International Rules

[Woodaaa]

Hi all

Just to let all of you who dont know ireland beat Aussies by 8 points in the international rules at the wknd in Galway! Did any of yeh see it?

Twas a bit tame and lifeless but shud be better in front of a full house at croker next wk. Always gud to beat the Aussies in anything cause they are such gracious losers??!!

[Old Croc]

Always gud to beat the Aussies in anything cause they are such gracious losers??!!

And you're obviously a gracious winner!

Edited October 30, 2006 by Old Croc

[my friend I]

Sydney players good, e-girls player lost the game

[Old Croc]

The Australian side stopped playing half way through the last period of the first game of the international series and went to the local pub to get pissed and have a fight. Subsequently, the Irish side managed to squeek in for a narrow win.

This has resulted in unprecedented interest in the second game on Sunday at Croke Park.

The game is sold out with 82,000 expected to attend - a record for an international match in any sport in Ireland!!

Well done the Aussies for creating such interest in the series with their boorish behaviour!

[Woodaaa]

Lets face it it was a pretty poor opening game and the Aussies lost cause they were trying to hold onto a slender lead by running down the clock in final quarter (got what they deserved really )

Yeah 1 Aussie certainly showed boorish behaviour pity wasnt on the field though, he attacked a bar man in a hotel cause bar man refused to serve him more drink. Good chance he will be charged with assault as it was all caught on cctv (now claims it was because of constant racial abuse sorry but wot a load of pooooo). He has been sent home anyway by the manager.

The reason why its going to be the best attended international match ever in Ireland is because Croker is our biggest stadium and no other sports besides GAA is allowed to be played there but this is changing and soccer and rugby will be allowed in this year while lansdown road is being redeveloped to 55,000 capacity stadium. When lansdown is ready soccer and rugby will probably be kicked out of croker again but who know maybe the GAA will enjoy all the money they make and let em stay in.

[tuky]

Sorry mate, what is the GAA?

[Woodaaa]

sorry for those of you who dont know GAA stands for Gaelic Athletics Association http://www.gaa.ie/

its the governing body of most of the traditional irish sports that survive to this day including Gaelic football, hurling, handball rounders etc. It is by far the largest sporting organisation in ireland (basically a pitch or two in every single parish in the country) and is an amature organisation. no pay for play im afraid. Hope that clears things up

[Old Croc]

In his defence Fevola (the player involved in the bar scuffle) gave his version of events in an interview. Fevola claims the team has been harrassed by Irish fans on the tour, probably because of the on-field incidents in Australia last year when the Irish team was given a hiding in more ways than one.

The bad fan behaviour culminated in a dangerous pitch invasion at the end of last weekends game.

CCT vision of the scuffle was shown on TV tonight and it has been blown out of proportion. The barman is making the most of his five minutes of fame.

For the prosecution, Fevola, has a record of off-field incidents in Australia relating to drunkeness.

Edited November 2, 2006 by Old Croc

[Woodaaa]

Come on im sure their getting hassle and slaggings thats what always happens but its all fairly good natured and the rest of the aussies dont seem to have a problem and none of them backed him up on his racist comments from what ive read. Him bringing this up smacks of trying to justify his actions even if they didnt look all that bad they still cross the line were unacceptable and more than likely criminal.

Yes we did get a hiding last year and there were a few extremly thugish incidents. nothing wrong with a bit of fire and aggression in the game but last year went way too far and if it happend in any other sport long bans would be handed out. Listen our guys have been at work all week of course they cant compete with the physicality of the profesional aussies.

In fairness "dangerous pitch invasion" the only ppl that think its dangerous are the ground keepers who love their field. Happens here all the time its tradition, used to happen everywhere else aswell untill profesional sport got out of control and the players made out to be gods who cant come close to the dangerous commoner fans anymore

[Woodaaa]

thought id add in some of the ehh highlights from last year so ppl know wot we are on about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIGREZw4Sr4

[my friend I]

Fevola went to Norway now Switzerland - not keen on getting home quickly

[Old Croc]

The future of Australia's International Rules series with Ireland was in grave doubt after a spiteful second Test in Dublin on Monday left one player in hospital and his fellow Irishmen fuming over the physicality of the contest.

