It's time for the third installment of our GAA series here on Balls.ie - 15 for 30.
Each week, we want you to choose a different county's best football and/or hurling team for the last 30 years (from 1990 - 2019). Just pick your favourite team from 1-15 and we'll tally the votes over the course of a week and reveal your county's final XV, as voted by you.
In week 1, we kicked things off with the Donegal footballers, while last week we turned to hurling with the Waterford team of the last 30 years which was revealed on Saturday.
This week, we turn back to football and begin the search for Meath's 15 for 30.
Meath's 15 for 30 creates the most interesting question yet. Undeniably the greatest team in Meath's history was the All-Ireland winners of 1987 and 1988. However, those achievements can't be considered for this selection. Even so, most of that team were still around when the county made consecutive All-Ireland finals in 1990 and 1991. Were those achievements, including the epic four game series with Dublin in '91, enough to get these legends on this team?
The majority of players will likely come from the second great wave of the Sean Boylan era - the All-Ireland champions of 1996 and 1999. Both teams live long in the memories and imagination of Meath men and women and continue to cast longer and longer shadows as their achievements go unmatched. In 2001, a mixture of old and new made a last burst for Meath, hammering Kerry in an All-Ireland semi-final before going down to Galway in the decider.
Since then, it's been the doldrums for Meath football. A controversial 2010 Leinster title is all they have to show for the last 19 years of constant rebuilding. However, some fantastic players, possibly born at the wrong time, have worn the green and gold in that time. How much will their contribution be considered and valued by voters?
Meath players have been awarded 33 All-Stars in the last 30 years, but remarkably have only since 2001 - Stephen Bray's award in 2007. Trevor Giles also won Footballer of the Year in 1996 and 1999, and remains the only player to have won the award twice.
You can read the rules, such as they are, here, but suffice to say, just pick your favourite team from 1-15 and we'll make sure we get the most popular team together by the end of the voting.
You can vote by emailing your team to [email protected], by sending a message to any of our social channels, or by simply filling out your team in the box below.
Let your friends know about it and let the debates begin!
VOTE HERE:
(Remember to pick your team from 1-15 the way you'd want them to line out. If you don't want Ollie Murphy in goals, don't put him at number 1!)
Voting ends this Saturday the 6th June and the full team will be revealed that evening.
In case you're in need of some assistance, we've broken down some key achievements by Meath teams and individuals over the last 30 years.
Meath Silverware Since 1990:
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship x2 - 1996, 1999
Leinster Senior Football Championships x6 - 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2010
National Football League x2: 1990, 1994
All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship: 1993
All-Ireland Minor Football Championships x2: 1990, 1992
Meath All-Stars Since 1990:
4 - Tommy Dowd - 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996
3 - Martin O'Connell - 1990, 1991, 1996
John McDermott - 1996, 1998, 1999
Darren Fay - 1996, 1999, 2001
Trevor Giles - 1996 (FOTY), 1997, 1999 (FOTY)
2 - Graham Geraghty - 1994, 1999
Ollie Murphy - 1999, 2001
1 - Robbie O'Malley - 1990
Terry Ferguson - 1990
David Beggy - 1990
Michael McQuillan - 1991
Colm O'Rourke - 1991
Brian Stafford - 1991
Bernard Flynn - 1991
Brendan Reilly - 1997
Mark O'Reilly - 1999
Paddy Reynolds - 1999
Cormac Sullivan - 1999
Evan Kelly - 2001
Stephen Bray - 2007
SEE ALSO: Revealed: The Best Waterford Team Of The Last 30 Years As Voted By You
SEE ALSO: Revealed: The Best Donegal Team Of The Last 30 Years As Voted By You
Stay tuned to Balls.ie all this week for analysis of the key matchups, voting updates and a Meath man will pick his own 15 for 30.