By Cian O'Connell

Colm O'Rourke is adamant that Kildare have the power and potential to make a significant impact soon.

Speaking at the draw for the Top Oil Br Bosco Leinster Schools Senior A Championship, O'Rourke feels Cian O'Neill's charges can deliver.

"The only team for me outside the top three or four who could make an impact is Kildare," O'Rourke says. 

"I was talking to Daniel Flynn about it. To me, they are a team, who are equipped to take on Dublin. They have enough good players in the right positions."

Kildare won a Leinster Under 21 title in 2013 and minor crowns in 2015 and 2016 which is beneficial according to O'Rourke. "Yeah, and they have the right type of player," O'Rourke states. 

"They have a lot of big, strong, very athletic players, who are very good footballers. I'm very impressed with them and they are a team of the future."

O'Rourke also feels that Meath need to develop significantly. "We should be better," O'Rourke acknowledges. "But I said a few years ago that this is a 10-year project in Meath and I haven't changed my mind. 

"The fellas that have been involved in Meath, Mick O'Dowd and Andy McEntee, put in huge work and effort and training and did things very well and yet we were still a long way behind. 

"When you have management that's good and there are no results, then you have to look at what else should we be doing better and obviously, you know, the club scene has to be looked at, the underage scene, there's a whole set of things.

"Meath are now getting to the stage where young fellas have never seen Meath winning anything, and that makes it even more difficult. 

"I had three young lads with me here, and they're 17 years of age - they haven't seen Meath in an All-Ireland final, they haven't seen Meath winning anything. 

"They come from good clubs and they're keen on playing, but you do need a little bit of success now and again to give an impetus to footballers."