Boycotting The International Rules Series

[JMohan]

AFAIK there is no longer under age games.

To be picked in the ireland squad it is most likely that you are at the top of the gaa game. By this stage you are gonna be too old for the aussies to have a keen interest in you.

Dessie Mone is at least 24

Dana will play Aussie Rules before Dessie Mone ever will

That's what happens if you have an Uncle in DCU and as a scout for the AFL ... it's all just propoganda and bullsh*t

The International Rules is just some end of season fun to give the two teams a run out and an international dimension. There will be no players poached from the International Rules group and as for the whole hype and worry about it ... COP ON

There are more Gaelic footballers lost to ... Soccer, Drink, Drugs, Rugby etc than will ever play Aussie Rules and to those who are bitter about a few lads making a few pound in Oz playing a game, look at the economy here - could you balme them?

In fact if anything the fear of Aussie Rules may do more good than harm by getting the GAA to buck up and take better care of their players - but to me there is no exodus to sorry about.

[clarshack]

i love gaelic football and i like aussie rules so I have no problem with the international rules series at senior level. people werent complaining about it when we were winning.

[kickingmule]

i can't believe,  we're getting involved again in this crap ....

promote our own game!  ..... we had two brilliant all-ireland finals this year, watched by close on 100,000 fans
in croker/longford, and millions around the world ... via satlite tv and internet.
yet here we are again .... pussy footin to them f****n  aussie thugs ... make no mistake thats what they are!!!

do we want to expose our classy gaelic footballers,.... with all their craft and skill, to this non event, so that all the johny come latelys ....................................................
come out of the woodwork to see a good ould punch up ...just like they stayed in the pub on all-ireland final day.

[AbbeySider]

i can't believe,  we're getting involved again in this crap ....

promote our own game!  ..... we had two brilliant all-ireland finals this year, watched by close on 100,000 fans
in croker/longford, and millions around the world ... via satlite tv and internet.
yet here we are again .... pussy footin to them f****n  aussie thugs ... make no mistake thats what they are!!!

do we want to expose our classy gaelic footballers,.... with all their craft and skill, to this non event, so that all the johny come latelys ....................................................
come out of the woodwork to see a good ould punch up ...just like they stayed in the pub on all-ireland final day.

Id agree with the jist of that.
I dont want to see our best footballers embarrassed and humiliated like they were 16 months ago.
And we were humiliated. It was terrible what went on.

If we want to have pride in our game we shouldnt let our players get tarnished and physically abused by those Aussie Nationalist thugs.
Its not a stage to showcase our skills. Its a stage for the Aussies to beat up and bully.

A good GAA player can have all the skills of the game but gets spoiled, broken and concussed by a thug that doenst care for the ball and wants to take out the man. There is something wrong if you call that a sporting spectacle. many of the bset players in the country wont play International Rules anymore and they are dead right.

If we want to showcase our skills abroad why not have a tour for the GAA All-Ireland finalists. 4 teams on tour of the US or Australia for a couple of weeks during the winter. Marketed and televised properly like a series (like playoffs) it would be huge.

[thejuice]

well Abbeysider, I think your being a bit harsh, calling them thugs and "nationalist thugs  " but yeah a tour of Gaelic football and hurling would be better.

By the way how does the hurling vs Shinty play out, It doesnt grab the headlines like its big-ball cousin but is it successful otherwise? Are the games good, I havent got to see them.

[AbbeySider]

well Abbeysider, I think your being a bit harsh, calling them thugs and "nationalist thugs  " but yeah a tour of Gaelic football and hurling would be better.

I suppose the use of the word "nationalist" is metaphoric of the type of emotion and psychology they bring to it.
Its like they use the series as a war or battle on a field, one nation against another. The last outing didnt really resemble a skilled sport.
The targeting of Ciaran McDonald in 2005 before the ball was thrown in was total thuggery.

[Pangurban]

This series should be kicked into touch, i for one will give it no support

[From the Bunker]

Fake,
mongrel,
overhyped,
dangerous,
Amateurs v Professionals,
Cherry Picking,
2 Confused referees,
Thugs,
Boring,
Hammerings (both physical and Scoreboard),
No protection of players by referee,
Fools (amateurs who would put their livlihood or earnings at risk to a dangerous tackle).
Bi-national (as it only has 2 counties who play the hybrid game),
Holidays for the boys (administrators),
embarrassing (the lack of sportmanship and respect the last series had)
I mean how Brennan was humiliated last year, handing over the Cup which is named after a Tyrone Legend to thugs......it was one the embarassing moments of GAA ( beat the 12 apostiles of '83!)

[INDIANA]

wont be watching it quite simply a steaming pile of shite.

[fred the red]

Abbeysider can you put a poll on this?, seems to be quite an even split for those in favour and those who arent.

[kickingmule]

WELL PUT BUNKER!!!
TIME TO RID OURSELVES OF THIS AUSSIE DISEASE!

[ziggysego]

I'm not going to watch, because it's a shit 'sport' and doesn't promote our games. That and the fact I fear a great injury to one of our players at some stage in the future.

As for it putting our best players in the shopping window.... well that door has been opened and stopping the IR Series won't close it now.

[AbbeySider]

Abbeysider can you put a poll on this?, seems to be quite an even split for those in favour and those who arent.

That was a good call fred,
I posed the question to see if people were in favour or not.
I didnt think it balanced to ask were people boycotting it altogether.

Im open to suggestions to edit the poll as people see fit to get a fair result.
From talking to ordinary GAA people I believe that a lot more people would like to see the series put to a stop.
However I can understand Irish people abroad and especially in Oz wanting to keep the games or sport...? ( for use of a better term   ) ...alive.

[HeaveHo]

I'm not going to watch, because it's a shit 'sport' and doesn't promote our games. That and the fact I fear a great injury to one of our players at some stage in the future.

As for it putting our best players in the shopping window.... well that door has been opened and stopping the IR Series won't close it now.

With all due respect Ziggy et al is the loss of 10-20 players (mainly minors) somehow ruins your competition the talent pool must be skinny.

Of all the current batch of Irish lads in Australia right now one is a superstar (Kennelly), one is handy (Clarke) and the rest are fringe players or yet to make it. Most will make their way back home in the next 1-2 years a lot wiser for the experience.

[Bod Mor]

However I can understand Irish people abroad and especially in Oz wanting to keep the games or sport...? ( for use of a better term   ) ...alive.

This is probably one of the reasons I am going to watch the International rules this year. It's the first time in about 3/4 years I will get to see the GAA lads close up.

These lads have had a long tough season and getting away for 2 or 3 weeks for an end of season trip together is well deserved before the winter training starts up again.

People here don't seem to be aware that this year we are going to see a cleaner encounter due to the suspensions running over to next season.

It would be nice to beat the Aussies on their own turf. Pride is at stake here and bragging rights in work the following week!!