I'd like to see if there are more players in the county that could challenge for a Meath jersey after the Championship came to an end the other night.I'd like to see Andrew Collins in a county jersey to see how he'd fare,I thought he did very well against Cian Ward the other night.Also Damien Sheridan has been knocking around these last couple of years playing really well for Seneschatstown.He probaly wouldn't be good enough to get on in Midfield,but has he been tried out either half-forwards or half-backs.
Also,after getting to the Championship Final last year,and the semi-final this year,surely Summerhill have at least a player or two that could make it onto the county panel!

johnboywalton58 (Meath) - Posts: 71 - 08/11/2009 00:17:54    478481

Johnboy it doesnt work to just stick a lad in half-forward just because he isnt good enough for midfield,that kind of thing annoys me a wee bit.meath will never challenge the top counties doing this,it was tried before with charles mc'carthy and john cullinane.the same goes for trying backs in the forwards,like when seamus kenny was tried there.he is a good half-back and always plays best in his natural position.another example is niall mcloughlin,who kind of went downhill after he was pushed up into the forwards a few years ago.it rarely works,if a lad isnt good enough for his own position then chances are he wont be very good in somebody elses.

lyoto.machida (Meath) - Posts: 343 - 08/11/2009 12:16:54    478584

graham reilly shud be there if he is fit again.

BettystownRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 3353 - 09/11/2009 15:59:26    479492

think mark carey and maurice kennedy should get a chance

julian (Meath) - Posts: 76 - 09/11/2009 18:46:50    479618

im not a huge follower of meath football but im in dcu and theres a young player called robbie wall a fantastic player with a sweet left foot and lethal on frees, injuries aside i cant see any way that this lad is not going all the way to the top of the inter-county scene. talented, commited and dogged this lad has the whole package.

monkeydude (Cavan) - Posts: 55 - 09/11/2009 20:29:18    479729

monkeydude
Robbie who. What club.

The real Árd Rí (Meath) - Posts: 990 - 09/11/2009 22:19:29    479817

Some of the Oldcastle players should defo be given a chance in the o Byrne cup especially the Gilsenan brothers.

theblindassasin (Meath) - Posts: 915 - 10/11/2009 10:43:23    480049

lyoto.machida: I take your point,but then again if a lad is a good footballer he should be adaptable to play anywhere.Look at Graham Geraghty,you could play him forward,midfield or in the backs,same with Trevor Giles.It's up to a footballer when given a jersey,to ask himself what are the main 2 or 3 objectives of that position.

johnboywalton58 (Meath) - Posts: 71 - 10/11/2009 14:59:39    480332

Very true johnboywalton. A good intelligent player can slot into any position. You need to change your mentality when playing in different positions.

Corner backs:
1) Defend. And ALWAYS know where your man is.
2) Offer support to half backs who may have to turn back for help.
3) Have Discipline.

Wing backs:
1) Again, priority is defend and ALWAYS know where your man is, even if you go forward.
2) Support Midfield and dive on any breaking ball in the middle.
3) Occasionally bomb forward

Midfield:
1) Compete for high ball, hard.
2) Get involved in all moves. Engine room.

Half Forwards:
1) Needs to be a good accurate passer. (not necessarily onto the chest).
2) Breaking ball.
3) Track back

Full Forwards:
1) Show, Show, Show for everything.
2) Look for the posts.
3) Look for support to lay off pass.

I think that covers the basics of what is required from each position in a very simple game!!!

Alias (Tipperary) - Posts: 463 - 10/11/2009 16:37:23    480419

robbi wall is from dunboyne. heard he bein injure for last year or so though.

Batman.No.1 (Meath) - Posts: 36 - 10/11/2009 16:55:25    480435

I mentioned Ciaran Martin the Tones corner back before, anyone think he's worth a look.

BoynesideBlue (Meath) - Posts: 130 - 10/11/2009 17:06:11    480449

Wall's the real deal alright, think he could make the breakthrough this year.

