More awards for Vikki Wall

Meath GAA Ladies Football Star Vikki Wall, was speaking as she accepted the Gaelic Writers' Association Ladies Football Personality of the Year Awards. The Awards are this year supported by Wilson Hartnell.

VIKKI ON....

..THE PAST YEAR WITH MEATH

“It (life) has 100 percent changed. It has kind of been a bit of a roller coaster since the All-Ireland final.

“I think people were kind of taken by the story and obviously have responded to it. It got a lot of media attention at this stage.

“I think even for Meath ladies and the progress of our underage and just even the levels of participation within Meath have kind of skyrocketed almost and just even seeing the crowds we are getting at league games this year.

“They are kind of the bits that stand out more so than the trophies or anything like that.

“Even the girls in our own club in Dunboyne, the kind of backing that we have as a team now has probably been the most rewarding part.”

..THE EYE-OPENING CROWD FOR DUBLIN LEAGUE GAME

“I think that’s something if we can kind of change those small bits rather than just getting attendances on the big days.

“I think it’s easy to get attendance on the big days where if we are getting that sort of attendances at small games, that’s huge and just give even I think younger girls a chance to see, ‘I can be playing for the Meath team that has good support.

“I think in previous years it was just our parents and siblings and stuff to be honest at games. It is just great to have that support at games.

“It makes all the difference, that atmosphere on a game day like that.”

..HOW SHE COPES WITH BEING IN THE LIMELIGHT

“I suppose it’s definitely a bit bizarre. I wouldn’t say I’m used to it now at all.

“It still kind of comes as a bit of a shock.

“Again, I think it comes back to the hype of those games (last year). Even after the game there on Saturday at Parnell Park people were queueing up to get pictures of everyone on the team.

“People are kind of idolising the entire team. It’s great, especially for young girls to have those kind of role models and it’s so close to home for a lot of them in Meath as well.”

..SEEING DUBLIN AGAIN

“I don’t think it will be the last time we have played Dublin. I think we will definitely be meeting them again.

“Once, if not more than that. Every time we play them there is only a kick of a ball between us, so for both of us and I think spectators as well, they are the type of games you want to be involved in.

“You want to be constantly learning and pushing yourselves so yeah, it’s great.

“We are learning every game we play. We hadn’t played them competitively since 2016, up until the All-Ireland final last year.

“Now we’ve played them three times in the space of a few months, it's great for both teams really.”

..HOW DUBLIN-MEATH RIVALRY IS HELPING LADIES FOOTBALL.

“I think so. I think that narrative has always been there in football, whether it’s men or women.

“I think now we kind of have that going in the ladies' side of things and it absolutely does help to push that narrative and that kind of competition, the rivalry that people know regardless of the gender of the sport.”

..PLAYING WESTMEATH THIS WEEKEND

“There are just three of us in Leinster. If we get a win on Saturday, we will be through to the Leinster final. If it goes the other way it will be an interesting draw because that means we will all have one win.

“Hopefully we won’t be in that position. We will see how we go on Saturday.”

..THE STRANGE FIXTURE FORMAT

“Provincial hasn’t been in play the last few years. I know in Connacht it’s just Mayo and Galway go straight through to a Connacht final.

“I think it’s even good that we are getting two games before we hopefully get a provincial final because it allows us to get more competitive games.”

..BEING CLOSELY MARKED BY THE BEST PLAYERS AROUND

“I think I am kind of used to it at this stage. I think I have definitely got a bit more closely marked after last year.

“I think if you are trying to push yourself you are going to be dealing with different things. I don’t think it’s something that people haven’t dealt with before.

“I think it’s going to be something that a lot of our players are going to be coming up against in the next while.”