Collingwood to play Dublin!!!!!

[thejuice]

Juice! Are you mad?

Maybe I'll just go to enjoy the spectacle,

[BallyhaiseMan]

definetely a game id go to watch,

would be an interesting spectacle, the difference between AFL Clubs and singke county teams.

would say Dublin with all their Extremely heavy weights programme would be well fit to mix it with them aswell.

[irunthev]

There is one fundamental flaw in the whole concept of the Compromise Rules thing and that is that any suspension or punishment received playing only applies to the IRS and it does not carry forward to the players own code. So basically it is a pretty lawless set up, no matter what rules are imposed. The thing is that the AFL clubs wouldn't let their players play if they were in danger of getting a suspension for violence or aggressive play, so the suspension will only ever apply to the compromise series. This thing is though, that the IRS is no big deal for the Aussies and really once they have played in it once, it's generally enough for them. So if they are suspended from the next series... who cares and that will apply if it is Collingwood v Dublin or Oz v Ireland. The only saving grace in the club v county game will be the fact that Collingwood pay the player's wages and the players mightn't want to risk any internal discplinary charges or fine, nor to  have the club's name dragged through the mud.

[GalwayBayBoy]

would say Dublin with all their Extremely heavy weights programme would be well fit to mix it with them aswell.

Surely people still don't believe this after seeing our compromise rules team thrown around like ragdolls the last time.

No matter how many weights Dublin do of a Winter evening they are still up against professional athletes who train like that constantly.

[Jinxy]

Go to bigfooty.com and check out the fans reaction. "Great, we can poach some new players!" just about sums it up.

[BallyhaiseMan]

would say Dublin with all their Extremely heavy weights programme would be well fit to mix it with them aswell.

Surely people still don't believe this after seeing our compromise rules team thrown around like ragdolls the last time.

No matter how many weights Dublin do of a Winter evening they are still up against professional athletes who train like that constantly.

First of all them Compromise Rules teams had  players who pissed themselves in fear at the sight of the aussies.
Far be it for me to start praising the Dubs
It wasnt the Dublin players that were getting thrown around like ragdolls, and hiding while their teammates were getting the s**t beaten out of them
I seem to remember Shane Ryan holding his own with the "professional" athletes when the punch ups and melees started.
If there is any County team that could live or compete with an AFL teams in terms of physicality it would be Dublin.

[his holiness nb]

But if we need to pick a team who would be able to compete with the Aussies when fights break out, we really need to sit down and think why we are bothering.

Let the Rubgy team play them, see how hard they are then.

[BallyhaiseMan]

HHN

i dont think these types games can occur nowadays without some sort of melee or punch up taking place.
i seem to be one of the few on here who doesnt mind a few flare ups in games,
But if the GAA want incident free games,
Then they should just let International rules die

[Jinxy]

would say Dublin with all their Extremely heavy weights programme would be well fit to mix it with them aswell.

Surely people still don't believe this after seeing our compromise rules team thrown around like ragdolls the last time.

No matter how many weights Dublin do of a Winter evening they are still up against professional athletes who train like that constantly.

First of all them Compromise Rules teams had  players who pissed themselves in fear at the sight of the aussies.
Far be it for me to start praising the Dubs
It wasnt the Dublin players that were getting thrown around like ragdolls, and hiding while their teammates were getting the s**t beaten out of them
I seem to remember Shane Ryan holding his own with the "professional" athletes when the punch ups and melees started.
If there is any County team that could live or compete with an AFL teams in terms of physicality it would be Dublin.

Exactly, some of the windiness on show was embarassing. None of the Dubs were guilty of it though. The whole weights thing is being totally over played. Its not weights that are the issue, it's attitude and aggression. Did anyone see Colm Begley playing for Stradbally last season? He has a very slight build even by GAA standards yet he is a regular with the Brisbane Lions. If he was on the Dublin team, someone would say "Jesus Begley could do with a weights programme." How come he isn't killed playing in the AFL?

