Australia v Ireland in International gaelic football

I think the Aussies will win the series.........The Irish have hit Melbourne in droves....the compromise rules game followed by the Melbourne cup..........a nice boost for all the Irish people who emigrated to Australia........I remember 2003, compromise rules, rugby world cup and makybe diva winning her first melbourne cup......a great holiday.

It depends on where you read stuff........all bar 4 or 5 have less than 50 games and there is big interest down under.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125092/default.aspx

wen is it please?

The Irish team is not too bad.......The 6 Irish lads who play professional in Oz will be a big help.

Normal convention in rugby is that home advantage is huge in international test matches. You would think that the same home town advantage would apply in compromise rules. However, its not the case.

As the touring team the irish players will have a lot more time together than they would at home.

Also, heavy October playing conditions in Ireland suits the bigger and stronger Aussie players more.

In Australia the more summer like conditions suits the more nimble of feet and the more accurate scoring irish players.

Cool Cats lead young Aussies By Jennifer Witham Fri 14 Oct, 2011

PREMIERSHIP Cats James Kelly and David Wojcinski will back up from their recent Grand Final success to run out for Australia in the International Rules Series to commence on October 28 in Melbourne against Ireland.

In what is a quick but largely young and inexperienced squad when it comes to the hybrid game, Wojcinski is one of four players who have played the game before, with Brad Green, James Frawley and Stephen Milne the others.

No Collingwood players are in the team with Kelly and Wojcinski are the only players that participated in the October 1 decider to present for the series.

Wojcinski and Frawley made their International Rules debut in Ireland last year during Australia's clean sweep of the series, while Green played in both 2004 and 2010, and Milne back in 2002.

Other squad members Shaun Grigg, Angus Monfries and Andrew Swallow have all played the game at junior level.

As reported by the AFL.com.au on Thursday, new Giant Callan Ward has also been named in the squad with former Western Bulldogs teammate Easton Wood.

They will be reunited with former coach Rodney Eade, who will take control of the side with assistants Andrew McLeod, Wayne Campbell and Brad Johnson (match committee).

Young Gold Coast pair Trent McKenzie and Zac Smith have been named, while Hawthorn's Matt Suckling and Melbourne's Jack Trengove are the next most inexperienced players in the squad.

Forwards Monfries, Robin Nahas, Ben McGlynn, Mark Nicoski and Jake King will join Milne in making life tough for the Irish in defence, and Colin Sylvia, Mitch Robinson, Robbie Gray, Bernie Vince, Liam Shiels and Swallow will make up the midfield group with Richard Douglas and Grigg.

Eade said the squad was suited to the hybrid game with an "emphasis around players with particularly strong kicking skills, pace and the ability to move the ball quickly, as well as being able to defend against the well-skilled Irish side".

"To be successful against Irish sides who have an emphasis on a fast-moving forward line and great ball skills, we need to select players who are both quick across the ground and have good foot skills that can adapt to the round ball very quickly," Eade said.

"We have selected well-performed players in the youth bracket of 20-24 year olds around the competition to provide spark and enthusiasm, combined with a proven track record in AFL footy of their running power.

"We will need to use our pace in attack and then have the ability to use our repeat speed and defend just as hard when Ireland has the ball and is attacking our goals."

The man who has been responsible for Collingwood's fitness program for more than 10 years, sports science director David Buttifant, will be in charge of the team's preparation.

The squad will meet up Sunday week in Melbourne and travel to Torquay together for a training camp ahead of the first Test, to be held at Etihad Stadium on October 28.

The second and deciding Test will be held at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast on Friday November 4. 

Both matches will be broadcast nationally by Network Ten and simulcast into Ireland via TG4.

"Even after the end of the AFL season and Geelong's magnificent victory in the Grand Final, footy is never far from the minds and hearts of Victorians," Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu said on Friday.

"The International Rules Series will be a great preview of upcoming football talent and will get a rousing reception from sports-mad Victorians."

Meanwhile, Queensland premier Anna Bligh said the state welcomed the game for the first time.

"It's a real coup for our great state," said Premier Bligh.

"This match event is expected to draw fans from both interstate and overseas, which is great for the Queensland tourism industry as well as local jobs and communities.

"I encourage Queensland AFL fans to head to the Gold Coast to show your support for our Australian team when we take on Ireland in the decider."

