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#1

GAA Discussion / Re: Donegal v Meath semifinal ...

Last post by BillyFlynnfromTrim - Today at 05:23:22 PM

Average age of Meath team is 22 23, Average age of Galway team was 28 29. I think Average age of kerry is 27, Armagh 28 29, and Donegal 27 28. Meath are definitely Youngest team to reach last 8 this year, Youngest team in top 2 divisions this year and one of youngest teams in the country currently. Meath still have player to come through from minor All Ireland winning team and U20 leinster winning team.

Meath starting team v Galway and will likely be unchanged for this semi final against Donegal?

Billy Hogan 21;
Seamus Lavin 30 Sean Rafferty 26, Ronan Ryan 28;
Donal Keogan 34, Sean Coffey,22  Ciaran Caulfield; 21
Bryan Menton 33, Adam O'Neill 23
Conor Duke 20 Ruairi Kinsella 21 Mathew Costello 24
Jordan Morris 25 Keith Curtis 23 Eoghan Frayne 22

Average age 24.8

Galway starting 15 v Meath

Connor Gleeson 32
Johnny McGrath 23 Seán Fitzgerald 24 Jack Glynn 24
Dylan McHugh 28 Liam Silke 30  Cian Hernon 23
Peter Cooke 29 Seán Kelly 28
Matthew Tierney 24 John Maher 26 Cein Darcy 26
Rob Finnerty 27, Matthew Thompson 20 Shane Walsh 32

Average age 26.4




I agree with Austinpowers. You aren't to know where Meath will be next year never mind in a few years time.  Kildare have won as much if not more than Meath at underage level recently but that doesn't guarantee anything in the years ahead.  Meath are in the last 4 and need to throw their lot at it right now, proved to be good enough to beat Kerry,Dublin and Galway during this championship and we'll will soon find out if good enough to win this All Ireland and I sure Meath players and management won't be left to die wondering if they don't.

You left out Subs
O Halloran 21
Gray 21
McBride 23
Hickey 24

Some one above said you cannot take away Lavin Menton Keoghan. I am, because they have year or 2 left playing for Meath. While the rest most of them have 10 years left playing for Meath.
 
Again  defence who played v Galway
Hogan 21
Coffey 22
O Halloran 21
Caulfield 21
Hickey 24

Midfielders who player v Galway
O Neill 23
McBride 23
Gray 21
( kinlough would have played if he didn't do his ACl he's 21 Jack Flynn is 24)

Forwards who played v Galway
Duke 20
Kinsella 21
Curtis 23
Morris 25
Costello 24
Frayne 22

That's Youngest Meath forward line ever to play All Ireland semi final. Not one forward over age of 25. I have never seen a forward line playing a semi final with not one forward over 25. Inexperience of this Meath team. Its definitely most inexperienced Meath team to play All Ireland semi final.

You cannot compare Meath to kildare. Kildare have never turned underage sucess into senior sucess. Meath have always turned underage sucess into senior sucess. Any time Meath have won underage All Ireland within 6 or 7 years Meath won senior All Ireland. Anytime Meath won underage All Ireland players on that team went onto senior success. This current Meath again is showing Meath can build on underage sucess. If Meath are not successful in coming year at senior, it will be first time in Meath gaa history they haven't turned underage sucess into senior sucess.

Kildare are opposite. Anytime kildare have underage sucess eg  win All Ireland at underage or reach underage All Ireland within 6 or 7 or 8 years those players are in div 3. Its incredible how if follows a certain path for kildare. Team wins underage they reach leinster final at senior show promise but then those players  ends up in div 3.

Kildare won u21 All Ireland in late 1960s and reached their only ever All Ireland minor final lost to Tyrone in early 70s. Those players lost leinster senior final showed promise. But by 1976 1977 they were in div 3.

Kildare reached U21 All Ireland final in 2009. Again kildare players showed promise but again within 6 years 2015 they were relegated to div 3

Kildare won U20 All Ireland title in 2018. Again kildare showed promise  reached leinster final. Again those players 6 years later were relegated to division 3.

You cannot compare Meath to kildare.  Kildare win the Tailteann cup next Sunaay it will be kildare second national trophy in 97 years. Other was div 2 title under McGeeney. Meath in comparison have won 17 national trophies in same period  eg 7 senior All Irelands, 7 Div 1 league title, 1 Div 3 leagur title, 1 Tailtean cup, 1 Century cup.

