Meath Forum

A Team To Get Behind

(Oldest Posts First)

The last two decades plus have been tough for Meath football - players, coaches, fans. There have been some good days and even the odd good year in there, but unfortunately it never amounted to a sustained progression. This team have the potential to be different.

Reasons for optimism:
1. Incredibly young team. Average age of starting forwards yesterday was 23, with Banty Conlan the elder statesman at 27.

2. There is some old style "dog" in the team … Morris not taking a backwards step when the Rossie corner back wanted a cuddle, Menton bashing into a couple of lads on the way out from our goal after Roscommon had gotten another first half point. This caused a bit of a skirmish in Menton's wake (which was ideal to just break the momentum down a bit) and Menton was smart … kept moving forward and therefore no reprecussions.

3. A team with fighting spirit - Second half against Offaly despite a very bad first half, clinging on yesterday to squeeze out a very important draw (when momentum and wind was massively against us - some of the pressurised defending in the last 10 minutes was excellent), digging in and wrestling the game back from Cork despite being against the wind and in dire rain towards the end, flighting tooth and nail to get over the line against Dublin. This fighting spirit isn't something you can just create overnight. The fact that we're showing it already is a massive asset for the future.

4. We've gotten a few important monkeys off our backs … first championship win against Dublin since 2010 and shown that we can compete and show well in the later stages of the All Ireland series.

5. General positive indicators - Some seriously talented players. Lads are fighting for each other. We look well conditioned. Banty has re-emerged as a serious player - absolute handful for defences and takes some of the pressure off Morris and Costello. In Menton, we have a serious midfielder who is winning the overall battle at the centre. We have a fairly well balanced team (more to come on that). The new rules are definitely in favour of football playing teams like Meath. An dead ball 2-point shooter in Hogan.


Work-ons:
1. Soft goals … kept Louth in the game, gave Roscommon a lifeline. Too much of a pattern, looks like a system issue (rather than just individual errors). Need to get sorted. Coaching ticket are smart enough to figure it out and we've enough good defensive players to implement.

2. Our own kick-outs. I'd actually argue this has been more of a self-inflicted issue than the soft goals. 5 over the sideline yesterday and also a good few occasions where we won the ball in seriously tight spaces (backs in possession then under enormous pressure) and then got turned over and coughed up scores from it. Lost 10 in a row against Louth and ultimately allow them to go on and win the game.

The puzzling part on this one is that we're actually a real force on kickouts - big men around the middle that field and compete really well, half backs and forwards that compete really well on breaking ball, and a well organised group in breaking ball situations. This was evident on the Roscommon kickouts yesterday. They kicked most of them long and central … and we won the vast, vast majority of them.

On our own kickouts, Hogan is trying to kick with such precision that the ball is going through a letterbox sized opening. In order to create targets for Hogan, we are spreading ourselves out entirely (no clustering at all). By the time it gets to its intended man, the opposition have crowded him out. If our man manages to win the ball, he is straight away under huge pressure … or Hogan (unsurprisingly) gets the kick a metre or two off target … opposition win it or goes out over the sideline … then we're straightaway under massive pressure.

Hogan is clearly a talent at kicking with precision. Equally, he has a huge boot on him. @Robbie & co. - majority of kickouts -> go long and central, organise ourselves like we have been on opposition kickouts and win more than our fair share. By having that as the main plan, then when the precision kick is really on, Hogan will be well able to do it … and under a lot less pressure.

3. Dependence on Menton and his age profile. Menton has been such a servant to the county and is playing his best football for Meath at the moment, which is pretty remarkable. Doesn't look like there is an obvious man to take the jersey on to greater heights when Menton eventually (hopefully not for a few more years yet) has to call it a day.

4. Our squad could look very shallow if we were hit by a few injuries at the same time. Hopefully, we'll continue to develop the other lads into being strong enough to step-in without a big drop-off in standards. Maybe a couple from the U20s as well?

5. Looks like we've a better balanced midfield when Flynn isn't in it. Clearly, Flynn is a serious talent, but no coincidence that our midfield was dominant v Dublin, late on v Cork and v Roscommon. Is there another way we could use Flynn to cause more damage to opposition. Maybe as a rampaging wing forward/extra midfielder.

As a massively proud Meath-man, I am seriously impressed by this team. Are they the finished product? No, not yet and nobody has suggested they are. But are they a team that deserve the county getting behind? 100%.

Fair play to all involved for bringing joy back into the football. One final mention … he probably won't get much credit, but Colm O'Rourke deserves a tip of the hat for having the conviction to blood young guys. It was a shift in mindset and was an important development.

