2021 Flag Season Preview
The 2021 Flag Football season gets underway across the country this weekend, on Saturday September 18th! This year’s competition will be split across two tiers: Premier and Divison One, as well as being divided into north and south conferences. All in, 22 teams will compete this season and after a lengthy break players will be hungry for some competitive football. With only 8 games to make an impact, we can expect some tasty matchup and fierce rivalries! Keep reading for our preview of the 2021 Irish flag football season.
In the premier division, perennial favorites Edenderry Eagles will look to build on their success found during the summer league. The Eagles are stacked on both sides of the ball, and their players can cause problems for opposing teams. Unless something drastic happens, expect to see Ken Farrell’s side in the mix on Finals day. Standing in Edenderry’s way are two teams who are very capable in their own right: The Dublin Bay Raptors & Trinity College. Both are legitimate contenders and their matchup in week one will give us a good indicator of who will be in the ascendancy in the south. The Raptors ran the Eagles close in the summer league semi final and are more than capable of repeating this performance when it counts. Up north, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that the Trojans will be the team to beat. But don’t count out the Mavericks or the Hurricanes who both boast some very good players. Joe Kinahan has a solid connection with his receivers and is known to test defenses with deep throws. Expect to see the Trojans and the Eagles/Raptors in the Premier Final come November.
Meanwhile in division one, the South Dublin Panthers, Belfast Lions and Dublin City Quetzals are all in with a shot of claiming the title. The Lions and the Quetzals shone in preseason play but could suffer from a lack of experience. A full strength Rebels or UCD squad could be the dark horse in division one, but aside from that we don’t have a whole lot of insight! There are also some newcomers this year with the Wexford Eagles and Donegal/Derry Vipers entering their inaugural flag team into the fray. Best of luck guys!
It is absolutely fantastic to see the return of competitive flag football after a long layoff. A record number of teams are vying for glory this year, which bodes well for the future of the sport here. More and more kitted teams are now sponsoring flag football which is sure to contribute to the continued growth and success of the sport here. Good luck to everyone playing this weekend – stay safe, make your flags and have fun!
Photo Credit: @charducs on IG
Gaelic Gridiron 