WE'LL LEAVE IT THERE: This time next year Rodney...

Of course it's of no scant consolation to us Meath supporters who are enduring our own drought for 27 years, and counting, or suffering the constraints of a curse wished on us by Louth supporters since 2010, but both of the last two All-Ireland SFC winners have credited Meath as being the catalyst for transforming their season.

Last year's Jack O'Connor often referenced the defeat by Meath in Tullamore as the boot up the hole that checked Kerry egos and propelled them on a journey that led to ultimate glory.

Last Monday morning, when he sat down with Joe Molloy of the Indo Sport podcast, Mayo coach-legend-hero Colm Boyle reflected back on the game against Meath just 38 days earlier as the one where it all changed where, as Jurgen Klopp put it, the Mayo fans turned from doubters to believers.

Boyle spoke to Molloy last Monday week and gave hope to Meath fans all over the world, that Meath too are capable of great things.

"We were rocked against Meath at times. Meath were incredible in the first 20, 25 minutes, but once we settled into it (it went well).

"A couple of things yesterday (All-Ireland final against Kerry) were very similar to the Meath game in terms of the energy from the crowd.

"Andy always referenced the point that to get energy from the crowd, you have to give them energy and we gave them energy at times yesterday and it was like that that Saturday night in Castlebar against Meath.

"I haven't felt energy like that as a player, as a supporter going to Mayo games for the last two years. Maybe in 2019 against Dublin was the last time. "We had no choice (to go for it) against Meath at that stage. The way we were for the first 25 minutes against Meath was probably similar to the second-half against Roscommon.

"If we had petered out and gone out of the championship that night I'd say a lot of the Mayo people would have been unhappy. They wouldn't even have had to call for my head, I'd have been gone.

"The margins are so fine. That's a brilliant Meath team, that Meath team could do anything in the next couple of years. It's on the given day, what you are winning to put into it, the momentum swings. It's a given at this stage that it's going to happen in any particular game," said Boyle.

Last Sunday week I sat on the upper deck of the Cusack Stand, just where it meets the Davin, to witness the greatest All-Ireland final occasion ever and beside me was a random stranger.

We both watched with different eyes to those around us, me with a reporter/coach's hat on, him with a great eye for the game as we discussed kickout strategies, defensive set-ups, marking jobs on Clifford, it was a very different watching experience to the usual roars of 'kick it will ya', 'pass it now', 'ah jaysus ref' and as the man to my right later introduced himself as the London coach it became clear why he was so knowledgeable and insightful. 'When we played them at the start of the year, I never in a million years would have said they'd win the All-Ireland,' he declared and happy to admit he was wrong.

I reminded him that we (we being Meath) had them bet up a stick five minutes into the second-half of our All-Ireland round three meeting in Castlebar only for a poor referee's call, but the man to my right agreed that that was the turning point for Mayo's year, Mayo's history.

Maybe it'll be our turn next and as Del Boy always says - this time next year we'll be millionaires - such is the value and prize of the Sam Maguire Cup.

AND ANOTHER THING......

Question's asked that Maggie may have been wrong, she wasn't!

I wouldn't be the biggest fan of Maggie Farrelly as a referee, but she must be commended for getting two huge calls absolutely bang on in the Ladies All-Ireland SFC final between Kerry and Galway on Sunday.

In the dying moment of an exciting, but low scoring, low quality encounter Kerry trailed by a point and went in search of an equaliser. Galway fouled outside the arc, but the Cavan ref allowed play to continue for the required five seconds before calling play back for the advantage as the contest for possession became 50-50. What irked Kerry was that Kerry won that 50-50 and seconds later clipped over what they thought was the leveller. However Farrelly had already sounded her whistle and the Galway backs had stopped defending.

Farrelly brought play back and awarded Kerry a two-point free, just outside the arc. Up stepped the best player in the country Siofra O'Shea, but her effort faded short of going over the bar, but as it sailed over the heads of a crowded small square Farrelly blew the whistle and crossed her arms over her head to signal she was disallowing the 'goal' for a square ball infringement. Kerry protested, five seconds later the hooter sounded and Galway celebrated to the refrains of The Saw Doctor's and N17.

To Farrelly's credit she was perfectly positioned to make the call and got it spot on as the rule for a square ball as two parts, one for when the ball in delivered from play and one for when it arrives from a free/'45'/sideline.

The law is that an attacking player cannot be in the small square before the ball is KICKED from play, whereas from a setpiece situation an attacking player cannot be in the square before the ball ENTERS the square. It was clear that Kerry infringed and while it was cruel, Farrelly was bang on.

What was disappointing was the small crowd that attended Sunday's finals with just 26,472 in attendance across the day, for three finals. That was the lowest figure, Covid days aside, since 2013. Even with restricted numbers in 2021, Meath and Dublin drew 32,000. In 2022 when Meath defeated Kerry there was 46,440. Last year between Meath and Dublin it was 48,089. Even with the new rules making the game more attractive to watch Sunday's paltry turnout was very disappointing. Despite the small crowd, yet again the ladies led the way and their utilisation of live music at every opportunity added to a decent atmosphere throughout the day. The Circus Ponies were magnificent and they brought huge entertainment to a day where later drama in the junior and senior finals ensured plenty of excitement on the field too.