THE TEAM
Richard Douglas (Adelaide Crows), 95 games, 0 Tests
James Frawley (Melbourne), 82 games, Two Tests 2010
Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide), 68 games, 0 Tests
Brad Green (Melbourne), 241 games, Four Tests 2004/2010
Shaun Grigg (Richmond), 64 games, 0 Tests
James Kelly (Geelong Cats), 194 games, 0 Tests
Jake King (Richmond), 75 games, 0 Tests
Ben McGlynn (Sydney Swans), 82 games, 0 Tests
Trent McKenzie (Gold Coast Suns), 21 games, 0 Tests
Stephen Milne (St Kilda), 236 games, Two Tests 2002
Angus Monfries (Essendon), 132 games, 0 Tests
Robin Nahas (Richmond), 55 games, 0 Tests
Mark Nicoski (West Coast), 112 games, 0 Tests
Mitch Robinson (Carlton), 49 games, 0 Tests
Liam Shiels (Hawthorn), 42 games, 0 Tests
Zac Smith (Gold Coast Suns), 20 games, 0 Tests
Matthew Suckling (Hawthorn), 29 games, 0 Tests
Andrew Swallow (North Melbourne), 106 games, 0 Tests
Colin Sylvia (Melbourne), 121 games, 0 Tests
Jack Trengove (Melbourne), 37 games, 0 Tests
Bernie Vince (Adelaide Crows), 88 games, 0 Tests
Callan Ward (GWS Giants), 60 games, 0 Tests
David Wojcinski (Geelong Cats), 199 games, One Test
Easton Wood (Western Bulldogs), 28 games, 0 Tests.

I wouldn't bet on it with stolen money out of principle, can't stand this gimmick.
Its astonishing that this crap would pack out Croke Park when big gaelic championship games on average barely populate one third of the ground.

All the voyeuristic hypocrites attend the series not to see the game but the chance of seeing a good old mill up, if there was a similar mill up in a GAA championship game they'd be all holier than thou in their condemnation of such disgraceful carry on.

When its telivised and I accidently run into it while browsing my sky box I'll swiftly move to the next channel, I wouldn't even watch it out of principle and I love my GAA, this excuse for thuggery should have been consigned to History years ago, but the GAA refuse let go because for some strange reason its a fantastic money spinner, money talks!.

I went to a game in Pearse Stadium Galway and I have to say everyone there enjoyed it.  GAA is the Championship, thats all! The general public dont give a rats ass about the league, and judging by some teams results in recent years, they dont either.

Any bookies who allow more than a few euro on this?
I can only find PaddyP0wer, B0ylesports, Ladbr0kes and bet356 and I'm restricted with them all.

Australia v Ireland in International gaelic football - First of all it is not gaelic football, the rules are an absolute farce.

I'm no fan of it ever since the thuggery in 2006. It was horrendus, we were beat around the place in our own backyard.

I think it should be scrapped, yes it's a great honour for a player to represent their country but where is it going? Maybe the new idea of having the series on every second year might give it more value and recognition.

The Aussies will up the tempo in the tackle and bend the rules when they are losing.

If the nonsense and all bad things are put to bed, I can see a comprehensive Irish victory.

Best of luck to the lads, and best of luck to all lads (who were picked to travel but) that are staying at home because of club committments.

Ireland are favs for series yet Aussies are favs for game 1.  As JWB says - coinflip!

Lets be honest. What spectators want to see in these games is a good ice hockey style tear up.

My early post that the away team has an advantage in these games was confirmed when i saw the records down the years in the paper today. Stevie Mc Donnell stated its an advantage to be the touring team as the players spend more time together. Thats true but i think the main reason has all to do with the weather conditions.

October weather conditions when played in Ireland will naturally suit the bigger and moe physical aussie team. If Ireland hosted the aussies in the summer months i think past results would be a lot different.

Yes, getting on at 5/6 gives ya 11/1 for whatever stakes ya want on total scores being between 88.5 and 94.5. Great bet.

yeah 10/1. Definately a good bet as the range of total scores on past form seems to be fairly consistently between mid 80's and 110. Thats a 25 point range and your getting 6 points to play with at 10/1 in the very middle of that range.

big difference of opinion between b oyles and laddies on the half time result. Ireland evens with laddies but 4/7 with b oyles. If you fancy ireland i would be taking the evens at half time over the odds on for 80 minutes.

any links

won't work for me

Possession and scoring chances fairly even. You just dont fancy an aussie playing scoring from 20 yards out.

Paul Galvin one of the half time analysts. Wearing a pair of skinny maroon red jeans.

Nothing so far to suggest backing aussies on the cap is a good idea unless you dont like money. Except surely they must come stronger into the match the longer it goes on.