Ladies football: Vikki Wall and Meath look to break Dublin dominance

Vikki Wall celebrates after beating Cork in the All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship semi-final at Croke Park. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Vikki Wall is just 23 but already she is in her seventh season as a Meath senior footballer - which means she has experienced the dark days.

Like the last time they played TG4 All-Ireland final opponents Dublin in a championship game, back in 2016.

Meath had home advantage in Summerhill for that Leinster round robin game but leaked 3-19 and lost by 18 points. 

Since then, remarkably, Dublin have played 29 championship games and won 28, leaving them on the brink of a memorable five-in-a-row this weekend.

As for Meath and Wall, this is their first time back in the senior ranks though the 2020 intermediate Player of the Year doesn't necessarily carry any inferiority complex.

"If you'd asked me when I first came on the panel, this now would have been far, far beyond my expectations," said Wall of potentially winning the All-Ireland. "The first few years on the panel we didn't really win a huge amount. But the last few years it's been building and building. The great thing is that Meath teams are pushing on at all levels. Our minors won the Leinster final last week and things are definitely pushing on."

Wall counts Croke Park as a happy hunting ground too. She contributed crucial points there in the win over Cork and June's Division 2 final defeat of Kerry while her 1-3 haul in last December's intermediate final win over Westmeath proved decisive.

For the record, her solo goal in the first quarter of the intermediate decider was one of the strikes of the season and along with Emma Duggan and Stacey Grimes, they form a potent attack.

Strong favourites Dublin will still fancy their chances.

"Everyone is familiar with Dublin and what they've done in ladies football," said Wall. "I think they have a serious team, they're a serious outfit. But I suppose we'd rank ourselves quite close to them. The last time I would have played Dublin in a competitive game would have been that match in 2016. A lot has changed since for both teams.

"We're just looking forward to it. Dublin have been the standard-bearers for the last few years so it's exactly who you want to be playing against."

Wall hails from Dunboyne, just inside the Meath/Dublin border, though lives in Dublin and recently completed a Business degree at Dublin City University.

"There is always a rivalry there, no matter which Meath and Dublin teams are playing," she said. "Whether it's men or women playing, you always feel that rivalry. I'm sure my Mam and Dad will be putting the flags and bunting up. There's a few signs around Dunboyne as well. It's nice but we won't get too caught up in it. I think you have to embrace some of it, you have to enjoy it. You can't just switch yourself off from it."

A powerful player with an eye for goal, Wall has naturally taken notice of ex-Ireland rugby star Hannah Tyrrell's strong form with Dublin this season.

"She's a huge outlet for them," said Wall. "She's been able to transfer her skills across from rugby to ladies football fairly easily and she's got a great left foot on her so we know the kind of threat she will be inside. But, Dublin have threats all over the pitch so we can't just focus on one person."