Big decisions as Meath bid for league glory

Managers of Gaelic football teams have to make countless decisions. What tactics to employ. How to counteract dangerous opponents. Who to pick from the larger panel of almost 40 players for 30-strong match-day squad. It goes on and on. As a former manager of Clare and Louth senior ladies teams, Wayne Freeman is familiar with having to make the big calls but now, as the new Meath manager he has a different challenge – to win some silverware for the Royal County.

He and his players start out on that precarious, challenging journey on Sunday when they welcome Galway to Summerhill for the opening round of the NFL Div 1 campaign.

Freeman might be the new Meath boss but he’s certainly familiar with the players and the set-up having worked as a coach with the previous incumbent, fellow Kildare man Shane McCormack, who stepped down after last year’s All-Ireland final defeat to Dublin.

Freeman’s story is certainly different to most. From Monasterevin he had to give up playing at just 21 after sustaining an injury. He turned to coaching and management and now, 10 years down the line, the Meath job has presented itself - and with it an opportunity to enhance his reputation as a leader in the top flight.

He certainly knows a thing or two about what’s required to win a National League title. He achieved that feat with both the Wee and Banner counties, guiding the former to a Div 4 crown and the latter to Div 3 success. Now, however, he’s in Div 1 where the environment is much more demanding and unforgiving.

If Meath are to win a league title this time around his team will have to tap into a more sustained, consistent streak of form than they were able to find in last year’s campaign.

After early victories over Tyrone, Mayo and Waterford they faltered against Kildare, Dublin and Kerry, flirted with the possibility of relegation, before defeating Armagh.

A big change this year is that Meath won’t have the familiar surroundings of Pairc Tailteann to draw some comfort from, as construction gets underway on the new stand. Instead they will be visiting various locations around the county. The first stop off is in Summerhill for the Galway game.

The other three Meath home fixtures will at Stamullen (v Dublin, which will be televised live on TG4), Dunboyne (v Kerry) before returning to Summerhill (v Armagh). There are away trips to Waterford, Cork and Kildare.

Another change this year is that Meath will be captained by the influential, highly industrious All-Star Niamh Gallogly who takes over the role from another All-Star winner in 2025, Aoibhin Cleary who isn’t part of the set-up any longer having kick-started a new career in AFLW with Richmond. Also Australia bound is Sarah Wall. She will be joining her sister Vikki at North Melbourne. Her transition to AFLW constitutes another significant blow for Meath in particular and ladies football in general.

However her considerable loss has been somewhat cushioned for Meath by the fact that she will be available for the league campaign as she won’t be going to Australia until the early summer. Sarah Wall has been training away with the rest of the Meath players in recent weeks.

On the positive side Freeman has still a plethora of highly accomplished, experienced players to call on including Megan Thynne, Marion Farrelly, Emma Duggan along with other All-Star winners, goalkeeper Robyn Murray and ultra reliable full-back Mary Kate Lynch.

Galway make the step back up to the top flight having suffered relegation in 2024. They will be looking to make an immediate impact as they seek to stop that yo-yoing pattern which is so harmful to sustained growth and development.

Meath, who won their only Div 1 title in 2022, may well have loftier ambitions that includes even winning the title (not an unrealistic prospect surely for last year’s All-Ireland finalists) but ensuring they stay in the top flight has to be the number one target.

Manager Freeman has brought a raft of u-20 players into the squad as he keeps one eye on building for the future while also seeking to ensure victories are picked up along the way.

As he knows well management is about finding the right balance – and making the most effective choices. Decisions, decisions.