Meath Forum

Meath 2020

(Oldest Posts First)

Another decade over. The GAA has always based its eras off of the measurement of the decade. The 2010s firmly belonged to Dublin. Likely the most one-sided decade in the game's history, a phenomenal team with no clear signs of slowing down into the 20s. It was also an era that will forever be pockmarked by the scourge of overtly defensive, bordering on negative tactics, practically unwatchable at all levels bar a few very competitive sides from Ulster. An era where traditionally strong counties, such as ourselves, Cork, Galway, and arguably even Kerry if we look at success in terms of trophies, languished. An era wherein an extremely hungry Mayo captured the hearts of the nation, yet it all added up to squat. An era where rule-changes, player welfare issues, attendance issues, player retention issues, and rampant talk of change and overhaul reigned supreme. Mercifully, its over. Great if you're a Dub, otherwise it will not be missed.

There are positive signs of change in the styles of play and the attitudes coming from management within successful counties. There seems to be a gradual emphasis placed upon the fair and balanced funding of the inter-county game and the structure of inter-county competition, de-centralisation of the capital city and county, the super 8s will likely be a short lived venture, but the idea was based off of the right line of thinking. Two or or even three tiered championships are inevitable. The rose-tinted glasses we all put on when addressing the game of antiquities past, namely pre-millenium are just that, rose tinted. The game has changed and is changing and those days are never coming back. We must adapt. If elements of the GAA which oppose these types of change in favour of stoic and cold conservatism and idealisation of the past, and sit idly by collecting their huge profits from 4/5 big games per year, under the pretence that everything is ok, then I genuinely fear for the future of the game. This is a large element of the GAA hierarchy and is even visible at grassroots community level, and I worry about the generation gap and shifting mindset of these people with the up and coming generation, for whom there is a lot of work to be done and the state of the game of football is plain to see.

As a Meathman, I believe 2019 to be the best year Ive had following Meath. I am 24 years of age, I was a child of the 90s. I barely remember those old says. This year was the closest Ive seen to the mythologised teams of the past. However as I said earlier, we must move on from that era, not judge these new players off of their heralded fathers and grandfathers. The county has changed. I am proud of that team and the effort they put in all year. They did thenselves proud in the super 8s and Im delighted for the men who received all star nominations. On a bleaker note I also believe that Andy Mc Entee and his management have done an amazing job with that panel of players... their season is a textbook example of a team being better than the sum of its parts. Theyre a good TEAM. Theyre to be admired and held up because lets be honest, us Meath supporters are a fussy lot and these lads are placed under massive pressure, it cant be easy hearing overweight, raunchy 50 year olds who barely kicked a ball in their lives calling you useless because you aren't John McDermott. It cant be easy reading national media expressing similar messages. So, Meath 2020, what does the future hold? What lies ahead? Whats the next step?

Btw apologies for my inactivity over the last few months, glad to be back.

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 29/09/2019 14:21:12    2240032

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Replying To Young_gael:  "Another decade over. The GAA has always based its eras off of the measurement of the decade. The 2010s firmly belonged to Dublin. Likely the most one-sided decade in the game's history, a phenomenal team with no clear signs of slowing down into the 20s. It was also an era that will forever be pockmarked by the scourge of overtly defensive, bordering on negative tactics, practically unwatchable at all levels bar a few very competitive sides from Ulster. An era where traditionally strong counties, such as ourselves, Cork, Galway, and arguably even Kerry if we look at success in terms of trophies, languished. An era wherein an extremely hungry Mayo captured the hearts of the nation, yet it all added up to squat. An era where rule-changes, player welfare issues, attendance issues, player retention issues, and rampant talk of change and overhaul reigned supreme. Mercifully, its over. Great if you're a Dub, otherwise it will not be missed.

There are positive signs of change in the styles of play and the attitudes coming from management within successful counties. There seems to be a gradual emphasis placed upon the fair and balanced funding of the inter-county game and the structure of inter-county competition, de-centralisation of the capital city and county, the super 8s will likely be a short lived venture, but the idea was based off of the right line of thinking. Two or or even three tiered championships are inevitable. The rose-tinted glasses we all put on when addressing the game of antiquities past, namely pre-millenium are just that, rose tinted. The game has changed and is changing and those days are never coming back. We must adapt. If elements of the GAA which oppose these types of change in favour of stoic and cold conservatism and idealisation of the past, and sit idly by collecting their huge profits from 4/5 big games per year, under the pretence that everything is ok, then I genuinely fear for the future of the game. This is a large element of the GAA hierarchy and is even visible at grassroots community level, and I worry about the generation gap and shifting mindset of these people with the up and coming generation, for whom there is a lot of work to be done and the state of the game of football is plain to see.

As a Meathman, I believe 2019 to be the best year Ive had following Meath. I am 24 years of age, I was a child of the 90s. I barely remember those old says. This year was the closest Ive seen to the mythologised teams of the past. However as I said earlier, we must move on from that era, not judge these new players off of their heralded fathers and grandfathers. The county has changed. I am proud of that team and the effort they put in all year. They did thenselves proud in the super 8s and Im delighted for the men who received all star nominations. On a bleaker note I also believe that Andy Mc Entee and his management have done an amazing job with that panel of players... their season is a textbook example of a team being better than the sum of its parts. Theyre a good TEAM. Theyre to be admired and held up because lets be honest, us Meath supporters are a fussy lot and these lads are placed under massive pressure, it cant be easy hearing overweight, raunchy 50 year olds who barely kicked a ball in their lives calling you useless because you aren't John McDermott. It cant be easy reading national media expressing similar messages. So, Meath 2020, what does the future hold? What lies ahead? Whats the next step?

