DUBLIN’S AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL League Women’s [AFLW] duo Sinéad Goldrick and Lauren Magee have both been named to start in tomorrow’s TG4 Leinster senior championship opener.

The Sky Blues face Westmeath in Mullingar’s TEG Cusack Park [throw-in 1.30pm] with Melbourne FC pair Goldrick and Magee returning in a massive boost to Mick Bohan’s charges.

Star forward Sinéad Aherne — whom Carla Rowe and Niamh Collins followed in the captaincy role this week — is absent from the 30-strong matchday squad due to injury.

“Aherne is nursing a slight knock picked up in training midweek and will rest up for this game,” an article on the Dublin LGFA website reads.

Eight starters from last year’s All-Ireland final defeat to Meath are included in tomorrow’s 15: Goldrick, Magee, Rowe, Ciara Trant, Leah Caffrey, Orlagh Nolan, Jennifer Dunne and Hannah Tyrrell. Five others are on the bench: Collins, Martha Byrne, Lyndsey Davey, Niamh Hetherton and Siobhan Killeen. (Aherne and Olwen Carey were the remaining two starters.)

TEAM NEWS ... Here is the @dublinladiesg team named to start vs Westmeath this Saturday in the opening game of the 2022 @LeinsterLGFA SFC

For more team info click https://t.co/vcaJGVXecb#DublinLGFA #COYGIB #UpTheDubs pic.twitter.com/nRYWbIQ93K

— Peil na mBan Átha Cliath (@dublinladiesg) April 29, 2022

Dublin go in search of their 18th provincial crown as the Leinster senior championship returns this weekend following a two-year time out.

Even before Covid gripped the world in 2020, it was known that no competition would take place that season as Dublin were the only Leinster county graded senior. 2020 and 2021 intermediate champions, Meath and Westmeath, have since returned to the top-flight.

The Sky Blues defeated Westmeath in the 2019 final — before their relegation — and have dominated at provincial level in recent years.

Meath lie in wait; renewing their recent rivalry with Dublin at Parnell Park next weekend.

Dublin (v Westmeath)

1 Ciara Trant (St Brigid’s)

2 Jessica Tobin (Cuala), 3 Leah Caffrey (Na Fianna), 4 Tammy Quinn Corbally (Thomas Davis)

5 Sinead Goldrick (Foxrock Cabinteely), 6 Aoife Kane (Kilmacud Crokes), 7 Orlagh Nolan (Ballinteer St Johns)

8 Jennifer Dunne (Cuala), 9 Lauren Magee (Kilmacud Crokes)

10 Caoimhe O’Connor (Clontarf), 11 Carla Rowe (Clann Mhuire), 12 Nicole Owens (St Sylvester’s)

13 Grainne O’Driscoll (Cuala), 14 Hannah Tyrrell (Na Fianna), 15 Sinead Wylde (Cuala).

Westmeath have also shown their hand; along with Monaghan and Armagh, who face off in tomorrow’s Ulster championship opener in Clones:

PREVIEWS!

A big weekend of @TG4TV Provincial action lies in store, with games in @ConnachtLGFA, @LeinsterLGFA and @UlsterLadies @dublinladiesg @WestmeathLadies @ArmaghLGFA and @Monaghan_LGFA are all in senior actionhttps://t.co/E1KJZvWgOU#ProperFan

— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) April 29, 2022