The power rankings for AFL 1 this year, based on league finish last year, with teams' performance in their Championship listed as well for comparison.
No arguing with Ballyboden being ranked number one, given they also won the SFC1 Championship. Na Fianna, who finished second in the league, were also runners-up in the SFC1, a run which really did not look likely after BBSE demolished them in the first round.
Elsewhere, St. Pats Donabate had a good run in the SFC, albeit in SFC2, a competition you might have expected them to win given their league position. Crokes' and Cuala's league positions are also slightly misleading, as they both got to the SFC1 semi-finals. Lucan also went far better in the SFC than their league position suggested they might.
Skerries are on the up all round with promotion in the league and SFC2 winners. Vinnies got promotion in the league but were relegated out of SFC1.
A convincing win for St. Pats here. Lucan appeared to return to their league form from last year rather than maintaining their strong Championship momentum. Pats will be delighted with the four goals; they finished 3rd last year, so this is another strong start to their league campaign.
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This was the expected result given BSJ finished 5th last year compared to Thomas Davis in 9th. Aside from a heavy defeat to Boden, BSJ had a decent SFC1 run, only narrowly missing a playoff spot to eventual finalists Na Fianna.
Match Highlights:Ballinteer pulled away in the second half after going into the break level thanks to a Jack Lundy penalty. Second-half goals from Joey Quirke and substitute Liam Fenton secured the win. Lundy, Colm Fitzpatrick, Liam Smith, Mark McNally, and Seamus Fenton were the standout performers for the visitors.
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Castleknock were the favorites here, having reached the SFC1 quarter-finals last year and finishing 7th in the league. Vinnies, meanwhile, are operating at a different level currently, having just won promotion from AFL2 while being relegated from SFC1.
Match Highlights:Castleknock secured a comfortable away win driven by the defensive efforts of Danny Leonard, Rob Shaw, and Senan Forker. Their clinical attack was led by scoring contributions from Conor Chawke, Ger McDermottroe, and Cian Boyle.
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A massive Southside battle. This is a rivalry that Boden seems to have the upper hand in lately, at least on the football pitch.
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A very narrow win for newly promoted Raheny over a Mary’s side that finished 11th in AFL1 last year.
Match Highlights: Raheny maintained their knack for winning tight games, a habit that saw them promoted from AFL2. Darren Lunney and Conor Baldwin provided the crucial goals. Brian Fenton was influential with four points, while Baldwin and Cian Ivers kept them ahead in the second half. St. Mary’s fought back through a Colin Lawlor goal and late points from Jamie McCarville, Blaine Kelly, and goalkeeper George Kenny, but they fell just a point short.
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Surprisingly, this was the only game postponed over the weekend despite the recent heavy rainfall.
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A solid win for Ballymun over a team that finished above them in the league last year. Both sides reached the SFC1 quarter-finals last season, though Clontarf don't quite seem to be hitting the same heights they reached the year prior.
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Another high-profile tie featuring last year's SFC1 runners-up against the former All-Ireland champions. Three goals kept Na Fianna in the contest. Cuala are currently missing several players due to Dublin senior and development panel commitments, so they will likely be satisfied to leave with a point.
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