Meath's demise

[thejuice]

According to Bernard Flynn Meath haven't just not made progress but they have gone back under Mick O'Dowd.

What's the story lads? Meath just not producing the players?

The club scene is not what it was and the dual players have being increasing recently. Long may it continue.

This was the end of the ancien regime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgUW2WAfHM4

No, it was the 2001 final against Galway that Meath football effectively died. Many great players walked away after that and we had nothing happening at underage since the early ninties so the writing was on the wall back then.

I remember saying to a friend from Galway that night after the game, who came to collect his winnings in a bet we made, that we were finished for a good while now. I never imagined such a long hard road back to the top. 15 years since that game and 17 years since we last won Sam.

[seafoid]

According to Bernard Flynn Meath haven't just not made progress but they have gone back under Mick O'Dowd.

What's the story lads? Meath just not producing the players?

The club scene is not what it was and the dual players have being increasing recently. Long may it continue.

This was the end of the ancien regime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgUW2WAfHM4

No, it was the 2001 final against Galway that Meath football effectively died. Many great players walked away after that and we had nothing happening at underage since the early ninties so the writing was on the wall back then.

I remember saying to a friend from Galway that night after the game, who came to collect his winnings in a bet we made, that we were finished for a good while now. I never imagined such a long hard road back to the top. 15 years since that game and 17 years since we last won Sam.

That was the end of a team but the thing now is something different. 17 years between Sams is not unusual but the depth of the dip is

[omaghjoe]

Unfortunately for Meath they didnt realise the diamond in the rough they had with Banty.

A tactical visionary that was never afforded the freedom or time to enact his strategic masterplan, it was a genuine opportunity missed by the Royal County to return to the golden days.

[Croí na hÉireann]

According to Bernard Flynn Meath haven't just not made progress but they have gone back under Mick O'Dowd.

What's the story lads? Meath just not producing the players?

The club scene is not what it was and the dual players have being increasing recently. Long may it continue.

This was the end of the ancien regime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgUW2WAfHM4

No, it was the 2001 final against Galway that Meath football effectively died. Many great players walked away after that and we had nothing happening at underage since the early ninties so the writing was on the wall back then.

I remember saying to a friend from Galway that night after the game, who came to collect his winnings in a bet we made, that we were finished for a good while now. I never imagined such a long hard road back to the top. 15 years since that game and 17 years since we last won Sam.

No, it was when drug testing came in.

[seafoid]

How many years was it since Westmeath beat Meath last year?

[Croí na hÉireann]

How many years was it since Westmeath beat Meath last year?

[armaghniac]

[PW Nally]

How many years was it since Westmeath beat Meath last year?

1

[omaghjoe]

Ah its Tara

Ever since they were Slane by Galway their wings seem be Trimed, they've NAvan to give anymore.

[seafoid]

The 2001 collapse was bizarre considering how they hammered Kerry in the semi final.

[From the Bunker]

The 2001 collapse was bizarre considering how they hammered Kerry in the semi final.

Nothing bizarre about getting up to beat Kerry in a AI semi-final and not being able to replicate that for a final!

[thejuice]

The thing was, the players when they beat Kerry couldn't quite get over what they done. You could see it in the interviews after the game and I've read it in more recent interviews, the lads probably didn't think they'd win that game, or at least had a sense of being the underdogs, to then hammer the champions off the pitch I think, their heads were gone and they never really focused on the final. Sean Boylan said he sort of lost grip on the atmosphere in the dressing room after that.

Certainly the supporters I was at the game with who were good friends of mine and we'd gone to many games before, even they weren't really thinking about the game. There was no sense that we were heading in to a big game, there was no buzz about the Meath fans. Whereas the Galway fans on the Hill where we were, were roaring on every kick, pass and tackle.

[thejuice]

http://utv.vo.llnwd.net/o16/LMFM/2016/07/17/07_17_MickODowd.mp3

Good interview with Mick O'Dowd. For all the criticism levelled at him for the performance of the county team, I think he sees the wider picture and realises that he's only one part of it.

It's a very revealing interview and anyone wanting a bit of insight to the state of the game in Meath its a good starting point. They cover a lot of the aspects that is feeding into our lack of success.  And not to blow my own trumpet but he does say a lot of things that myself, Hardy and Jinxy have been saying over the last few years.

As I've pointed out and Mick says it now too, it wont be the next Meath management team that brings us success, it'll more likely be the one after that.

[seafoid]

http://utv.vo.llnwd.net/o16/LMFM/2016/07/17/07_17_MickODowd.mp3

Good interview with Mick O'Dowd. For all the criticism levelled at him for the performance of the county team, I think he sees the wider picture and realises that he's only one part of it.

It's a very revealing interview and anyone wanting a bit of insight to the state of the game in Meath its a good starting point. They cover a lot of the aspects that is feeding into our lack of success.  And not to blow my own trumpet but he does say a lot of things that myself, Hardy and Jinxy have been saying over the last few years.

As I've pointed out and Mick says it now too, it wont be the next Meath management team that brings us success, it'll more likely be the one after that.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/mick-o-dowd-criticises-former-meath-players-over-comments-1.2726314
Dowd also revealed that when he took over from Seamus McEnaney as manager in 2012, he was shocked by what he inherited.
He said: "To be honest, in those early months, I couldn't believe the state the Meath squad was in physically and mentally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsUNXVpjJDw

[snoopdog]

It's worrying for the game how bad previous so called big teams like Meath Down Kildare Armagh have fallen. I know in Down a lot of the best players simply don't want to play for the county. They don't see the point in putting in a slog from Jan to June to play 1 championship game and a qualifier. Not many would blame them either. Is it same in the other counties?
Up until a few weeks ago I would've included Galway in this but they are now connacht champions and looked magnificent on sunday. So it does show it can turn around quite quickly but if the best players don't want to play then there are massive problems