Meath captain Kevin Reilly has spoken out against personal criticism of GAA players.

Following the aftermath of a disappointing Leinster final performance, Reilly has hit out at some of the unjust personal attacks encountered by some of his teammates.

"People have to see that there is a line", he said at the preview to Saturday's Round 4B of the Qualifiers in Croke Park, "see that players don't go out to perform badly.

"They perform to the best of their ability on any given day. Sometimes it doesn't go right.

"These personal attacks on players, especially young players and inexperienced players … it's just not fair, especially as an amateur.

"You go back to work and having to listen to this, this personal insult and criticism of you as a person, don't mind as a player, is so wrong."

Reilly insists that players should not be immune to criticism, but believes that there are better ways to voice opinions than to abuse the players on a personal level.

"I spoke to ex-Meath players afterwards and they'd a good way of dealing with it, without being personal, they said that it was a poor performance, and it's how you react to that.

"And that's, in my opinion, the right way of doing it. Ok, you're criticising but it's almost constructive.

Asked if he was subjected to personal abuse in the wake of the defeat to Dublin, Reilly replied:

"I have had a few interesting conversations with people. They were very brief.

"Most guys can deal with it but I don't think it is fair and when it turns personal and nasty it is wrong." Tweet

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