Carrying an eight-point deficit from game one, Australia triumphed 3.15.6 (69) to Ireland's 0.7.10 (31) to win the series by 30 points on aggregate and retain the Cormac McAnallen Cup in front of a sellout crowd of more than 82,000 at Croke Park.

But a visibly furious Ireland coach, Sean Boylan, revealed he had wanted the game called off at the end of the first quarter. He blamed the Australians for several ugly punch-ups in the opening term - one of them before play even started - and vented his anger over a fierce tackle that knocked Graham Geraghty out.

Boylan's players persuaded him to change his mind about stopping the match. "They said they wanted to go out and have a good go of it, they wanted to play football," Boylan said. "As far as I'm concerned, what happened out there in that first quarter today is not acceptable in any code of sport, it's not acceptable on the street."

Geraghty, a stand-out player for Ireland in the first Test, was unconscious for several minutes after hitting his head on the ground when he was tackled by Australia's AFL Rising Star Danyle Pearce.

The incident put Geraghty in hospital and infuriated the Irish, particularly after the Australian team had said during the week Geraghty would be a marked man.

Geraghty had been cleared of rough play by the tribunal following a first-Test clash with Lindsay Gilbee, who did not play today after injuring his thigh in the warm-up. Gilbee had said Geraghty would "get his own next match" and probably would not want to go near the ball.

Boylan said: "My thoughts first of all are with Graham Geraghty and his family. "He was expecting to be at work at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, that's the way the game is played over here and that's the way the game will continue to be played here."

It wasn't just Geraghty's injury that riled Boylan, with the Irishman claiming many of his other players, including AFL stars Tadhg Kennelly and Colm Begley, were targets.

Asked whether the future of the series was in doubt, Boylan said: "Correct, no question. I wouldn't want to be part of it as it was today."

But Australian coach Kevin Sheedy said the Irish were at fault.

"I'm pretty sure you'll see some of the Australians hurt badly and head butted and obviously kneed in the back on a couple of occasions," Sheedy said. "I think Ireland were the aggressors last week and this week."

And he defended Pearce. "I thought it was a great tackle," Sheedy added. "It's very hard when you're skinny and you're young and you're five-foot-nine-and-a-half and you tackle a tough player like Geraghty."

Ireland captain Kieran McGeeney made his thoughts on the first-quarter fighting clear: "If you want to box, say you want to box, we'll put all our gloves on, we'll go bare-knuckled.

"Ireland's full of boys who love to fight ... we could get a whole lot of them here if that's what the case may be."

Last year's physicality brought the future of the series into question and, after a 2006 tour already marred by Brendan Fevola's scuffle with a barman, AFL and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) officials will meet to discuss where the concept is headed.

The Irish had no problems when the Australian was kneed in the head (requiring 4 stitches) in the first game, but cry foul when the square up comes. The guy who ended up in hospital was tackled within the rules by one of the smaller players. I wonder how he would have fared if Barry Hall had fixed him up?

All the bluff and bluster and squealing of the press and the public in Ireland had the result of getting the Aussies out of their post season holiday trip mindset and into game mode. Result, a complete hiding! I wonder what would have happenned if the Aussies had fielded the All-Australian team instead of a makeshift side with only five of the best competing? The premiership side made only one minor player available for the tour.

With a bit of luck this is the last of the idiot hibrid game to be played.

(I always thought the Irish were similar to Australians, but the sookiness and whinging suggests they should really live on the other side of the Irish Sea. )

Edited November 6, 2006 by Old Croc

[Donz]

What a bunch of pussies, irish are just having a cry because they got abused and battered.

Maybe there coach should coach netball or something

[Old Croc]

What a bunch of pussies, irish are just having a cry because they got abused and battered.

Maybe there coach should coach netball or something

Have you seen the NZ netball team?

They would rip the pathetic Irish apart and eat that whining coach, Boylan for breakfast.

