Manager's View: Hard work the only expectation from Brady

David Brady's appointment as Ratoath manager just three days before Christmas last year caused plenty of eyebrows to be raised around, not just Meath but, the country.

The former Mayo player had a distinguished career with club Ballina Stephenities and county. He also enjoyed a spell in charge of his hometown club, but after a dozen years out of the game his appointment as successor to championship winning Brian Farrell was a surprise.

Brady was forging an excellent side-job as one of the leading GAA pundits on Off The Ball and his straight-talking style and personable nature made him a natural in the media.

His work with cocooning people during Covid lockdowns drew special praise, so when his name was announced as the new Ratoath manager there was a lot of checking to make sure it was the same David Brady.

After winning two successive Keegan Cups, Ratoath were disappointed not to make it three-in-a-row, so their appointment of Brady was a major statement of intent.

Brady had huge boots to fill, but he took on the job with no expectations other than a demand for hard work and total commitment from his players and he has certainly been rewarded.

While everyone expected Ratoath to be amongst the main contenders for honours once again this year, Brady banished any such talk.

"I wouldn't allow that type of talk in any shape or form. No one has a God given right to win football games, no matter what county you are in or what rich history you might have," Brady told the Meath Chronicle ahead of next Sunday's SFC final against Summerhill.

"I don't see Ratoath with a rich history. They have a great crop of fellas, but we have never once thought we were entitled to anything, and I wouldn't allow that, that would be condemned in the dressing room if that was ever mentioned.

"You can't just expect things to happen. We had an opportunity against Na Fianna to get to a final, but that was all it was, an opportunity, but thankfully we took it.

"I'll be very straight. I don't know where people's opinion about Ratoath comes from. I keep hearing all this stuff about Ratoath, but I see with my own two eyes the absolute commitment, the effort they put in, and again there is so much fun there.

"I've been around the block, but I have never met a group of fellas that are so together. The only thing I have to give out to them about is time, I'm a stickler for that, but at times I nearly have to tell them to hold back.

"I'm only a cog, I'm only a piece of this puzzle here. They are such a great bunch of fellas and every manager in the country that is preparing for a county final will say the same.

"I've met a lot of fellas and a lot of bunches, I'm coming 49 years of age, these lads are absolutely a pleasure and I love doing it.

"No one is allowed slack. There is no room for slackers. We have 17 and 18 year olds, we have fellas making their debuts in the semi-final, but no one is allowed slack.

"From the the oldest to the youngest, no one is disrespectful to what ever level you are at, they are massively, massively focused on hard work and we will need to do more than we have ever done with the challenge that Summerhill now present," he said.

So what type of a challenge can Ratoath expect from Summerhill?

Brady is very aware of the threats Conor Gillespie's side possess and he knows his side will have to produce their best performance of the year next Sunday to be in with a shout.

"They have to be, and can only be the favourites for the final. I have watched four of their games this year, and one of those was when I was a manager on the sideline," warned Brady.

"We were nine points down that day, then they took their foot off the gas. They have an excellent team.

"How are we going to manage the likes of Adam Flanagan and Micheal Byrne? Byrne was absolutely outstanding. I highly rate Adam Flanagan, he cleaned us in our league game. He is one of the best midfielders I have seen in Meath in a long time.

"It is not just his aerial ability and it's not just about about catching a ball, but that's the challenge now and we'll have to raise a lot of our game, a lot of our standards, a lot of our levels to try to match that.

"Summerhill scored 2-18 against Skryne. When I saw that game I thought they were a serious outfit. We have failed to set it alight, whereas they have set it alight.

"They have beaten the reigning champions Wolfe Tones. We want more of ourselves, as a management team we want more off the players and as players they want more of what we have set out to do.

"This is brilliant and it's lovely to be in a county final."

Brady speaks about Ratoath with a passion that suggest he has been part of the club all his life. He commitment and hunger for the cause is evident along the sideline and when he talks of his players he does so like they are his own sons.

Brady had a special word of admiration for Joey Wallace who suffered an ACL injury in the quarter-final win over Moynalvey and will miss the best part of a year, but his manager couldn't speak highly enough of his attitude.

"I swear I absolutely love it. I can be very honest here when I say I did not come to Ratoath for money, that is not my driving motivation and wouldn't be," insisted Brady who played against Meath in the 1996 All-Ireland SFC final.

"I've spent 12 years out of football to focus on my life, my work and my family. I would pay these guys to be here, that's without a doubt and I would tell that story again.

"It is an absolute pleasure and it's not about a big game. I'm only a small cog, sometimes managers get too much praise. It is about the players and the effort they are making.

"The one thing I'm disappointed about is that we have never togged more than 26. We have 38 men to be named on a panel and that has to be cut every week and that disappoints me because number 38 on our panel is as important as number one or the bainisteoir.

"Look at Joey Wallace. He was in Pairc Tailteann two hours before we arrived for the game against Na Fianna and he hung up the jerseys and he put out the stuff the players need, that is why these guys are as close as they are.

"Joey is one of the finest players I've seen and he was absolutely flying and now he is going to be 12 months out, but he is still here with us.

"Two hours before we got to Pairc Tailteann for the game against Na Fianna he was in with our kitman Killian McNamara and you can see what this means to him," concluded Brady. It is that type of hunger and enthusiasm that Brady has instilled into his players and rest assured he will do everything in his power to get his players over the line next Sunday.