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Meath Hurlers 2020

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Replying To stillaroyal: "I think its great for the lad himself and his family and hopefully he will continue to do well with Waterford and continue to progress. However, I am not sure if I agree that its good for Meath hurling - in fact would say that it is worse for Meath hurling as it demonstrates that we cant hold on to our best players and this might encourage others who will no doubt be approached if they start to do well in college hurling. Meath hurling needs as many good players like Jack coming through & developing. Also, it must be a bit demotivating to club mentors when they are then struggling with their adult teams after losing their best players. We have lost football players to Aussie Football also and, as mentioned here, we haven't heard that happening as much in Dublin. Even in Meath's glory days we did not get the equivalent players from other counties. Selfishly we want to be a RECEIVER of these players and not lose them" I dont want to bring up this nonsense again around Jack, the lad lived down there, worked down there, so naturally it made sense for him to play down there. he wasnt poached, meath werent robbed, we can hold onto our best players but as is the case across ireland , sometimes lads move away to other clubs. Sorry but you make it sound like Rathmolyon and meath were robbed. totally wrong. In Jacks case he made the hard decision to leave his club for the betterment of his own life and fair play to him, was good enough to make it on their county team and its taken him a long time to really nail his spot. I dont think you would find anyone in Rathmolyon with hard feelings and one swallow dosnt make a summer. Irish_downunder (Meath) - Posts: 630 - 04/12/2020 10:36:14 2318087 Link
Replying To Thelongwoodslasher: " Replying To CastleBravo: "As you say, fair play to him personally, but the idea this is encouraging for Meath is untrue. If anything it's a bit demoralising. What's the takeaway message for other young hurlers? If you show some promise you can leave the Meath system at 19 and spend several years immersed among far far better hurlers than we have in Meath, and then can reach the top level with a different county? Fagan has spent the last 5 years playing club hurling with and against some of the best hurlers in Ireland (one of his clubmates is Kevin Moran FFS). We can't replicate that in Meath with all the funding in the world, until we build the player base hugely. Look at how long it took Dublin to climb the ranks in hurling, and they started at a higher level than us, with a far bigger number of hurling clubs and population. Even if Meath started to invest in hurling today, it'd take decades to catch up." jez CB....I hear your pain & share it, but lets use it as a start of something good. One of our own, with (as you say) recent exposure to top notch competition & environment has reached the pinnacle, or damn close to it …… so another way of looking at it is to see it as up to 5 years again, what Jack was experiencing in both club & county gave him a really solid foundation to reach the top.... so, we are not a finishing factory....but how do we become one? I do agree with you , and experienced a lot of mixed emotions , but overall im left with a feeling of positivity around the whole thing. ….PS...also dont disagree with your overall point on dublin, but I do disagree with the way Dublin have put the athletic emphasis over the hurling skill emphasis...I personally think Dublin have called the balance in their development plan a bit wrong" To close that gap comes down to standard of coaching at all grades. one thing that stands out to me when watching the Teir 1 teams is their forwards ability to take scores while moving away from goal with their backs to it. Very few in meath have this sort of capability and thats where the scoring difference comes into it when we play the teams above us. Our defenders dont expect it as they dont face it in training/club level so are not tight enough and our forwards cant do it. Irish_downunder (Meath) - Posts: 630 - 04/12/2020 10:41:56 2318091 Link
Replying To Irish_downunder: "I dont want to bring up this nonsense again around Jack, the lad lived down there, worked down there, so naturally it made sense for him to play down there. he wasnt poached, meath werent robbed, we can hold onto our best players but as is the case across ireland , sometimes lads move away to other clubs. Sorry but you make it sound like Rathmolyon and meath were robbed. totally wrong. In Jacks case he made the hard decision to leave his club for the betterment of his own life and fair play to him, was good enough to make it on their county team and its taken him a long time to really nail his spot. I dont think you would find anyone in Rathmolyon with hard feelings and one swallow dosnt make a summer." Read my post again and get off your high horse. I was answering a previous poster who was indicating that it was good for meath hurling. I wished the lad all the best and can certainly understand why he did it. But anyone who thinks it is in some way good for Meath hurling is delusional. stillaroyal (Meath) - Posts: 224 - 04/12/2020 12:09:24 2318113 Link
Replying To stillaroyal: "Read my post again and get off your high horse. I was answering a previous poster who was indicating that it was good for meath hurling. I wished the lad all the best and can certainly understand why he did it. But anyone who thinks it is in some way good for Meath hurling is delusional." what I don't think is delusional is the idea that , with the right environment a kid playing hurling from meath can reach the top.....what I agree with you that may be delusional is whether WE in Meath can create that environment within our own county Thelongwoodslasher (Meath) - Posts: 384 - 04/12/2020 12:28:02 2318127 Link