Stuck_for_ash (USA) - Posts: 123 - 10/11/2009 17:19:17    480466

I take your point Johnboy but in all honesty,damien sheridans a good auld tryer but ya couldnt compare him to graham or giles.very few players of that ability in the country,never mind just the county.

lyoto.machida (Meath) - Posts: 343 - 10/11/2009 17:39:33    480490

lyoto.machida - you made a comment that Meath will get nowhere by playing players out of position. However if you look at the various successful Meath teams during the years, Boylan had a knack for taking club defenders and turning them into inter county forwards. I think he felt backs had more passion and hunger to win a ball and this was more important to him on the intercounty stage. I'm thinking here about Donal Curtis, Evan kelly, Trevor Giles and others who operated in the backs at club level but made their names with the county team as forwards.

DowdtoFoleyGoal (Meath) - Posts: 292 - 10/11/2009 17:50:20    480491

i taught david lyons was the best keeper in the county 2 years ago and should've got a chance with meath but he went to america and that passed, but now he's back and should definitely get a chance this year, in my opinion he's better then o'rourke, he's comfortable under the high ball, his kick outs are always long and very accurate, and he proved in the final his shot stopping and reflexes is excellant, should be meaths no.1. i also think andy collins from the seneschalstown, paddy smyth from o'mahonys, niall mcloughlin from the tones, ciaran lynch from st ultans should all get a chance next year

The.Rock (Meath) - Posts: 582 - 10/11/2009 19:09:57    480544

Fair enough DowdtoFoley,some good examples there,wasnt aware giles played in the backs at all.however i think its a different game nowadays than it was even 10 years ago.besides,i dont think meath have players now that have the talent to be able to play in different positions.maybe im wrong.

lyoto.machida (Meath) - Posts: 343 - 10/11/2009 19:28:52    480566

lyoto.machida:
You're right in the sense that for some reason Meath isn't producing the type of outstanding players they did during the late 80's and throughout the 90's.Cian Ward shows signs of brilliance but everyone knows he has a long way to go to being one of the best forwards in the country.I think thats why everybody was so happy to see Meath in the All-Ireland semi-final this year.I don't want to run down the current Meath players,they're giving their all I'm sure.Can anyone think of why there has been a decline in Meath football??

johnboywalton58 (Meath) - Posts: 71 - 10/11/2009 19:56:18    480596

I think the reasons are fairly obvious. Sean Boylan's tenure as manager was a long and very successful one by Meath standards but unfortunately it seems to have papered over the cracks in the county's footballing infrastructure. If we had been less succesful, if Boylan had been dismissed early on, who knows, maybe two barren decades would have forced a radical rethink in the way we develop the game at under-age level and up. Meath has a big playing base and the southern clubs in the county should be reaping the rewards of a population boom with the expansion of Dublin's suburbs past Clonee and Dunboyne. In a way this has been borne out by the success of clubs like Donaghmore-Ashbourne, Blackhall Gaels and Ratoath at underage level. But you have to wonder is enough being done? The current county board haven't exactly done much to endear themselves to gaels looking for signs of progress in the county. Colm O'Rourke wrote an interesting article last year describing the predicament that Meath football was in at the time. He declared that with the number of football clubs in the county and the lack of a real, intense rivalry from other sports, (including hurling, sadly) Meath should be the Kerry of the east. I don't know how true that is but most fans here seem to believe that we've been punching way below our weight lately. I actually believe that the current crop of players are the best to come along in a long time. When you look at the potential of the Brays, Sheridans, Cian Ward, Shane O'Rourke and Brian Farrell we arguably have the best collection of young forwards in the country. But that of course means nothing if the coaching isn't good enough. I was disappointed to see Eamonn Barry's tenure being cut short, he's a controversial figure I know but I think he could have moulded the current generation into a squad good enough to rival the Kerrys and Tyrones of this world.

Googan (Meath) - Posts: 105 - 12/11/2009 20:54:33    482496

meath sfc 2010
whos going to win it
speak now

mickser (Meath) - Posts: 48 - 12/11/2009 21:28:42    482526

Who off the 2006, 2007 & 2008 minors should be making their way onto the senior panel? Might be early for some but there should plenty of talent there. Just soe names that come to mind would be Mallon, Johnson, Battersby, Smith, Silke. Im sure there's others but we should have a good bit of talent coming into the squad soon.

LoyalRoyal (None) - Posts: 465 - 16/11/2009 11:44:49    484837