Report

The season started brightly for the Dragons with a 12-6 win over defending champions, Dublin Rebels, with Gavinn O’Reilly catching the games only Touchdown from QB Rob Olwill. They lost their next match to UL Vikings by a single Touchdown, Vinny O’Connell’s 3-yard run sandwiched between two Vikings TDs. In week 5, the Dragons again scored a single Touchdown, this time Ulli Zinnecker scoring, but for the second week in a row the Dragons lost as the Knights scored three TDs in reply.

The UL Vikings forfeited the return fixture due to players focusing on exams, and the long layoff before playing Carrickfergus again in Week 11 undoubtedly affected them as the steamroller that was the Carrickfergus Offense was picking up steam late in the season and put up 53 points without reply against the rusty Dragons. Week 12 was the Final Week for the Dragons and they lost 12-6 to Dublin rivals the Rebels in a game decided by the odd Interception Return in three.

Home Venue Map

Links to Year-By-Year Rosters & Match Reports

2002

IAFL Division 1 2002

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
*University of Limerick Vikings	6	5	1	0	72	64	10
*Carrickfergus Knights	6	4	2	0	167	46	8
Dublin Dragons	6	2	4	0	54	95	4
Dublin Rebels	6	1	5	0	40	128	2

Reference: [7][9]

Results

Week	Date	H/A	Opposition	W/L	Score
1	17.03.02	A	Dublin Rebels	W	6-0
3	07.04.02	A	UL Vikings	L	6-12
5	21.04.02	A	Carrickfergus Knights	L	6-18
9	19.05.02	H	UL Vikings	W	30-0 #
11	02.06.02	A	Carrickfergus Knights	L	0-53
12	09.06.02	A	Dublin Rebels	L	6-12

[4]

Regular Season

Week 1, 17 March 2002

Dublin Rebels 0 Dublin Dragons 6 – The first Touchdown in the 2002 IAFL was caught by Gavin O’Reilly of the Dublin Dragons from Rob Olwill to give the Dragons a shock win over the defending Champions Dublin Rebels.

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Dragons	6	0	0	0	6
Dublin Rebels	0	0	0	0	0
Scorers	Score
1st Quarter
DRA – Gavin O’Reilly 60 yd Pass from Rob Olwill	6-0

Reference: [5]

Week 3, 7 April 2002

UL Vikings 12 Dublin Dragons 6 – Conneely was again on the scorers list in Week 3, scoring the winning TD Run, as the Vikings won for the second week in a row.

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Dragons	0	0	6	0	6
University of Limerick Vikings	6	0	0	6	12
Scorers	Score
1st Quarter
ULV – Andy Cokers 30yd Int Return	0-6
3rd Quarter
DRA – Vinny O’Connell 3yd Run	6-6
4th Quarter
ULV – Tommy Conneely 12yd Run	6-12

Reference: [5]
[8][10]

Week 5, 21 April 2002

Carrickfergus Knights 18 Dublin Dragons 6 – At Woodburn RFC, Carrickfergus -Carrickfergus Knights got started in week 5, winning 18-6 over the Dragons, scoring with an Ian McIlroy Pass from Stephen McDowell, Run from Pete Watt and Interception Return from Harris in a total team performance.

At Woodburn RFC, Carrickfergus	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Dragons	0	6	0	0	6
Carrickfergus Knights	6	6	6	0	18
Scorers	Score
1st Quarter
CAR – Mark Harris, Fumble Return	0-6
2nd Quarter
CAR – Pete Watt 6yd Run	0-12
DRA – Ulli Zinnecker 4yd Run	6-12
3rd Quarter
CAR – Ian McIlroy 37yd Pass from Stephen McDowell	6-18

Reference: [5]
[12]

Week 9, 19 May 2002

Dublin Dragons 30 UL Vikings 0 –
Forfeited by University of Limerick Vikings due to players focussing on exams.

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
University of Limerick Vikings	–	–	–	–	0
Dublin Dragons	–	–	–	–	30
Scorers	Score
Forfeited by University of Limerick Vikings	0-30

Week 11, 2 June 2002

Carrickfergus Knights 53 Dublin Dragons 0 – Carrickfergus again showed why they were noew the team to be reckoned with as they thrashed the Dublin Dragons 53-0 in Week 11. Clint McDowell scored on two Runs, McIlroy ran in two TDs and caught another, while McKillop, Robinson and Dimple also got on the scoresheet.

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Dragons	0	0	0	0	0
Carrickfergus Knights	20	14	0	19	53
Scorers	Score
1st Quarter
CAR – Clint McDowell 41yd Run	0-6
CAR – McKillop 28yd Pass from Stephen McDowell	0-12
CAR – Dimple 13yd Run, Clint McDowell 2xpt	0-20
2nd Quarter
CAR – Clint McDowell 45yd Run	0-26
CAR – Safety – Punt snapped out of endzone	0-28
CAR – Ian McIlroy 34yd Run	0-34
4th Quarter
CAR – Ian McIlroy 15yd Run	0-40
CAR – Ian McIlroy 21yd Pass from Stephen McDowell, Stephen McDowell xpt kick	0-47
CAR – Scott Robinson 27yd Int Return	0-53

Reference: [6]
[16]

Week 12, 9 June 2002

Dublin Rebels 12 Dublin Dragons 6 – – In Week 12, the Rebels finally won, 12-6 over the Dragons, in a game decided by the odd interception return for a TD in three.

