Yesterday afternoon, Dublin GAA announced the grouping details of all Senior, Intermediate and Junior Club Championship competitions for 2018. And we’re already looking forward to some amazing match ups in the competition.
Championship Format Change in 2018
This year the Dublin Senior Football Championship moves away from the straight knock-out format used in previous years. The competition is split into two sections called the Senior 1 and Senior 2 Football Championship. Teams were graded as Senior 1 or 2 depending on their performances in the previous 5 competitions.
In Senior 1, 16 teams compete in 4 randomly drawn groups of 4. The top 2 teams in each group qualify for the Senior 1 Quarter-Finals, with the outright winner crowned Senior Football Champions, representing Dublin in the Leinster Senior Championship. The bottom teams in each group will contest a relegation play off with the eventual loser of the relegation final being relegated to the 2019 Senior 2 competition.
In Senior 2, 15 teams compete in 3 randomly drawn groups of 4 and 1 group of 3. The top 2 teams in each group qualify for the Senior 2 Quarter-Finals, with the outright winner of the Senior 2 Championship winning promotion to the 2019 Dublin Senior 1 Championship. The bottom teams in each group will contest a relegation play off with the eventual loser of the relegation final being relegated to the 2019 Intermediate Championship
Senior 1 In Focus
St. Vincents, who’ve won the county title for the past two years, and will be looking to make it three-in-a-row, have been grouped with close rivals Na Fianna, Skerries Harps and Lucan Sarsfield. Na Fianna and Vincents met in Round 2 last year, with the eventual champions ending the Glasnevin team’s campaign early. Lucan and Skerries also exited the competition in Round 2 last year.
2017 finalist Ballymun Kickhams have a tough task in Group 4 as they’ll be facing Castleknock, St. Brigids and Clontarf. Brigids and Ballymun were Quarter Final opponents last and you’re always guaranteed a tough battle between those two. Castleknock, who were finalists in 2016, were defeated by Kilmacud Crokes in last year’s Quarter Final, literally by 0-01, with Clontarf exiting the competition in Round 1 and heading for the ‘B’ Tournament.
Semi Finalists Kilmacud Crokes and St. Judes are in Groups 1 and 3 respectively. Group 1 will see Crokes go head to head with Ballyboden St. Enda’s, along with Raheny and St. Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh. Plunketts caused a shock in Round 1 last year beating Boden.
St. Judes have been selected alongside Ballinteer St. Johns, St. Sylvesters and Parnells. Ballinteer exited in Round 1 last year, with Parnells leaving in Round 2. Sylvesters reached the Quarter Finals, but came up against St. Vincents.
Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship Groups
Dublin Senior 2 Football Championship Groups
To download a complete list of all the Football Championship groups in Senior, Intermediate and Junior competitions, just Click Here.