Onwards…

TheFlyingTeacup (Meath) - Posts: 282 - 01/06/2025 09:52:15    2613925

Link

Good post. This Meath team has shown qualities that do deserve full support. Very talented young team with a high ceiling. I think management have done really well in a short space of time but up to all clubs now in Meath to add further support and improve the level of football throughout the county. The likes of Dunshaughlin producing wonderful talent and no coinincide they are senior champions. Menton return has been a plus and put in a great shift yesterday but he has shown signs of his age at times especially against Louth in leinster final. He has stepped up on Flynn's absence but would still definitely have Flynn starting. It was good to see Gray in yesterday and he would be Menton natural successor. He had a brilliant impact in Tailteann Cup and illness and injury stunted his progress but expect him to push on. The biggest issue is stopping runners from deep for goal chances and our corner backs getting turned easily. Some of our forwards are not the best tacklers but again this can improve over time. I think Hogan should be cutting out risk on kickouts especially with the wind with a direct drive to half forward line and let our high towers compete.

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 666 - 01/06/2025 12:14:58    2613961

Link

Replying To TheFlyingTeacup:  "The last two decades plus have been tough for Meath football - players, coaches, fans. There have been some good days and even the odd good year in there, but unfortunately it never amounted to a sustained progression. This team have the potential to be different.

Reasons for optimism:
1. Incredibly young team. Average age of starting forwards yesterday was 23, with Banty Conlan the elder statesman at 27.

2. There is some old style "dog" in the team … Morris not taking a backwards step when the Rossie corner back wanted a cuddle, Menton bashing into a couple of lads on the way out from our goal after Roscommon had gotten another first half point. This caused a bit of a skirmish in Menton's wake (which was ideal to just break the momentum down a bit) and Menton was smart … kept moving forward and therefore no reprecussions.

3. A team with fighting spirit - Second half against Offaly despite a very bad first half, clinging on yesterday to squeeze out a very important draw (when momentum and wind was massively against us - some of the pressurised defending in the last 10 minutes was excellent), digging in and wrestling the game back from Cork despite being against the wind and in dire rain towards the end, flighting tooth and nail to get over the line against Dublin. This fighting spirit isn't something you can just create overnight. The fact that we're showing it already is a massive asset for the future.

4. We've gotten a few important monkeys off our backs … first championship win against Dublin since 2010 and shown that we can compete and show well in the later stages of the All Ireland series.

5. General positive indicators - Some seriously talented players. Lads are fighting for each other. We look well conditioned. Banty has re-emerged as a serious player - absolute handful for defences and takes some of the pressure off Morris and Costello. In Menton, we have a serious midfielder who is winning the overall battle at the centre. We have a fairly well balanced team (more to come on that). The new rules are definitely in favour of football playing teams like Meath. An dead ball 2-point shooter in Hogan.


Work-ons:
1. Soft goals … kept Louth in the game, gave Roscommon a lifeline. Too much of a pattern, looks like a system issue (rather than just individual errors). Need to get sorted. Coaching ticket are smart enough to figure it out and we've enough good defensive players to implement.

2. Our own kick-outs. I'd actually argue this has been more of a self-inflicted issue than the soft goals. 5 over the sideline yesterday and also a good few occasions where we won the ball in seriously tight spaces (backs in possession then under enormous pressure) and then got turned over and coughed up scores from it. Lost 10 in a row against Louth and ultimately allow them to go on and win the game.

The puzzling part on this one is that we're actually a real force on kickouts - big men around the middle that field and compete really well, half backs and forwards that compete really well on breaking ball, and a well organised group in breaking ball situations. This was evident on the Roscommon kickouts yesterday. They kicked most of them long and central … and we won the vast, vast majority of them.

On our own kickouts, Hogan is trying to kick with such precision that the ball is going through a letterbox sized opening. In order to create targets for Hogan, we are spreading ourselves out entirely (no clustering at all). By the time it gets to its intended man, the opposition have crowded him out. If our man manages to win the ball, he is straight away under huge pressure … or Hogan (unsurprisingly) gets the kick a metre or two off target … opposition win it or goes out over the sideline … then we're straightaway under massive pressure.

Hogan is clearly a talent at kicking with precision. Equally, he has a huge boot on him. @Robbie & co. - majority of kickouts -> go long and central, organise ourselves like we have been on opposition kickouts and win more than our fair share. By having that as the main plan, then when the precision kick is really on, Hogan will be well able to do it … and under a lot less pressure.

3. Dependence on Menton and his age profile. Menton has been such a servant to the county and is playing his best football for Meath at the moment, which is pretty remarkable. Doesn't look like there is an obvious man to take the jersey on to greater heights when Menton eventually (hopefully not for a few more years yet) has to call it a day.

4. Our squad could look very shallow if we were hit by a few injuries at the same time. Hopefully, we'll continue to develop the other lads into being strong enough to step-in without a big drop-off in standards. Maybe a couple from the U20s as well?

