World Footy News

There’s been a fair bit in the Irish and Australian media over the past week about the possible resumption of the International Rules Series. The basis for such a resumption rests on a significant beefing up of disciplinary rules and some rather minor tweaks to playing rules, as evident in a document presented on the Melbourne Herald Sun website. The document arose out of GAA and AFL dialogue culminating in the recent meeting in Dubai before the Adelaide v Collingwood NAB Cup match.

A closely related factor making news is the increased “poaching” of Ireland’s best young Gaelic footballers by AFL clubs. The point is being made by GAA officials, including CEO Nicky Brennan who in the past has been somewhat negative towards the hybrid code, that working with the AFL will reduce rather than increase the loss of the GAA’s talent to Australia. As Fox Sports reports in Irish plunder plan rejected the AFL has recognised this and spoken against an all-out recruiting service for AFL clubs based in Ireland. On the other hand the creation of the two new AFL teams in Queensland and New South Wales has Setanta Sports reporting comments of AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou’s mentioning recruitment from Ireland as one possible source for players for the two new AFL teams.

Nonetheless the disciplinary and other rule changes have Nicky Brennan of the GAA advocating for the IRS resumption.

The main change is that disciplinary action for serious infringements on the field will carry over into the next season’s AFL and GAA matches, and not just result in bans for future IRS Tests as was previous practice. The Disciplinary Tribunal and its powers are more defined and independent, and linesmen and a Video Match Referee from an independent country (Rugby Union has something like this and the individual could be sourced from that role) will have powers to report players to the Tribunal.

Other sensible changes, given the hybrid nature and infrequency of the matches, include a briefing to players of both nations by the referees immediately prior to the game and also at training sessions in the week before the First Test. On playing rules handpassing is reduced by limiting it to 4 handpasses in a row before a team with possession must kick the ball, a change that would foster more kicking and spectator appeal.

The tackle remains. But the Dubai document suggests it be better defined. In particular the following clauses could eliminate what sometimes was the spark for the melees – “A Player who slings, slams or drives an opponent into the ground, when executing a tackle, shall be deemed guilty of Gross Misconduct i.e. shown a Red Card”. Also tackles must be initiated with two arms (thus minimising the “coat-hangers” that have sparked other melees) and the tackle must be concluded the moment the referee blow’s his whistle (thus minimising the wrestling from prolonged tackles that detracted from some matches in the past). Players would need to abide - but then they should have all the disciplinary consequences in mind to help them.

The GAA would also get to benefit from access to some of the AFL’s sports science and sports medicine knowledge.

The AFL is keen, and the professional sporting body’s executive has the power to do mostly what it chooses, something that continually irks its member clubs (though not to the point of forcing change) but it is an autocratic form of governance which has served Australian Football well in its expansion since the politically riven semi-professional 1980s.

But the situation is not so simple in Ireland. Whilst the GAA’s executive may be all in favour, the GAA is, as well as being possibly the world’s largest remaining amateur sporting organisation, probably the world’s most democratic. The 32 Irish counties will have to agree, and the matter now rests with the GAA’s Central Council meeting in March. Reports from the Irish Independent suggest many are still miffed by what they see as Aussie strong arm tactics on the field and loss of young players to the AFL – even though the logic in the latter is that a formal relationship with the AFL as per the International Rules Series would be more likely to regulate and reduce talent loss to Australia. Ireland has 4 provinces each with several counties, and this adds another tier to GAA governance – the Ulster council president (where counties such as Down and Armagh have lost Marty Clarke and Kevin Dyas to the AFL) illustrates some of the depth of feeling as reported on the BBC website.

Perhaps as Collingwood president, Eddie McGuire, has said (see Magpies to play Sky Blues ) – it will need a successful friendly match between arguably (the Sydney Swans, Adelaide Crows, West Coast Eagles etc and counties Kerry, Cork, Armagh etc may disagree) the two nations’ most popular teams – Dublin and Collingwood – to heal the emotional rift first before the Dubai document gets full acceptance. But even the timing of the Sky Blues v Magpies match is in the GAA and AFL IRS dialogue - as Nicky Brennan was reported saying the other day, though he was sounding even more positive about a resumption of Australia v Ireland internationals.