'Beating Dublin was the measurement of Meath when I was playing and that hasn't changed' O'Rourke ratified as new Meath boss

In his first interview since being declared the Meath Co Board executive's preferred candidate of choice to be the next Meath senior football manager Colm O'Rourke has laid down his first challenge.

"Ultimately we have to beat Dublin. That was the measurement of Meath when I was playing and that hasn't changed," O'Rourke exclusively told the Meath Chronicle on Tuesday morning.

After an extensive and exhaustive interview process the three-man interview committee of Sean Kelly, Conor O'Donoghue and Liam Keane yesterday (Monday) proposed O'Rourke as the man to succeed Andy McEntee as Meath manager and the former Meath legend was ratified by the clubs at Monday night's Co Board meeting in Dunganny.

Just a few short weeks after suggesting on The Sunday Game that he wouldn't be applying for the job as Meath manager after being rejected three times in the past O'Rourke admitted this morning that it was an opportunity he couldn't turn down.

"My interest in wanting the job probably had waned over the years. It was something in my earlier years that I wanted to do more than in the last few years, but this is still a great opportunity," admitted the current Simonstown Gaels manager.

When O'Rourke went for the job in the past he demanded high standards and while those ambitions weren't matched at the time O'Rourke now believes that the majority of plans and structures that he wanted to implement are now in place.

"Most of things that would have talked about when I first wanted to take the job and most of the documents that I submitted to the Co Board at various times about things that I thought needed to be done, I think most of them are actually in place now.

"Things have improved over the last 10 years. The whole coaching structure has improved. Everyone has these terms that 'the structures aren't right', but that can be a very broad term and nobody knows what is meant by it.

"The whole Meath set-up has improved over the last 10 years and it is reflected in the underage success.

"I was asked by a lot of people would I make myself available for interview this time around and I did. I spoke to the committee involved in the appointment and it went on from there.

"I'm not giving away state secrets when I say there was a general keenness for me to get involved in some way and I thought to myself that this is probably the last opportunity I will get, so if I'm going to do anything I better do it now.

"I still regard it as one of the big jobs in football in the country. Meath has a rich and varied history and tradition of football and I'm hoping it will be easy enough to reignite the tradition and passions that we had for the game," he said.

So what attracted O'Rourke to want to throw his hat into the ring one more time?

After a couple of buoyant years under Andy McEntee performances lipped back over the last two years and O'Rourke is under no illusions of the task ahead.

"Realistically our performances over the last two years would mean we are a top 10 or a top 12 team, but we are no better than that. We can talk about where we think we are, but our results over the last 20 years reflect the reality of our position," he admitted.

"We have failed to hold onto our status in NFL Div 1 for long, we have struggled badly in championship football over that 20 year period. Results don't lie.

"Obviously the ambition is to get to Div 1 of the league because that is where all the serious teams are at and that is where All-Ireland winners come from.

"I don't know if you can say things have gone wrong. If you look back at a succession of managers they have all worked extremely hard and extremely honestly in pursuit of the same aims that I have and it just hasn't worked out for them.

"I'm not exactly sure where things can be improved. I hope there will be a general improvement and that a rising tide will lift all boats. When we get into the nitty-gritty and we are working with a panel players we will see their hopes and ambitions, their abilities, their willingness to work hard and whether or not it is possible then to get improvement.

"I think everybody will agree that probably nobody in the history of Meath football has worked harder to improve things than Andy McEntee, so it will be interesting to see if the group we now have together with Barry (Callaghan) and Stephen (Bray) can bring some improvement," said the three-time All-Star.

Despite never managing the Meath senior team O'Rourke has a hugely impressive managerial CV having guided his adopted club Simonstown to two Keegan Cup successes in 2016 and '17.

The St Patrick's CS Navan principal also managed his school team to All-Ireland Colleges SFC Hogan Cup glory in 2000, 2001 and 2004 after managing the Ireland International Rules team to winning tests over Australia in 1998 and '99.

Despite huge speculation about who will make up O'Rourke's backroom team the former Skryne player did confirm that ex-St Patrick's CS pupils and outstanding Meath players from the recent past Barry Callaghan and Stephen Bray will be part of his management team.

Callaghan has a vast wealth of experience coaching underage teams, while Bray is regarded as one of Meath best ever players and is considered to be one of the brightest young coaches in the game.

"Barry has been heavily involved in coaching for quite a while. He has been involved with underage teams in Meath and he has a very good knowledge of players from every year for the last 10 years and that will be a massive benefit," enthused O'Rourke.

"Himself and Stephen are also involved in doing different types of coaching courses, they are doing the ongoing coaching course at the moment which has brought together the cream of coaches in the county and those with ambitions of being involved at a higher level.

"Stephen Bray is probably the last really great player that we have had. He was our last All-Star. He has a special place in most people's minds, he was an outstanding club footballer and an outstanding county footballer.

"The two of them are people of high esteem, integrity and honesty and they understand and love Meath football.

"What I achieved as a player never bothered me with any team I have ever been involved with in the past.

"Players will quickly figure out whether you are doing the right things in training, whether your words and actions are up to standard. No matter who you are, you are judged by your deeds when you get in charge of a team, more than your reputation from the past and that's the right way to have it.

"We won't be trading on names or on what we have done in the past. All we want to do it facilitate an environment where the current players are able to improve.

"There will be further people to be added to the management team over the next few weeks. There's no great panic on that at the moment.

"We certainly will be adding more on the coaching side, on the strength and conditioning side and a lot of the other areas that are now common with county teams.

"This is a process. We wanted to get the basic management structure in place first so that the Co Board could announce it, but there is a big number of additions to be made over the next month or so and we will do that in due course," O'Rourke said.

O'Rourke is looking forward to getting going and insists that he is starting with a blank canvas and everyone will have their opportunity to stake a claim on the Meath panel under his tenure.

"We are starting off from scratch. Our view is that there is no panel of Meath footballers any more. We are going to assemble a new one and we are going to have a look at club football over the next few weeks," confirmed the new man in charge.

"There is also supposedly a junior and intermediate regional team competition starting after the championship, so that will be another chance to look at players.

"We will also be hoping to have some other type of regional competition involving senior players. What we want to do is give everybody in the county who has ambitions of playing with Meath an opportunity to do so, not just for one game, but for a series of games we will hope to run through the month of November before we assemble a panel. Then that panel will always be open door. Anyone playing well in any game next spring will be in.

"We also hope to have another group working along side the seniors made up of some of the younger players, maybe 18, 19, 20-year-olds who have ambitions of playing county football.

"They will be looked after separately and will have the opportunity to learn the best techniques, get the best training, dietary needs and strength and conditioning work. Maybe at some stage then they will be able to move up to the senior panel as well.

"Meath is a great football county with great clubs, huge numbers involved, great passion for the game at club level, so I think the net will be wide and varied and there will be opportunities for players who have never played for Meath at any age level," concluded the new manager.

Exciting times ahead for Meath and for Colm O'Rourke and his management team - let's hope the whole county gets behind them and give them their full support. This won't be a case of overnight success, but there are bright days ahead.