5. Looks like we've a better balanced midfield when Flynn isn't in it. Clearly, Flynn is a serious talent, but no coincidence that our midfield was dominant v Dublin, late on v Cork and v Roscommon. Is there another way we could use Flynn to cause more damage to opposition. Maybe as a rampaging wing forward/extra midfielder.

As a massively proud Meath-man, I am seriously impressed by this team. Are they the finished product? No, not yet and nobody has suggested they are. But are they a team that deserve the county getting behind? 100%.

Fair play to all involved for bringing joy back into the football. One final mention … he probably won't get much credit, but Colm O'Rourke deserves a tip of the hat for having the conviction to blood young guys. It was a shift in mindset and was an important development.

Onwards…"
What a brilliant and balanced post - completely agree with every bit of it.

As a proud Meath supporter, it's been a long, tough couple of decades. We've seen glimpses, a few good days, but never the kind of consistency or hope that this current team is starting to give us. And that's what makes this group so exciting - they're not just a flash in the pan, they're building something that could last.

The youth in this squad is such a standout - 23-year-old average age among the forwards, and yet you'd swear some of them had been playing senior inter-county for years based on their composure. To have that kind of raw talent and still be battling teams like Roscommon, Cork and Dublin to the wire? That's serious going.

And yes, there's a bit of the old Meath "dog" back - Menton making a statement with his physicality, Morris standing his ground, lads not backing down in the tough moments. That's in our DNA, and it's brilliant to see it being channelled smartly, not recklessly. It's exactly the kind of backbone any good team needs if they're going to compete at the top level.

The fighting spirit you mentioned can't be overstated. Coming back against Offaly, pushing through against Cork, holding out yesterday against Roscommon under real pressure - that stuff isn't luck. It's character. And it's coming from a young, united group with massive potential.

There's definitely work to do - no question. Soft goals are still costing us, and the kickout issue is frustrating, especially because we've shown we're capable of dominating that sector when it's done right. But those are tactical and coaching challenges, not lack of talent. And I've every confidence Robbie and the backroom team can sort them out.

Menton is a warrior and has been incredible, but you're right - we need to think long-term about replacing that engine. Hopefully a few of the U20s can be integrated and we build that squad depth over the next 12-18 months. That said, right now, these lads deserve nothing but backing from the county. They're playing with pride, hunger, and belief.

And fair play to Colm O'Rourke - it wasn't an easy decision to throw in youth, but it's paying off. You can see the shift in mentality across the whole panel. These lads aren't afraid of anyone - and that's how it should be.

So no, they're not the finished product yet - but they absolutely deserve the full support of every Meath fan. This team has us believing again. And for that alone, hats off to everyone involved.

Onwards and upwards - the journey is only beginning.

WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 947 - 01/06/2025 14:13:12    2613992

Link

Brilliant post and great points all round. There is a different atmosphere around the team this year which I sense from the supporters too. This young team are not mentally scarred from all the trimmings against Dublin over the years. There is a confidence but well-grounded too with hard work. It's so refreshing.

The biggest weakness, and it's pretty big, is the central defensive spine of the team. It cost us in the Leinster final and it could have resulted in defeat in Roscommon too. need to sort out the collective defensive shape and stop the goals.

Midfield and strength in depth in that area is a concern. Don't get me wrong we were excellent there on Saturday. But we are relying on Menton, a trojan and hero but not a spring chicken, to play 70+ minutes. I was delighted to see Gray get minutes at the weekend. We are really pinning our hopes on him.

men_of_49 (Meath) - Posts: 2015 - 03/06/2025 18:18:38    2614654

Link

Replying To TheFlyingTeacup:  "The last two decades plus have been tough for Meath football - players, coaches, fans. There have been some good days and even the odd good year in there, but unfortunately it never amounted to a sustained progression. This team have the potential to be different.

Reasons for optimism:
1. Incredibly young team. Average age of starting forwards yesterday was 23, with Banty Conlan the elder statesman at 27.

2. There is some old style "dog" in the team … Morris not taking a backwards step when the Rossie corner back wanted a cuddle, Menton bashing into a couple of lads on the way out from our goal after Roscommon had gotten another first half point. This caused a bit of a skirmish in Menton's wake (which was ideal to just break the momentum down a bit) and Menton was smart … kept moving forward and therefore no reprecussions.

3. A team with fighting spirit - Second half against Offaly despite a very bad first half, clinging on yesterday to squeeze out a very important draw (when momentum and wind was massively against us - some of the pressurised defending in the last 10 minutes was excellent), digging in and wrestling the game back from Cork despite being against the wind and in dire rain towards the end, flighting tooth and nail to get over the line against Dublin. This fighting spirit isn't something you can just create overnight. The fact that we're showing it already is a massive asset for the future.

