Ireland v Australia, Rules Test 1, Breffni Park, Saturday 19 October 2013

[rrhf]

Why not play Australian rules instead, it's not unlike compromise rules and indeed the product will capture the whole Australian market rather than just the indigenous.

[Keyser soze]

If the concept worked, it would be easier to defend. As it is, the balance is never right (and all the complaints from the Irish side about Australian thuggery has affected this). It is now a neutered game, which is all it can ever be given we have removed any possible advantage the Aussies may have had in this code.

Only the Aussies coming back will save it - but why would they show the interest in it? One way would be to go with the Oval ball in Oz and the O'Neills in Ireland - the touring side can go out for maybe a little longer, play more warm-up games against feeder or senior clubs, and maybe make it more like a Lions tour (given the difference in rules interpretations between Southern and Northern hemisphere rugby, I think it is an apt analogy). Maintain the strictness of the discipline and really emphasize the skill aspects. We expect the Aussies to adapt every year - why don't we?

I think for pure curiousity value, a lot would watch just to see how the Irish lads would fare. Maybe the first couple of away trips would be massacres - but I honestly think the fitness gap is very small now, and regular picks on the international team would get used to it.

While its true in the past that the Aussies have coped with the round ball and beaten us, I agree that now the fitness gap is very small and I think we'd beat the best of the Aussies now in the current format. But they'd beat us well with the oval ball. I'd like to see both balls used, but rather than having a competition of who'd win by the most with their own ball, I'd switch the balls during the game! Any time the Aussies get a score or kick a wide, the Irish keeper would restart the game with the round ball (and anytime the Irish kick a score or hit a wide, the Aussie keeper would restart it with the oval ball). Then they'd stick with that ball until the next score/wide. I think that'd be better to watch anyway!

Hahahahaha thats hilarious, reminds me of the wee games somebody in the primary school playground would make up and then they'd change the rules if someone else was better at it than them.

[armaghniac]

Any time the Aussies get a score or kick a wide, the Irish keeper would restart the game with the round ball (and anytime the Irish kick a score or hit a wide, the Aussie keeper would restart it with the oval ball). Then they'd stick with that ball until the next score/wide. I think that'd be better to watch anyway!

This proposal is a load of balls.

[J OGorman]

Well, now that the dust has settled...

Should we send a team down under for another series?

[Hardy]

[fearglasmor]

Why don't we abandon Gaelic Football altogether and play Aussie Rules instead. From U-8 up Aussie Rules all the way. Then we could have a real international contest playing a proper international sport and please god we'd be able to follow the Aussies down the road into semi-pro and eventually professional. What are the drawbacks. Are we not fed up with parochiality. Don't we want to get out there in the big world and strive to bring glory to Ireland on a proper international stage. What other countries play Aussie Rules ?

[Jinxy]

Australia.

[cavanmaniac]

Bahahahaa Hardy the thoughts of lads kicking that thing cracks me up. Like playing football with a rolly-polly.

I also liked Jinxy's pooh-poohing of the continuing interest in international rules on the basis that it's (a) a novelty and (b) promoted heavily in the media. It's like saying Guinness is only popular because it tastes good and they spend a lot on advertising.

Like I said before I have no strong opinion on the IR really and think it's become asinine if anything, but if there's a will and people are interested, what's the harm? The energy some people waste on hating it with every fibre of their being could surely be put to better use.

[Jinxy]

Bahahahaa Hardy the thoughts of lads kicking that thing cracks me up. Like playing football with a rolly-polly.

I also liked Jinxy's pooh-poohing of the continuing interest in international rules on the basis that it's (a) a novelty and (b) promoted heavily in the media. It's like saying Guinness is only popular because it tastes good and they spend a lot on advertising.
Like I said before I have no strong opinion on the IR really and think it's become asinine if anything, but if there's a will and people are interested, what's the harm? The energy some people waste on hating it with every fibre of their being could surely be put to better use.

Yeah, it's exactly like saying that.

[BennyHarp]

Bahahahaa Hardy the thoughts of lads kicking that thing cracks me up. Like playing football with a rolly-polly.

I also liked Jinxy's pooh-poohing of the continuing interest in international rules on the basis that it's (a) a novelty and (b) promoted heavily in the media. It's like saying Guinness is only popular because it tastes good and they spend a lot on advertising.

Like I said before I have no strong opinion on the IR really and think it's become asinine if anything, but if there's a will and people are interested, what's the harm? The energy some people waste on hating it with every fibre of their being could surely be put to better use.

I'd say the money and energy spent promoting the IR would surely be put to better use developing our own sport either in Ireland or abroad.

[Syferus]

Everyone here moaning their asses off is ignoring the true tradegy of the international rules - Paul Earley didn't select a single Rossie.

If you weren't so damn loveable you'd be off the Christmas card list, Paul.

[muppet]

Great idea and then we could make it smaller and introduce these:



Then 3 countries could play it and it could be in the Olympics.

[Fuzzman]

I haven't watched an Aussie rules game in years.
I was just wondering do you think they come back from this IR rules series thinking about how their own game could change.

Is their game still very stop start with all the marks or do they make the catch and see they've got space and "play on" with it then?

Also, do they try to win frees in scoreable positions by trying to entice an opponent to tackle even if they don't take the ball into their control or not picking it up etc?

[JimStynes]

It has become more like Gaelic football over the past 10 years. Very quick and they play on as much as possible. I remember hearing mick malthous slating te modern game (collingwood manager at the time) in a post match press converance saying that they might as well take away the mark and call it Gaelic footy.

There was some cracking games this year in the AFL.

[BennyCake]

When you think of the changes to Gaelic Football this last few years, you'd think the Irish prefer Aussie Rules to their own game. It's ridiculous the changes the GAA have made/tried:

- 4 quarters trialled in the NFL in the 1990s
- the Mark trailed, and only narrowly defeated in Congress I believe. I'm sure it'll be trialled again.
- free kick from the hands (which I can't stand! It is one of the ugliest part of Gaelic Football).

There's also been talk of getting rid of the pick-up.

The Aussies wouldn't change their game to look more like Gaelic, and rightly so. It's a good game as it is. So is Gaelic Football, so leave it the feck alone!