At Civil Service Grounds, Islandbridge, D8	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Dublin Dragons	0	6	0	0	6
Dublin Rebels	0	6	0	6	12
Scorers	Score
2nd Quarter
DRA – Ulli Zinnecker, 20yd Int Return	6-0
REB – Mark Slater, 24yd Int Return	6-6
4th Quarter
REB – Travis Lawson, 54yd Int Return	6-12

Reference: [2]
[14]

Roster 2002

No.	Player	Position	TD	2XP	Pts
10	Mark Lawless	Cornerback / Wide Receiver	0	0	0
13	Rob Olwill	Quarterback	0	0	0
26	Eric Black	Strong Safety / Wide Receiver	0	0	0
27	John Durrad	Quarterback / Strong Safety	0	0	0
30	Dave Wheeler	Tailback / Kick Return	0	0	0
33	Vinny O’Connell	Fullback / Kick Return	1	0	6
35	Andrew Devine	Cornerback	0	0	0
38	Steve Archibald	Cornerback	0	0	0
42	Gavin Breadon	Fullback / Outside Linebacker	0	0	0
47	Mike Gustafson	Fullback	0	0	0
47	Al Burke	Inside Linebacker	0	0	0
51	Ulli Zinnecker	Inside Linebacker	2	0	12
56	Lez Connelly	Outside Linebacker	0	0	0
62	Nicholas McCabe	Offensive Lineman / Defensive Lineman	0	0	0
64	Martin	Offensive Lineman / Defensive Lineman	0	0	0
68	Chris	Offensive Lineman / Defensive Lineman	0	0	0
69	Neil Holland	Nose Tackle	0	0	0
76	Alan Rutherford	Wide Receiver	0	0	0
78	Eoin Walsh	Defensive Lineman	0	0	0
81	Mark Campbell	Wide Receiver	0	0	0
82	Gavin O’Reilly	Quarterback / Wide Receiver	1	0	6
86	Kevin Codd	Wide Receiver	0	0	0
88	PJ Daly	Tight End / Defensive End	0	0	0
#	Dave Farrell	Wide Receiver	0	0	0
#	Kenneth Tracy	Tight End / Defensive End	0	0	0

Referebnce:[4]

Reference

_______________________________________________________

Sources

[2] Anon. (2002) Sports Round-Up: American Football The Irish Times – Monday, June 10, 2002 – Page 35. [Internet] Available from: https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2002/0610/Pg035.html#Ar03501

Websites

[3] Britball Now (2002) 2002 Irish News [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/match-reports-and-archived/archived-news/2002-irish-news.html [Accessed 20 March 2018]

[9] Irish American Football Association (2002) 2002 IAFL Standings/Schedule [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootball.ie/iafl-standings/2002-iafl-standingsschedule/ [Accessed 24 March 2014]

Internet Archive

[4] Dublin Dragons – Wayback Machine (2002) Roster [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20021211152312/http://www.geocities.com:80/dublindragons_usafootball/roster.htm [Accessed 11 October 2018]

[5] Dublin Dragons – Wayback Machine (2002) News [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20021008135754/http://www.geocities.com/dublindragons_usafootballnews.htm/ [Accessed 11 October 2018]

[6] Irish American Football Scene – Wayback Machine (2002) Knights Slay Dragons [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20021215080618/http://www.iafs.co.uk/index.php?page=02dragonsatknights.php [Accessed 12 October 2018]

[8] University of Limerick Vikings – Wayback Machine (2002) News [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20020806223911/http://www.ulvikings.com/ [Accessed 13 October 2017]

[10] Irish American Football Scene – Wayback Machine (2002) Vikings March on [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20020601093723/http://www.iafs.co.uk:index.php?page=02dragonsatvikings.php [Accessed 12 October 2018]

[12] Irish American Football Scene – Wayback Machine (2002) Knights Strike Back [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/200200601093737/http://www.iafs.co.uk/index.php?page=02knightsatdragons.php [Accessed 12 October 2018]

[14] Irish American Football Scene – Wayback Machine (2002) Rebels Actually Win a Game [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20021016142029/http://www.iafs.co.uk/index.php?page=02dragonsatrebels.php [Accessed 12 October 2018]

[16] Irish American Football Scene – Wayback Machine (2002) Shamrock Bowl XVI: Knights Wipe Out Vikings [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20021015080618/http://www.iafs.co.uk/index.php?page=02dragonsatknights.php [Accessed 12 October 2018]

Images

Irish American Football Association (2018) Dublin Dragons – Logo [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootball.ie/iafl/dragons.jpg [Accessed 16 November 2018]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Joe Grey, Dublin Dragons

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 2 July 2019

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.