New year. New rules. New managers. New champions ?
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Navan O'Mahonys and Dee Rangers will have title ambitions when the Meath LGFA Championships get underway this week.Image 2 of 2
Will the Dunshaughlin Royal Gaels players be celebrating with the Joe Breen Cup at the end of this year’s Meath LGFA SFC? Photo: Gerry Shanahan-www.cyberimages.net Gerry ShanahanAround the county, excitement is building ahead of the Meath LGFA championships which will get underway tonight (Wednesday), writes Anna Gardiner.
From Senior to Junior H, a total of 79 teams are set to compete in what promises to be a highly competitive few months of championship action.
Already this year, the league and Jacksie Kiernan Cup have provided us with compelling encounters, intriguing upsets and plenty of entertaining football. While a strong league campaign is undoubtedly preferable to a poor one, the regular absence of key players means that there is a limit to what the results of the secondary competitions can reveal.
Over the summer months, players have gradually filtered back to their clubs. They have returned from county panels, Leaving Cert and college commitments and time abroad and by now , the high number of new managers will have settled into their roles.
New Rules
Amongst the key alterations to the rules are the kick-out mark, the 3v3 structure, the two-point arc, the option to solo-and-go from a free and the increased level of physicality permitted.
The feedback from players has been hugely positive. It is widely acknowledged that the rules have improved the speed and flow of the game. One thing is for sure; it is the clubs who best adapt to the new style of play that will progress in the coming weeks.
The format of the championship remains unchanged from previous years. Eight teams, split into two groups of four - Group A and Group B, will compete for each title (with the exception of Junior H which has only seven teams).
The two teams who top their tables will secure a place in a semi-final. Their opponents are determined by two quarter-finals that are played between the second and third placed sides: second in Group A plays third in Group B and vice versa.
The teams who finish at the bottom of their groups will play each other in a relegation play-off.
It is a structure that gives every team a great chance of making a semi-final, but it is also an unforgiving one. With just three group games, every match is crucial and there are fine margins between finding oneself at the business end of the championship and battling it out to avoid demotion.
This year’s competitions are shaping up to be as riveting as ever and, with the added intrigue of the new rules, it’s all to play for.