Replying To Cabbagepatch1667: "The structure is all wrong, lads in the 30s really shouldn't be involved in it It should be an Under 25 or 26 competition, giving younger players a chance to impress or maybe unearth someone like Sean Rafferty who might have been a late developer.
You don't really get a whole lot out of playing the older lads other than filling numbers. And there seems to be a lo to that going on, lack of a buy in from some clubs who have just had a long year and don't want to play.
It has a lot of potential, but the coverage and marketing behind the whole thing is really poor. There's very little information on panels, management etc.."
Is the whole point of Regional Teams not to have the best players from each Club on said team? Excluding lads over a certain age is bringing in a cohort of lads purely on their age and not merit/ability, and reducing the standard. The Kerry system has the best players playing against the Senior Clubs. Surely a similar setup could be employed here, which would probably contribute to a greater buy in from players. Currently they are predominantly playing against the same lads as they have played all year. The secondary function of the regional competition right now is to unearth lads for the County team, diluting the standard through restrictions on age will contradict that.
Going by last nights game don't really know what's the point to this. It should be limited to players under 25 and just 4 teams. There were lads there last night in their mid to late 30s and other lads who struggle to get on their own club teams.
A number of things are wrong with the Regionals ..
1) The age profile - however this can't be put on the players. I'm sure a lot of lads, once asked would be happy to play so they just get on with it. I also don't think a small scattering of slightly older lads is too bad....it can again bring younger lads on.
2) The county board wanted some sort of instant results from this - things like this take time to see results. This is so evident in the lack of respect towards it this year - no marketing, team sheets, no umpires, no linesmen, no in game promotion etc etc
3) There must be a carrot at the end for a winning side - this will end in late November, surely....the winning side could be included in the Feis Cup. It doesn't have to be a dramatic jump of including all 8 regions - but only one.....or what about a season opener, like the 'Community Shield' - winners of regionals play the senior champions. It becomes a big annual game, new trophy, branded and marketed well.
The simple fact about this competition is that it is there to improve Meath football overall - the county board of massively dropped the ball.