Meath footballers bringing excitement to the county, says Giles

BreakingNews.ie

14 hours ago

The excitement around Meath heading into the All-Ireland semi-finals has not been seen since the days of Trevor Giles leading the county.
After memorable wins against Dublin, Kerry, and Galway, Meath fans have been given memories they will remember for the rest of their lives.
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Having not reached this stage since 2009, and forced to watch rivals Dublin lift the Leinster championship cup every season, there was not a lot to shout about for the Royals.
However, with Donegal standing in their way of an All-Ireland final, former captain Giles described the atmosphere around the county.
"We grew up going to Croke Park watching Meath in the '80s and, with nostalgia and hindsight, they were great. When you are coaching and you see your senior team going well, it is massive. It is a great thing as a teenager going to be proud of your country and all your friends being there.
"All the teenagers want Hill 16 tickets. They don't want to go to the stand. Stand tickets are a tenner, Hill 16 tickets are €40, but they want to go on Hill 16 because that is where their friends are, and that's where the craic will be.
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"Kids in Meath growing up in the last 20 years haven't had those days out."
A two-time All-Ireland winner as a player, Giles was part of Colm O'Rourke's coaching team at Meath, who had admitted they were not near Dublin after a 16-point defeat last year.
However, that gap has been more than closed after defeating Dublin in the Leinster semi-final.
For Giles, he admitted he is surprised with how well this season has gone, but believes the future of Meath football is bright.
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"Pleasantly surprised how well we're doing. I thought we would be better this year, that all the younger guys would be a year older, a little bit stronger physically.
"The team that is going to play on Sunday, a couple of them it's their first year, a couple their second, a couple their third. They're very young still.
"But it's fantastic to be that young and winning the games they have been winning. They're going to be different players for the next five or six years on the back of that. A lot of the game is confidence. Beating the likes of Dublin completely changes you as a player.
"We feel, with the age profile of the team, Meath will be there for the next few years and really competitive at the business end of things. I am just delighted that Meath are going well. That's the main thing."
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Under Robbie Brennan, Meath have played free-flowing football, with their accuracy one of the best in the country.
With the new rules, the team have taken full advantage of scoring two-pointers, and Giles has praised Brennan for allowing Meath to express themselves.
"Until this year, there wasn't a huge reward for trying a risky shot from far out because you only get a one pointer, but there is a massive reward for getting the two-pointer, we know all about that. Once you get a couple of those, you get a bit more license to keep trying them. Jordan Morris was brilliant the last day.
"You could argue he is as skilful with the ball as any other player in the country. There is going to be space there. There is going to be opportunities. He is going to need some of the other lads to carry a little bit more of the load on Sunday."