Replying To Thelongwoodslasher: "what I don't think is delusional is the idea that , with the right environment a kid playing hurling from meath can reach the top.....what I agree with you that may be delusional is whether WE in Meath can create that environment within our own county" related to the topic, and the general felling of a mountain to climb...Cuala appoint John Twomey (currently assitant Garda Comissioner ) as Manager of their Senior Hurling Team AND...Eddie Brennan as Coach.....holie jazuz . Thelongwoodslasher (Meath) - Posts: 384 - 04/12/2020 13:05:46 2318142 Link
Replying To Thelongwoodslasher: "what I don't think is delusional is the idea that , with the right environment a kid playing hurling from meath can reach the top.....what I agree with you that may be delusional is whether WE in Meath can create that environment within our own county" Couldn't agree more. In my opinion, when Jack left for Waterford (or even down to Carlow IT) there were at least 5/6 other lads in the county that were in around the same age that I'd have considered to be better players or at least on a par with Jack Fagan. Getting 4 years in a Fitzgibbon college, years on the club scene in Waterford and a ton of hard work has turned him into a potential 2020 All Star. Saddest part is that his ambitions couldn't be matched in Meath. I'd like to wish him all the best for next weekend as he continues on what is a remarkable story. If he replicates his semi final performance we could have our first ever Meath All Star (well kind of). begining (UK) - Posts: 300 - 04/12/2020 13:34:17 2318164 Link
Replying To begining: "Couldn't agree more. In my opinion, when Jack left for Waterford (or even down to Carlow IT) there were at least 5/6 other lads in the county that were in around the same age that I'd have considered to be better players or at least on a par with Jack Fagan. Getting 4 years in a Fitzgibbon college, years on the club scene in Waterford and a ton of hard work has turned him into a potential 2020 All Star. Saddest part is that his ambitions couldn't be matched in Meath. I'd like to wish him all the best for next weekend as he continues on what is a remarkable story. If he replicates his semi final performance we could have our first ever Meath All Star (well kind of)." 100% agree. Irish_downunder (Meath) - Posts: 630 - 04/12/2020 13:55:32 2318187 Link
Replying To Thelongwoodslasher: "what I don't think is delusional is the idea that , with the right environment a kid playing hurling from meath can reach the top.....what I agree with you that may be delusional is whether WE in Meath can create that environment within our own county" It's gonna be very difficult alright. You would hope that investment and support for county hurlers all the way up to be the same as the footballers. stillaroyal (Meath) - Posts: 224 - 04/12/2020 14:09:42 2318198 Link
After watching Jack Fagan play at Elite level got me thinking what other Meath Hurlers in last say decade could off played at the top level? Slimbob (Meath) - Posts: 26 - 17/12/2020 12:38:20 2323117 Link
Replying To Slimbob: "After watching Jack Fagan play at Elite level got me thinking what other Meath Hurlers in last say decade could off played at the top level?" i'll accept an accusation of bias here, but D Healy...and Stoney would have made it at the top in hurling Thelongwoodslasher (Meath) - Posts: 384 - 17/12/2020 14:22:22 2323163 Link
And stoney what? He's not even good enough for Meath Meathgaalad (Meath) - Posts: 169 - 17/12/2020 16:37:19 2323216 Link
Replying To Thelongwoodslasher: "i'll accept an accusation of bias here, but D Healy...and Stoney would have made it at the top in hurling" I do think Healy would make it he won two Fitzgibbons All Stars and seems to be professional with his attitude. But come on do you really think Micky Burke would ? Slimbob (Meath) - Posts: 26 - 17/12/2020 16:46:42 2323222 Link
Clynch, Healy, Whitty and Mcgann I think would cut it at the top they have all the attributes. Slimbob (Meath) - Posts: 26 - 17/12/2020 16:56:20 2323228 Link
Replying To Slimbob: "I do think Healy would make it he won two Fitzgibbons All Stars and seems to be professional with his attitude. But come on do you really think Micky Burke would ?" ah jazuz lads....id did warn at the start that I had a lot of bias..go easy on me .Young Whitty deffo of current crop....in past Stephen Donoghue of kiltale was a class act Thelongwoodslasher (Meath) - Posts: 384 - 17/12/2020 17:07:10 2323232 Link
Replying To Thelongwoodslasher: "ah jazuz lads....id did warn at the start that I had a lot of bias..go easy on me .Young Whitty deffo of current crop....in past Stephen Donoghue of kiltale was a class act" btw if you want to go back even further...Pat Potterton, serious stuff Thelongwoodslasher (Meath) - Posts: 384 - 17/12/2020 17:41:08 2323240 Link
Replying To Thelongwoodslasher: "btw if you want to go back even further...Pat Potterton, serious stuff" Pat potterton, Joey Toole and an injury free Gavin McGowan I feel Meathgaalad (Meath) - Posts: 169 - 17/12/2020 18:01:15 2323246 Link
Replying To Meathgaalad: "Pat potterton, Joey Toole and an injury free Gavin McGowan I feel" last one from me....a really fit & conditioned Nicky Horan Thelongwoodslasher (Meath) - Posts: 384 - 17/12/2020 18:04:02 2323248 Link
Replying To Slimbob: "Clynch, Healy, Whitty and Mcgann I think would cut it at the top they have all the attributes." Would add douglas to that. Mcgann is one of the top keepers in the country so easily make the grade Irish_downunder (Meath) - Posts: 630 - 18/12/2020 09:05:40 2323337 Link
Present day players i think McGann is the only one, both ability and the level of fitness prior to his departure, StickFan (Meath) - Posts: 217 - 18/12/2020 10:10:24 2323345 Link
Going back a little bit further - Joey Toole - unreal talent. stillaroyal (Meath) - Posts: 224 - 18/12/2020 10:12:40 2323347 Link