proper poacher proper finisher. 9 points from the bench v two best teams in the country still 19 is some going. And he got lots of goal chances. He missed because of inexperience. That will come . But its how he got himself free and in great positions its a long time since I saw Meath inside forward do that v top Ulster team

Also there is other young forward talent that have potential with Campion Devine Scully and Costello on the 40 and inside forwards like J Conlon J O Connor . And Aaron lynch an exciting Trim forward also being called up. for Meath. And Luke Mitchell Dunshaughlin who waa a star in the leinster minor winninh team and was excellent for Dunshauglin at senior this year and is still only 19 and looks a real prospect. And as I mentiomed Eoghan Frayne from minors also is a prospect. Frayne and Shane Walsh are the two I rate highest of these young forwards that have and are cominf through. But you just dont know with young lads. But J Conlon Morris Mitchell Lynch Costello Campion are all very exciting. They have rejuvenated this Meath team.

While McEntee has strenghtened the defence and also instilled a bit of fight in these Meath players. Meath were 6 to 7 points dowm v Dublin kerry and Monaghan after 15 mins. Meath before 2018 would have collasped and being hammered. And with nothing to play for Monaghan fighting for survival But in all 3 ganes Meath fought and could have won All.3 games.

Nally as coach is improving things as we are adapting to modern possesion tactics game more them ever we have done in last 15 yesrs. Mentons goal v Monaghans and Hickeys missed chance v Dubs the build up play was quality possesion football. But yes there is issue with goalie Andy has made a ness of that. Maybe young goalies like Hogan from longwood or this years under 20 goalie Sean Brennan or Drumbaragh Corcorcan or Pluck from Ballinabrackry could be looked at.. But in so many areas we progessing. If we could just get one victory v top team. I think that would ber a gamechanger.

Just to finish I do feel are entering a new era in Meath football. The 4th era in Meath football
1st Era 40s 50s 60s from 1947 to 1970. Fr Tully was coach 3 All Irelands 7 leinster 2 national league titles with great playere like O Briens McDermont Bryne kerrigan Reynold snr Cunningham and Quinn. Two different teams but with Fr Tully coaching both it is really one era. For me Skyrne who won 7 county titles in 40s were the team who kickstarted this era

2nd Era Boylan Years and Decade before 1974 to 2005. I include 74 75 76 77 games v Dublin as beginning of modern Meath v Dubs rivalry begins here. Summerhill are the club that kickstarts this era with county titles and leinster club title. Mick lyons was the main leader of that 87 88 team. He represnted a new Meath footballer from new football area with west of Ireland parents. Many of 87 88 96 99 team had west of Ireland parents. And of course Boylan takes over and. The Rest is history.

3rd Era is Post Boylan era 2006 to 2019. Changing managers fallout from 2010 leinster final we declined like any gaa team does have a golden age and how any sport team declines after great manager who is 20 years in charge leaves eg Ferguson at Man Utd. At club level.we saw the emergence of so many first senior winnere eg Dunshaugllin Blackhall Gaels Rataoth Wolfe Tones Simontown gael and many of them from the south east of the county. It didnt have a positive on county team. But maybe in 2020s it will.

4th Era 2020 - ?
It does feel like a new era. 2010 leinster final did terrible pyschological damage to the counties pride. Our supporters and players I think felt the pride was gone from the county. We were hung out to dry by the gaa. But it wasnt something we were proud. And I do feel it did effect the morale in the county badly. And the loses to Dublin in 2014 leinster final and loss to Westmearh in 2015 leinster championship also effected our counties morale.

But for these young Meath footballers 2010 it is just you tube moment. They dont really remeber. They have the old Meath swagger. I feel its coming back. It will take time and ups But I think this could a strong era for Meath. With East leinster project basically doing what happening in Dublin for 15 years with full time coachs, is
now happening in Meath and kildare. Not as large investment as the Dubs but Seamus kenny believes in 4 or 5 years time we see a positive inpact on senior team.

And this whole new area in Meath that has become a football stronghold eg from Bettystown to Ashbourne to Rataoth, to Dunshaughlin and Dunboyne and I would include Enfield Na Fianna ( Even though it is more to south west() in this growth in Meath suburbia football. If we can tap into this new positive energy into these new succcessful clubs and keep football strong in the rural hearlands and strong in the old towns of Navan Kells and Trim.and make sure football is kept strong in the north of the county, especially villages like Carnaross Nobber and kilmainhamwood. I think we are going places.

Maybr a club Rataoth like could kickstart a new era in Meath football like Skryne did in 40s. I can see Ratsoth St Colmcilles Ashbourne Dunshaughlins Dunboynes becoming kilmad Crokes Ballybodens Cuala of Meath football. Clubs like Crokes and Ballyboden in Dublin had a big role in kickstarting Dubs greatest era. Particularly Rataoth they are look like a potential superpower in Meath football. And maybe Meath first evet All Ireland winner could come from this area, who knows. Ratoath will continue to be sucessful and with that will become unpopular like Crokes in Dublin. But just like Crokes I think Rataoth and some surrounding clubs like St Colmcilles are gonna big players on Meath scene for a while and this could have a positive impact senior team. It hasnt really yet. But I think it can in the future.
For me kildare and Meath are in the same position. Both pop has exploded since 2000. Whoever taps into this populatiom will have huge sucess, maybe unprecedented sucess. Maybe the first three in a row Meath team is ahead. Who knows but I definately feel the tetonic plates are moving and changing in Mearh football. I think its a positive change and we are now entering a progessive period in Meath football.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 31/10/2020 08:10:10    2303241

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 31/10/2020 09:09:58    2303242

ASaminthehand (Meath) - Posts: 422 - 31/10/2020 10:44:48    2303260

Borderroyal (Meath) - Posts: 496 - 31/10/2020 15:35:37    2303348

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 596 - 31/10/2020 15:56:04    2303382

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 31/10/2020 21:03:30    2303599

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 596 - 31/10/2020 22:56:40    2303648