This Meath team have beaten 3 top teams in championship this years, 2 of them outside leinster.  Kildare have beaten 2 top teams outside leinster in championship in 97 years they are kerry in 1998 and Mayo in 2018. ( kildare beat Cork couple years ago but Cork weren't top team). Kildare have beaten Dubs twice in 50 years in championship. This young Meath beat the Dubs in their second year together. Meath have always turned underage sucess into senior sucess. This team is already showing signs of that.

#2

Hurling Discussion / Re: Hurling 2025

Last post by Blowitupref - Today at 05:16:34 PM

Three goals for Cork in the opening 13 mins.  Cork 3-5 Dublin 0-4

Dublin goal now on 15 mins. 3-5 to 1-5.

#3

GAA Discussion / Re: Donegal v Meath semifinal ...

Last post by Dunneroyal - Today at 05:02:07 PM

I'd agree that the talk of bonus territory etc is over at this point
I recall reading an interview with seamus Kenny towards the end of his playing days. And he recalled been on the panel that reached the 01 final saying that while he was disappointed in losing he and others felt we will be back next year and put it right. And that he didn't really appreciate it at the time. Roll on 24 years and Meath haven't appeared in a final since. So while the odds would say this team with what's coming through will likely win at least one all ire in next 5 years. Should not take that for granted. 70 minutes from the final. And 140 from immortality.  Take it when it comes

#4

GAA Discussion / Re: Donegal v Meath semifinal ...

Last post by Blowitupref - Today at 03:38:14 PM

Average age of Meath team is 22 23, Average age of Galway team was 28 29. I think Average age of kerry is 27, Armagh 28 29, and Donegal 27 28. Meath are definitely Youngest team to reach last 8 this year, Youngest team in top 2 divisions this year and one of youngest teams in the country currently. Meath still have player to come through from minor All Ireland winning team and U20 leinster winning team.

Meath starting team v Galway and will likely be unchanged for this semi final against Donegal?

Billy Hogan 21;
Seamus Lavin 30 Sean Rafferty 26, Ronan Ryan 28;
Donal Keogan 34, Sean Coffey,22  Ciaran Caulfield; 21
Bryan Menton 33, Adam O'Neill 23
Conor Duke 20 Ruairi Kinsella 21 Mathew Costello 24
Jordan Morris 25 Keith Curtis 23 Eoghan Frayne 22

Average age 24.8

Galway starting 15 v Meath

Connor Gleeson 32
Johnny McGrath 23 Seán Fitzgerald 24 Jack Glynn 24
Dylan McHugh 28 Liam Silke 30  Cian Hernon 23
Peter Cooke 29 Seán Kelly 28
Matthew Tierney 24 John Maher 26 Cein Darcy 26
Rob Finnerty 27, Matthew Thompson 20 Shane Walsh 32

Average age 26.4




I agree with Austinpowers. You aren't to know where Meath will be next year never mind in a few years time.  Kildare have won as much if not more than Meath at underage level recently but that doesn't guarantee anything in the years ahead.  Meath are in the last 4 and need to throw their lot at it right now, proved to be good enough to beat Kerry,Dublin and Galway during this championship and we'll will soon find out if good enough to win this All Ireland and I sure Meath players and management won't be left to die wondering if they don't.

#5

General discussion / Re: Things that make you go Wh...

Last post by quit yo jibbajabba - Today at 03:36:05 PM

Being erased already lol. The boy who passed that be running round work with a big red head 😆

#6

GAA Discussion / Re: Donegal v Meath semifinal ...

Last post by greatpoint - Today at 03:33:42 PM

You do understand you can't just remove the Meath's three oldest players just because it suits your narrative about average squad age?

What would the average age of other counties be if you removed their three oldest players as well?

#7

GAA Discussion / Re: Minor All Ireland Footbal...

Last post by reddgnhand - Today at 02:36:00 PM

All true. You would imagine that if he is as good as he is meant to be, West Ham are hardly going to tear up the contract if he plays the game

Would you jeopardise a million pound career if there was any risk? As great as it would be to play in an AI final, imagine getting so close to every kids dream just to miss out at the last second.

Good luck to the lad but the chances of a lucrative deal are remote....99% of academy/ youth players are released before hitting the big time.
He will likely return to play irish league football in two years time...wishing he had played in the final.

I think any of us in that position would do what that lad has the chance to do at his age. Fair play to him.

