Scoreboard

Ladder

Elimination Finals

Results

Season Recap

Round 1 (20 May 2023)

Leeside Lions doubled Belfast Redbacks score, winning 8-13.61 to 4-6.30 to open the 2023 Australian Football League Ireland Men’s Premiership season. On the same day South Dublin Swans racked up 100 points in a 15-10.100 to 4-7.31 victory over Galway Magpies. After a long and gruelling pre-season according to the Swans, their players started with a “flurry of goals” and never looked back, with Will Brien leading the scoring on four goals. [References: S-1 to S-2]

Round 3 (17 June 2023)

South Dublin Swans came out on top in a “tight tussle” with Belfast Redbacks. The game was close until Swans pulled away in the last quarter to win 88-66. Outstanding performances according to coach Conor McGroarty were Dunne, Ben Uphill, and Will Brien with debutants Lucas and Simon performing strongly. According to Coach McGregor they managed to do it with little contribution on the field from himself. [References: S-3toS-4]

Round 4 (22 July 2023)

Despite showing renewed strength for the second half of the Nextventur AFL Ireland 2023 season, Galway Magpies were no match for the home team. Magpies defense held up well and the team had some great plays but the Lions took every advantage afforded to them, and were too strong in the end, winning 129 to 5 [References: S-6]

Belfast Redbacks hosted South Dublin Swans in Round 4 of the Nexventur AFL Ireland Premiership 2023. Redbacks were hoping to use home advantage to their advantage to come away with the win, having lost in Round 3 to the Swans. Great skill and effort was shown by both teams in a keenly fought contest, but the Redbacks were just strong enough to hold out for the win. Final Score was 8-6-54 to 4-8-32 in favour of Belfast Redbacks. [References: S-7]

Round 5 (12 August 2023)

The top two teams met in County Tyrone in what turned out to be a day for all seasons, with balmy sunshine weather one minute and torrential downpour the next, leading to both teams having to adapt their playing styles to the conditions. Belfast Redbacks scored the first goal, and the game swung back and forth with Leeside Lions prevailing in the end by five points (60-55) and therefore clinching the top spot in the ladder and a place in the Grand Final. [References: S-9 to S-10]

Round 6 (26 August 2023)

The Galway Magpies, out of the race for an elimiation finals place, wished to go out on a high in the final round of the season. The Magpies hosted the Belfast Redbacks in dismal conditions, with a slippery ball tough to keep off the ground for both teams. ending in a scrappy game with many ball-ups and resets. The Redbacks forward line, however, made many clean marks, and put up a large scoreline. It was an entertaining game to finish off the round series of the premiership. Belfast Redbacks went on to meet South Dublin Swans the following week in the Preliminary Final for a place in the Grand Final. [References: S11-S12]

The final round fixture between Leeside Lions and South Dublin Swans was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, with a tie declared. [References: S-13 to S-14]

About the Australian Football League Ireland Nexventur Men’s Premiership 2023

The Australian Football League Ireland Men’s Premiership 2023 is the 23nd year of the AFL Ireland Men’s League, and featured the same four teams as the past seven years: Belfast Redbacks, South Dublin Swans, Leeside Lions (Cork), and Galway Magpies. The League plays a double round-robin for six games before the top three reach the Elimination Finals culminating in the Grand Final.

Australian Football Stock Photo

References

Scoreboard References

[S-1] AFL Ireland (2022) Fixtures & Results [Internet] Available from: https://aflireland.ie/index.php/fixtures-results-calendar/ [Accessed 26 November 2022][Last Accessed 8 June 2023]

[S-2] South Dublin Swans Facebook (2023) Post, May 22, 2023: “ROUND 1 MATCH REPORT” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/southdublinswans/posts/pfbid0X7YWVv7KzxkKSDKV9Ta5dFfRnrdS7GpN4TrzUDofsfcodQDKoY6E6kD1zC63vCErl [Accessed 8 June 2023]

[S-3] South Dublin Swans Facebook (2023) Post, May 31, 2023: “ROUND 2 MATCH REPORT” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/southdublinswans/posts/pfbid02pAn6v6x9tXbfUQ8DQoJ9Hj9JyZgevhXjSFwuQjMnqmsERsFeqkNuSB41AD81Xwp5l [Accessed 8 June 2023]

