International Rules - A Fifty Year Tradition and the cynics of the press

It is now over 50 years since Harry Beitzel took the Galahs to Ireland and New York, and since they defeated one of the top GAA teams at their own game, in the biggest shock to hit Gaelic football in a long while.

Every few years we have had series, playing exciting versions of the hybrid game, International Rules, which combines Aussie Rules with Gaelic football. The next instalment begins tonight.

The Sydney AFL have defeated the NSWGAA in the International Rules match in a thriller to win the first Mike Raftery Cup.

Before a great crowd, the Aussie Rules players won by a solitary behind in a closely fought game.

Sydney AFL: 4.3.10 (43)
NSWGAA: 3.6.6 (42)

Editor: to refresh people's memories, it's 6 points for an "under" in the goal net, 3 for an "over" between the main posts, and 1 for a behind between the outer posts, as per normal Australian football.

Sydney's Aussie Rules team featured several talented players on AFL scholarships including Geelong's Ranga Ediriwickrama, Melbourne's Ted Strudwick and St Kilda's former recipient Blake McGrath who all had good games.

Following the success of the clash, officials of the AFL Sydney and NSWGAA are currently in discussions to make this a regular event.

A full report can be read in AFL Sydney takes out International Rules clash.

With comments noting that Australia's increase in skill with the round ball needs to be matched more, perhaps than trying to match Australia's physical strength - Ireland’s International Rules squad was announced on Tuesday 7th October in Dublin.

As reported in the Irish Times, Irish team manager (coach), Seán Boylan, admitted Ireland was sending its most inexperienced (in terms of International Rules experience) squad since the series resumed a decade ago. Ireland will be without all its AFL players due to injury or personal reasons (or perhaps some not considered on form grounds – though Boylan didn’t say that) apart from the Brisbane Lions' Colm Begley who did have an excellent season. Tadgh Kennelly carrying several injuries will be a big loss but will be assisting Boylan with managing the team.

The Irish players came mainly from the most successful counties in the recently completed All-Ireland championships, as the Irish Times reports: “All-Ireland finalists Tyrone and Kerry leading the pack with four players each. Other representations are Armagh and Cork (3), Galway, Dublin and Meath (2) with Laois, Down, Wicklow, Westmeath, Wexford, Mayo and Derry having one player each.” Of some controversy was that a small traditionally unsuccessful county, Fermanagh, that has improved markedly in recent times had 3 players considered likely, but all were overlooked.

The AFL today announced its 25-man squad for the 2008 Toyota International Rules Series to be played in Perth and Melbourne. The squad to be coached by Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse will be defending the Cormac McAnallen trophy, which was won in Ireland in 2006. Malthouse said the team featured the next generation of Australian players.

“We have gone for youth, speed, skill and agility. The squad consists of players who have had outstanding seasons with their clubs, 23 of the 25 have finished in the top 10 of their club best and fairest. They all deserve the opportunity to play for their country and win for their country.

The first major International Rules event ever to be scheduled in Sydney will be played on Saturday 18 October, followed by the first major Gaelic Football event on Sunday November 2.

The matches will be played at Henson Park, a stadium located in Marrickville, a suburb of inner-western Sydney. Henson Park is the home of the Newtown Jets rugby league club and Canterbury-Marrickville Olympic soccer club. It is also a finals venue for the Sydney AFL has grandstand and seating capacity of 1,000 with a total capacity of about 30,000.

The Australian Amateur Football Council under-23 side will tour Ireland in October to play a total of 4 games in International Rules.

The Australian squad of 20 was selected from some of the best amateur players in the nation and Victoria, SA, WA and Tasmania are all represented (these are the states that are members of the amateur council).

The Australian team leaves for Ireland on Monday 29th of September and returns on Wednesday 15th of October.

The following is an edited extract of the release from the Victorian Premier's office today.

Premier John Brumby today announced Australia would play Ireland at the MCG on Friday 31 October with Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse to coach the Australian team. “The match will be a celebration of the close relationship between Ireland and Australia and the great sporting rivalry between the two countries,” Mr Brumby said.

“Melbourne is the undisputed major events capital of the world with a year round calendar of sporting and cultural events. This weekend will further boost this reputation. “We expect a huge number of visitors from Ireland, England and from across Australia to converge on Melbourne for what promises to be a fantastic long weekend of major sporting events.

“I expect there will be a great buzz around Melbourne which will provide significant economic benefits to Victoria and be a great boost for our hotels, restaurants, taxis, bars and shops.”

The International Rules Series returns this October with Test matches between Ireland and Australia at Subiaco Oval in Perth and the MCG in Melbourne. But an interesting story from the Sydney Morning Herald notes that the AFL wanted to play a match in Sydney at either the SCG or ANZ stadium on the eve of the Rugby League world cup.

Australian Rugby League chairman Colin Love said he “would be extremely disappointed if it was the aim of the AFL to rain on our parade." However AFL CEO, Andrew Demetriou, noted that the GAA was keen for the game to go on in Sydney because of calls in the past from the Irish diaspora there for a match to be played.

The ARL chairman’s comments seem a bit precious, perhaps he should’ve thought of the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup when on the same weekend thousands of Irish men and women decended on Melbourne and 60,000 attended the International Rules Test at the MCG and 56,000 the Rugby WC match at Telstra Dome. The more the merrier seemed the theme that weekend.

Meanwhile Melbourne’s Herald Sun reports Pies firm on Dublin game on Collingwood taking on Dublin as soon as this November. The match would mean a busy end of year to Collingwood players who would be hoping for late September finals action, and several of whom would be likely selections for the national side in the International Rules in October. This game featured earlier on WFN Magpies to play Sky Blues.

The International Rules series that was scrapped at the end of 2006 is set to return in October. The Irish site RTE Sport reports that the AFL and GAA have confirmed the return of the series with games in Melbourne and Perth in October. A long and drawn out process by the GAA to decide whether they wanted to resume the series left the AFL with little time to organise venues in October. Due to stadia around the country being utilised by cricket and the upcoming rugby league World Cup, the series almost fell over as the GAA put an ultimatum to the AFL to have venues arranged. The GAA’s willingness for the series to continue was evident by an extension of their original deadline for the AFL to confirm venues. Even now it is not known what the venues in the two cities will be.

As the GAA and the AFL debate beginning the International Rules series again, may I suggest a Third Way – a tri-nation series between Ireland, Australian and the USA played in the United States. By bringing USFooty, the North American GAA and the New York GAA into the series it would help to promote the game and the two codes – Australian football and Gaelic football in one of the largest economies in the world. It would also be likely to decrease the “tensions” associated with the previous series by putting the games in neutral territory, by being “a showcase” event for a new audience and by bringing in a third team that has not been involved in the earlier tiffs.