4. We've gotten a few important monkeys off our backs … first championship win against Dublin since 2010 and shown that we can compete and show well in the later stages of the All Ireland series.

5. General positive indicators - Some seriously talented players. Lads are fighting for each other. We look well conditioned. Banty has re-emerged as a serious player - absolute handful for defences and takes some of the pressure off Morris and Costello. In Menton, we have a serious midfielder who is winning the overall battle at the centre. We have a fairly well balanced team (more to come on that). The new rules are definitely in favour of football playing teams like Meath. An dead ball 2-point shooter in Hogan.


Work-ons:
1. Soft goals … kept Louth in the game, gave Roscommon a lifeline. Too much of a pattern, looks like a system issue (rather than just individual errors). Need to get sorted. Coaching ticket are smart enough to figure it out and we've enough good defensive players to implement.

2. Our own kick-outs. I'd actually argue this has been more of a self-inflicted issue than the soft goals. 5 over the sideline yesterday and also a good few occasions where we won the ball in seriously tight spaces (backs in possession then under enormous pressure) and then got turned over and coughed up scores from it. Lost 10 in a row against Louth and ultimately allow them to go on and win the game.

The puzzling part on this one is that we're actually a real force on kickouts - big men around the middle that field and compete really well, half backs and forwards that compete really well on breaking ball, and a well organised group in breaking ball situations. This was evident on the Roscommon kickouts yesterday. They kicked most of them long and central … and we won the vast, vast majority of them.

On our own kickouts, Hogan is trying to kick with such precision that the ball is going through a letterbox sized opening. In order to create targets for Hogan, we are spreading ourselves out entirely (no clustering at all). By the time it gets to its intended man, the opposition have crowded him out. If our man manages to win the ball, he is straight away under huge pressure … or Hogan (unsurprisingly) gets the kick a metre or two off target … opposition win it or goes out over the sideline … then we're straightaway under massive pressure.

Hogan is clearly a talent at kicking with precision. Equally, he has a huge boot on him. @Robbie & co. - majority of kickouts -> go long and central, organise ourselves like we have been on opposition kickouts and win more than our fair share. By having that as the main plan, then when the precision kick is really on, Hogan will be well able to do it … and under a lot less pressure.

3. Dependence on Menton and his age profile. Menton has been such a servant to the county and is playing his best football for Meath at the moment, which is pretty remarkable. Doesn't look like there is an obvious man to take the jersey on to greater heights when Menton eventually (hopefully not for a few more years yet) has to call it a day.

4. Our squad could look very shallow if we were hit by a few injuries at the same time. Hopefully, we'll continue to develop the other lads into being strong enough to step-in without a big drop-off in standards. Maybe a couple from the U20s as well?

5. Looks like we've a better balanced midfield when Flynn isn't in it. Clearly, Flynn is a serious talent, but no coincidence that our midfield was dominant v Dublin, late on v Cork and v Roscommon. Is there another way we could use Flynn to cause more damage to opposition. Maybe as a rampaging wing forward/extra midfielder.

As a massively proud Meath-man, I am seriously impressed by this team. Are they the finished product? No, not yet and nobody has suggested they are. But are they a team that deserve the county getting behind? 100%.

Fair play to all involved for bringing joy back into the football. One final mention … he probably won't get much credit, but Colm O'Rourke deserves a tip of the hat for having the conviction to blood young guys. It was a shift in mindset and was an important development.

Onwards…"
I would to your 4th work on point. Player retention is vital for us to push on.

I think it's was a very bad sign that the departure of players barely raised eyebrows over the last few years. Over the last decade, we've seen a pattern where lads in their early to mid-20s step away from the Meath panel for various reasons. Not all of them were guaranteed starters, but they were good players-solid squad men who could have developed into pivotal figures with time and support. Then You look at names like McGill, the Wallaces, Jack Flynn last year, Lavin for a few seasons, or going back further-Power, O'Brien from Ratoath, Harry Rooney from Skryne. Even Jack O'Connor recently. These were at points of departure first choice footballers whose loss weakened the overall depth and continuity of the squad.

That's why I genuinely believe the biggest threat to Meath pushing into that consistent top 8 bracket isn't just external factors like AFL interest-every county deals with that. It's about retention. If we could see a largely unchanged panel lining out in the league next year, that would be huge. It would speak volumes about the commitment and intent of the players as individuals, and would be a real signal that things are moving in the right direction.

royalcounty1 (Meath) - Posts: 20 - 03/06/2025 22:33:05    2614688

Link

The defensive spine could be tighter alright, but it also has to be acknowledged that's its a common trend with the new rules.yoi could see from weekends highlights that Derry Galway kerry cork tyrone even Armagh at times were cut open when ran at hard.

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 1002 - 04/06/2025 07:16:27    2614723

Link