Youthful Meath look to take big step up

For the 15th time in the last 17 years Meath will begin their new season in NFL Div 2, brimming with confidence of gaining promotion and high on the possibility of a promising year ahead.

The two occasions Meath didn't play in Div 2 were in 2013 when they had to ply their trade in Div 3 after relegation under Seamus McEnaney in 2012 and in 2020 when they spent a year in the top flight after Andy McEntee had secured promotion the previous year.

Both those terms outside of Div 2 were shortlived. Mick O'Dowd guided Meath to promotion from Div 3 at the first attempt in 2013, while life in Covid-times Div 1 proved difficult with six defeats and one draw (in the final game against Monaghan) resulting in relegation back down to Div 2.

The reality of the situation is even more grim when you consider that between 2002 and 2006 Meath actually played in Div 1B alongside Wexford, Laois, Galway, Derry, Down, Kildare and Armagh, whereas Mayo Kerry, Tyrone, Dublin, Cork and Monaghan were in Div 1A

In 2007 Meath played in Div 2B and when the leagues were restructured for 2008 the Royals finished sixth of the eight teams in Div 2.

In 2009 Meath were fifth when Monaghan and Cork were promoted and Fermanagh and Wexford were relegated. In 2010, the last year the county won the Leinster SFC, Meath finished fourth behind Down, Armagh and Donegal in Div 2, while in 2011 they escaped relegation on scoring difference as Sligo and Antrim went down.

Relegation did happen in 2012 when Meath dropped to Div 3 with just two wins and five losses along with Monaghan, but they both bounced back the following year.

in 2014 Meath missed out on promotion, finishing third, and in 2015 they lost out on promotion on the head-to-head result with Roscommon (0-14 to 2-10).

After going so close in 2015, Meath struggled a year later surviving relegation because of their better scoring difference (-6 compared to Armagh's -16). In 2017 one point separated Meath from promotion and in 2018 they had to settle for fifth again as they made no impression.

The breakthrough eventually came in 2019 when they topped Div 2 with six wins from seven and were promoted along with Donegal, but the stay in Div 1 lasted just one season as they lost six of their seven games.

In the second year of Covid Meath finished second behind Mayo in their four-team Div 2 North group. When normal service resumed in 2022 Meath were never in contention as they finished fourth and despite a promising start last year they had to settle for sixth, just one point above the relegation zone.

So with such a patchy history in Div 2 what can Meath expect this year?

After winning promotion to Div 1 in 2019 and reaching the Super 8s later that year Meath went into 2020 on the crest of a wave. Even though they didn't win a game against Kerry, Mayo or Donegal in the All-Ireland series much was expected in 2021, but the struggles continued.

There is a similar feeling of optimism about this Meath team ahead of the new season in 2024.

Off the back of a Tailteann Cup winning campaign last year manager Colm O'Rourke got to blood many more new players than he otherwise might have had Meath not lost to Offaly in the opening round of the Leinster SFC.

That defeat may have been a blessing in disguise as it fast-tracked players like Conor Grey, Sean Coffey, Ciaran Caulfield, Adam O'Neill and Sean Brennan. They all have gained valuable experience and Meath now have a panel of 30 players capable of making an impact.

For the first time in over a decade it is almost impossible to predict a starting 15 for Meath, not because of slim pickings, but actually the opposite. O'Rourke has so many options to choose from and the future looks bright.

There are injury concerns ahead of the start of the league. Ronan Ryan, Jordan Morris and Jason Scully look set to miss the majority of the league. Padraic Harnan and Cillian O'Sullivan have yet to return to the panel, while Conor Grey suffered a hamstring injury in the O'Byrne Cup win over Louth.

Undoubtedly those are big blows, but Meath now have a strength in depth to cope and there is no team in the division that they will fear.

The schedule for Meath is tough. They must travel north to face the two teams that came down from Div 1 last year, Donegal and Armagh, while they must also make the trip to Ulster to take on neighbours Cavan.

However, it is the home games where Meath must target wins.

First up is newly promoted Fermanagh and with Kildare, Louth and Cork all due to visit Pairc Tailteann, Meath will fancy their chances of being in the mix for a return to the big time.