Go and try it, like AFL or NFL. Live it and enjoy it for a year or two and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out after a year or two, come home and keep going at sport.

Depending how he goes, I don't think he'll be saying to himself in a year or two, ahh, I wish I had played in that minor final. That begrudgery at it's finest. He'll have banked a lot more life experiences that that.

There's been no word from the Tyrone camp and the team has not been named. Unless I've missed it.

#8

GAA Discussion / Re: Donegal v Meath semifinal ...

Last post by BillyFlynnfromTrim - Today at 02:26:17 PM

BillyFlynn...

Being at your peak  in 3/4 years,  and successful minors  to come through means nothing. Or guarantees nothing. It's been 16 years since Meath   reached  a semi final . It could be another   16 years until you see it  again . You just never know

Meath have a  great chance of an All Ireland  this year. Go and grab  it.

Average age of most teams who win All Ireland is 27 28. Galway hurlers when they won was 27. Kilkenny last hurling win was 27. Kerry Average age of team is 27 28. Galway finalist last year Average age is 28. Armagh Average age last year was in late 20s. Most team win titles from 25 to 28. Very few win All Ireland with so many players in their early 20s. Kerry in 1975 and Meath are 1996 are rare exceptions.
Regards Meath not reaching semi final in 16 years. That's because we went 8 years without winning a single underage title. This team is built on 5 successful different underage title winning teams. Its most talented group from 90s. Players like Costello Frayne Kinsella Caulfield ask anyone in the county with knowledge of Meath football, the temperament of these guys is outstanding. I have being watching Meath 40 years and some of these players are as good at their age I have ever seen play for Meath. At 25, Jordan Morris is better than Ollie Murphy was at 25.  At 21 Conor Gray is better than John McDermott was at 21. Tommy Rooney on Off the Ball said Gray was cross between Liam Hayes and John McDermott. Ciaran Caulfield is as good a wing back I have ever seen play for Meath. Sean Coffey is better footballer than Paddy Reynolds, Conor Duke at 20 better than Evan Kelly was 25 26 27. Costello is most talented footballer we have produced since Giles or Geraghty. Look at Frayne scored 11 pts v Dubs. Take away 2 pointers he scored 9 pts v Dubs. He was only 21. The last forwards in leinster to score 9 10 11 pts v Dubs in championship were Brian Stafford and Matt Connor. Kinsella is first proper quality playmaker Meath have produced since Giles. Rafferty has only ever played 2 championship games in Croke Park people outside Meath are calling him best full back in Ireland.
Look at what this young Meath done this year.
1 This Meath team are first team in leinster to beat Dubs in championship in 15 years.
2 This Meath team are first team in country to beat Dublin kerry in same championship in 18 years. Only 5th leinster team ever to do it. Only Tyrone 2008 2005 Armagh 2002 Cork 1989 outside leinster have done it.
3 This Meath team are second team in history of gaa to beat kerry Dublin Galway in same championship. The only other team to do it was Offaly in 1982.
4 This Meath team are first team in history to beat kerry Dubs Galway Cork in same championship.

Meath team who reached semi final 2009 was 5 or 6 years together when it done that. This team in its infancy is only starting.

Something is going on in Meath football this decade. There swagger confidence back in Meath gaa players. That'd being missing for 20 years. Look at how Meath women's gaa team came from nowhere to 2 All Ireland recently. Look at men's team. If Meath were to win All Ireland this year, the only other gaa hurling or camogie or football team to come from nowhere to win All Ireland senior in last 20 years is Meath ladies team. From Evan Ferguson, Vicki Wall, Emma Duggan, Matthew Costello, Jordan Morris, Gordon Elliot there is new generation of Meath sports talents young people who have talent temperament swagger confidence we haven't seen in 20 years.

#9

GAA Discussion / Re: Minor All Ireland Footbal...

Last post by Blowitupref - Today at 02:25:21 PM

Going by the stats it's going to be a tight one, Kerr out to swing it in Kerry's favour?  Stats from gaelicstatsman

#10

Tyrone / Re: Tyrone County Football and...

Last post by tiempo - Today at 02:07:08 PM

True, a surprise tactical move can often pay dividends, I feel with Tyrone lack of depth and a number of potential limitations that big Kennedy should be let play his specialist position without roving to an ad hoc FF role that will render him out of the game when they inevitably don't kick to him