[S-4] Belfast Redbacks Australian Rules Football Club Facebook (2023) Post, May 28, 2023[Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/belfastredbacks/posts/pfbid02XQvBLZZkL6ukBtCQwy6CBbPcAudtxpd2kr1nru6i1Er1XJh78y6pRLwnJsUkrb35l [Accessed 8 June 2023]

[S-5] South Dublin Swans Facebook (2023) Post, June 22, 2023: “ROUND 3 MATCH REPORT” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/southdublinswans/posts/pfbid02ikaeb2aYyEdTuZeHi82cqhhRSBwP5onG9fbKkJ9a5DFS9BeR6hy91DRDKWPFhNkHl [Accessed 8 June 2023]

[S-6] AFL Ireland Facebook (2023) Post, July 27, 2023: “ROUND 4 MATCH REPORT” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/AussieRulesIreland/posts/pfbid0Pe26ECJRTLyAjdTtmqmdHbygmyceJikq4LKsRTauQPfyEah1tAmNYXS6MtDZ14YCl [Accessed 18 August 2023]

[S-7] AFL Ireland Facebook (2023) Post, July 28, 2023: “ROUND 4 MATCH REPORT” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/AussieRulesIreland/posts/pfbid02ZGr4a2P2VLvMQ3rcnCCyCudAwSJD1ULSubryrexXH9jwJwPYqjNHK45CzmwagrLVl [Accessed 18 August 2023]

[S-8] AFL Ireland Facebook (2023) Photo, July 28, 2023: “ROUND 4 FINAL RESULTS” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=761431402650035&set=pcb.761431459316696 [Accessed 18 August 2023]

[S-9] AFL Ireland Facebook (2023) Post, August 16, 2023: “ROUND 5 MATCH REPORT” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/AussieRulesIreland/posts/pfbid0sB7EN1YZvuzTAh5Xhz9CtQ86HWQ25z21sUL7t4WbcnLL7sKXaBmejkd8Kn2bjgonl [Accessed 18 August 2023]

[S-10] AFL Ireland Facebook (2023) Photo, August 16, 2023: “ROUND 5 FINAL RESULTS” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=774048694721639&set=pcb.774048708054971 [Accessed 18 August 2023]

[S-11] AFL Ireland (2023) Photo, August 29, 2023. [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=782021487257693&set=pcb.782021530591022 [Accessed 26 September 2023]

[S-12] AFL Ireland (2023) Post, August 29, 2023. [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/AussieRulesIreland/posts/pfbid0SZyNW6njrjFopcfESqeCPCY1rt8fyH8A1uuN3Dqjge61c1oZmmwxm1dPA8FepCqSl [Accessed 26 September 2023]

[S-13] AFL Ireland Facebook (2023) Post, August 18, 2023. [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/AussieRulesIreland/posts/pfbid09kj4d3NDg9CAivwewgSnoqyQ5KG7vRfm3QkCumaW5eFUQyoYKuP3KRscX794aB7al [Accessed 26 September 2023]

[S-14] AFL Ireland Facebook (2023) Photo, August 25, 2023. [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/AussieRulesIreland/posts/pfbid09kj4d3NDg9CAivwewgSnoqyQ5KG7vRfm3QkCumaW5eFUQyoYKuP3KRscX794aB7al [Accessed 26 September 2023]

Logo References

[ARL-1] AFL Ireland (2019) Redbacks_Crest_400x400-300×300 [Internet] Available from: https://aflireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Redbacks_Crest_400x400-300×300.png [Accessed 12 December 2022]

[ARL-2] AFL Ireland (2019) Galway-Magpies-150×150 [Internet] Available from: https://aflireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Galway-Magpies-150×150.png [Accessed 12 December 2022]

[ARL-3] AFL Ireland (2019) 20191202_183234-1-300×300 [Internet] Available from: https://aflireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20191202_183234-1-300×300.jpg [Accessed 12 December 2022]

[ARL-4] AFL Ireland (2022) Swans [Internet] Available from: https://aflireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Swans.png [Accessed 12 December 2022]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Conor McGroarty (South Dublin Swans)

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 26 September 2023

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2023

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved. The Logos and Photos used in this article remain the property of the organisations and individuals which own the copyright and are used here for educational and information purposes only. Eirball is not Officially connected or endorsed by Australian Football League Ireland.