Btw apologies for my inactivity over the last few months, glad to be back."
No need for a new thread here.

There is already a thread on NFL 2020 and New Players for Panel 2020.

This thread should be merged with those and have a discussion of 2020 in one place.

oldsam_newsam (Meath) - Posts: 638 - 29/09/2019 19:35:12    2240092

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Replying To oldsam_newsam:  "No need for a new thread here.

There is already a thread on NFL 2020 and New Players for Panel 2020.

This thread should be merged with those and have a discussion of 2020 in one place."
Ok, duly noted. In future, if there is a news or media article or story on the BBC, contact RTÉ and hundreds of other outlets and tell them that in the interest of convenience not to publish an alternate and different or variant view because we don't need two or more sources. One is more than enough. We ought to all sit at the one table and sing off of the one hymn sheet. I wasnt asking about the panel or naming players, and out of respect, I refrain from talking about players and discuss teams and management, rather than picking out voluntary individual players. I thoroughly resent your attitude and invite any one who wishes to comment, positive or negative or otherwise on my post, please do!

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 29/09/2019 22:38:15    2240165

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Replying To Young_gael:  "Another decade over. The GAA has always based its eras off of the measurement of the decade. The 2010s firmly belonged to Dublin. Likely the most one-sided decade in the game's history, a phenomenal team with no clear signs of slowing down into the 20s. It was also an era that will forever be pockmarked by the scourge of overtly defensive, bordering on negative tactics, practically unwatchable at all levels bar a few very competitive sides from Ulster. An era where traditionally strong counties, such as ourselves, Cork, Galway, and arguably even Kerry if we look at success in terms of trophies, languished. An era wherein an extremely hungry Mayo captured the hearts of the nation, yet it all added up to squat. An era where rule-changes, player welfare issues, attendance issues, player retention issues, and rampant talk of change and overhaul reigned supreme. Mercifully, its over. Great if you're a Dub, otherwise it will not be missed.

There are positive signs of change in the styles of play and the attitudes coming from management within successful counties. There seems to be a gradual emphasis placed upon the fair and balanced funding of the inter-county game and the structure of inter-county competition, de-centralisation of the capital city and county, the super 8s will likely be a short lived venture, but the idea was based off of the right line of thinking. Two or or even three tiered championships are inevitable. The rose-tinted glasses we all put on when addressing the game of antiquities past, namely pre-millenium are just that, rose tinted. The game has changed and is changing and those days are never coming back. We must adapt. If elements of the GAA which oppose these types of change in favour of stoic and cold conservatism and idealisation of the past, and sit idly by collecting their huge profits from 4/5 big games per year, under the pretence that everything is ok, then I genuinely fear for the future of the game. This is a large element of the GAA hierarchy and is even visible at grassroots community level, and I worry about the generation gap and shifting mindset of these people with the up and coming generation, for whom there is a lot of work to be done and the state of the game of football is plain to see.

As a Meathman, I believe 2019 to be the best year Ive had following Meath. I am 24 years of age, I was a child of the 90s. I barely remember those old says. This year was the closest Ive seen to the mythologised teams of the past. However as I said earlier, we must move on from that era, not judge these new players off of their heralded fathers and grandfathers. The county has changed. I am proud of that team and the effort they put in all year. They did thenselves proud in the super 8s and Im delighted for the men who received all star nominations. On a bleaker note I also believe that Andy Mc Entee and his management have done an amazing job with that panel of players... their season is a textbook example of a team being better than the sum of its parts. Theyre a good TEAM. Theyre to be admired and held up because lets be honest, us Meath supporters are a fussy lot and these lads are placed under massive pressure, it cant be easy hearing overweight, raunchy 50 year olds who barely kicked a ball in their lives calling you useless because you aren't John McDermott. It cant be easy reading national media expressing similar messages. So, Meath 2020, what does the future hold? What lies ahead? Whats the next step?

Btw apologies for my inactivity over the last few months, glad to be back."
Firstly welcome back, as you say a fantastic time to be Dublin supporter and looking at them this year it is difficult to see any let up in near future. However the focus of team and management has to remain on ourselves and how Meath can improve and hopefully once again challange them and the other Super 8 teams. I expect we are in for a tough year in Division One and it may come down to how the fixtures pan out. Home wins a must if we are to survive. Last year we played our strongest team in most games and by the time championship came around we had started to tire ( hense the fade out in last 10/15 minutes in Super 8s) which was only to be expected. So the next step for me is additions to the panel, which is easier said than done. The 8/9 backs I saw last year were good, however we need two midfielders and 2/3 forwards. Goalkeeper and kickout strategy for me is priority and one that should have been addressed by now.
2020 could be the making of Meath football, survival in Div One and a better run in super 8s. would be ideal progress.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2136 - 01/10/2019 19:24:46    2240739

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Good post and unfortunately the Dublin dominance will continue for another decade. Can't see anybody else winning leinster over the next 10 seasons.

However next year will be the most exciting the league will ever be. Don't be surprised if more meath fans turn out for it then the championship. Long gone are the days when the league didn't matter! We need to draw the big sides like Dublin, Kerry and Mayo early. That's when they're for the taking.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 04/10/2019 21:29:33    2241412

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