[BallyhaiseMan]

Indeed Jinxy,Begley looks small compared to the seasonsed Veterans in the AFL,
But id say hed have extremely low Body fat(far more so than even the elite inter county stars)
and would be fairly well built.
And as you said it is about attitude and aggression as much as weights and Body sculpting programmes.

[Zulu]

I must say I'm a fan of the IR, while the last two series were embarrassing on a number of fronts, if played properly and with a bit more aggression by the Irish lads it could be a great spectacle.

[irunthev]

There's a guy involved with St Vincents in Dublin called Martin Kennedy  who worked in the Sports Science department with West Coast Eagles when they won the Championship in 2006. From what he has told me, the difference physically between the average GAA player and the average AFL player is night and die. He worked along with the likes of Chris Judd, Ben Cousins and Daniel Kerr on a daily basis and these guys were almost of national championship standard in some disciplines (eg 400m). Obviously no athlete is good at everything, some are strong, some fast, some have endurance, but in the cases of Judd and Cousins, their standards were exceptional in the majority of disciplines. The difference is simple. When the Aussie guy wakes up in the morning the only thought on his mind is being the best footballer he can be, when the average GAA players wakes up he has a good bit to get through before he can start becoming a better footballer, and while walking around a classroom drinking a bottle of water and making sure you are well hydrated is helpful, it is no where near as useful as doing the full time stuff the Aussies are doing.

[Zulu]

True but there is no reason that an amature footballer can't bulk up to aussie rules levels. He won't be able to match a professional in all aspects but size is one he can.

[thejuice]

The IR series shouldnt really be bothered with in all seriousness. as well as the lawless nature and physicallity of it, its hardly a level playing field. Pro's against amatuers, the pro's as we saw in the last series were able to adapt to the round ball with a bit of effort, while the amatuers never got the grasp of open field tackling.

the only reason I'd like to see it played one more time, is just to see some of the aussies get their jaws knocked off. might shut up a few of the smart arses down under. Perhaps we should dig up some players not from the county teams nessesarily but from all levels, the lose cannons and "wild lookin" lads who wouldnt be too afraid of throwin' digs. Perhaps even some of the polish body builders out, could be seen as an "integration" exercise.

[Jinxy]

There's a guy involved with St Vincents in Dublin called Martin Kennedy  who worked in the Sports Science department with West Coast Eagles when they won the Championship in 2006. From what he has told me, the difference physically between the average GAA player and the average AFL player is night and die. He worked along with the likes of Chris Judd, Ben Cousins and Daniel Kerr on a daily basis and these guys were almost of national championship standard in some disciplines (eg 400m). Obviously no athlete is good at everything, some are strong, some fast, some have endurance, but in the cases of Judd and Cousins, their standards were exceptional in the majority of disciplines. The difference is simple. When the Aussie guy wakes up in the morning the only thought on his mind is being the best footballer he can be, when the average GAA players wakes up he has a good bit to get through before he can start becoming a better footballer, and while walking around a classroom drinking a bottle of water and making sure you are well hydrated is helpful, it is no where near as useful as doing the full time stuff the Aussies are doing.

Judd and Cousins are most certainly not examples of the average AFL player. They are the cream of the crop (well Cousins isn't anymore). Martin Clarke was the best runner at Collingwood as soon as he stepped off the plane. Brendan Murphy came 3rd in Sydneys time trial a few days after arriving. Begley is in Brisbanes top 2/3 runners. One of the big differences is in standardised fitness testing, i.e. VO2 max, vertical leap, beep tests etc. In most cases intercounty players don't undergo these tests whereas AFL players would do them during preseason and maybe at other intervals during the year. This gives them something to compare with other athletic disciplines. And like  anything that is done with any degree of frequency, they get better at doing them, i.e. they maximise their potential. I seem to be in the minority as I think athletically there isn't a massive difference, and indeed many of the AFL fans would recognise that their Irish recruits are among their best for athletic ability. Preparation is where the biggest difference is i.e. periodised training programmes, nutrition, recovery etc. I would certainly say that AFL players are far better at maximising their potential as athletes, but I don't think they are that much better in terms of sheer ability.