[Pink Mist]

they are a bunch of soft c@cks, no ticker me thinks.

[Donz]

I love it how he wanted to quit after the first period,

He probaly walked to the change room stomping his feet saying "I dont want to play anymore" with tears flowing down his cheeks.

[Pink Mist]

just watched some of the replays, the irish are filthy pliks, they only got retalliation, cant take the heat get out of the kitchen, paddy

[Woodaaa]

Lads lads lads what are you talking about

Firstly congrats on your win you prob would have won without all da dirty play but thats the way you wanted it and thats the way you got it.

Secondly you cant call us pussies it wasnt a boxing match. It was a game of football play the ball not the man do any of you remember that? Show me anywhere in your game where any of these players would get away with what happend. they wouldnt they wouldnt even try it in your game or even come close to that type of violence. For god sake they started punch up on the "Targeted" men before the bloody throw in.

Re the four stiches your man got from Geraghty knee if you saw the game last week you would have seen Geraghty was on his back and the aussie was on top hitting him and he was just trying to push him off. Thus followed a week of threats against him. ok the tackle that finally knocked him out was legal enough (lingering elbow no ball) prob just unlucky that you were makin threats against him all wk and then they come true.

Yes there were a couple of dirty incidents by the irish the headbut during one of the punch ups and the knee in the back but you could have taken your free instead of starting a mass brawl it wasnt nearly as malicious as most of the incidents the majority of which started by the aussies.

You talk about your best team, that wasnt our best team by a country mile a lot of the most skillful players dont bother with this game cause of all the crap they have to put up with aalso some of them cant get the time off work to play either.

Well i think you have finally killed the series and shot yourselves in the foot because you guys need it alot more than we do. The opposition against it here is now almost overwhelming. we realise our games are better than yours and travels far better too. We have thriving clubs all over the world and when we start supporting them properly they will flourish. Your attempts to transplant your game into other countries have already failed miserably. So you can now go back to being known as the thugs of australian sports (even by alot of aussie friends i have) and never get it seen outside australia again. congrats

[Old Croc]

Well i think you have finally killed the series and shot yourselves in the foot because you guys need it alot more than we do. The opposition against it here is now almost overwhelming. we realise our games are better than yours and travels far better too. We have thriving clubs all over the world and when we start supporting them properly they will flourish. Your attempts to transplant your game into other countries have already failed miserably. So you can now go back to being known as the thugs of australian sports (even by alot of aussie friends i have) and never get it seen outside australia again. congrats

I won't go on anymore about who did what to whom in the game, but will address your last para remarks.

You're right, the concept may now be dead, however, 82,000 went to this game so it is apparently of much more importance to the Irish. The games in Australia fail to grab the imagination of the Australian public and attendances are poor.

As far as gaelic being a better and more comprehensive world game, I have trouble with that concept. Has it been adopted in other countries by other than Irish expats? It's not even a professional sport in Ireland for gods sake!

Aussie rules has organised competions in the following countries: Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Samoa, South Africa, Spain and USA (and yes Ireland). They meet and play off for The International Cup each year in Australia.

While the sport is never going to replace the girlie soccer game in the world, it is becoming an exciting alternative for many in a diverse mix of nations.

The game that was adapted from the gaelic game for this series was never close enough to our game to make it a goer here. The two major differences are the use of a round ball and the watered down tackleing rules. Our players were never able to quite work out what was soft enough to fit in with the Irish version of player contact. It always seemed that when the Irish were handing it out it was fine, but when when we came back at them it was cry baby time!

Incidently the thugs of Australia sport are the Rugby League team, followed closely by the netball team.

ARFLI = Australian Rules Football League of Ireland

Edited November 6, 2006 by Old Croc

[Woodaaa]

We love sport in this country and pretty much anything with a ball in it that is compeditive will be well attended expecially at international level. and of course when taking on big sporting nations like the australians people will be interested lansdown road will be full in a few wks for the rugby match and if it were in croker that would be full to. Thats not to say that rugby is more important than GAA in this country as it is no where near as important.

A sport doesnt have to be profesional to be popular rugby only turned profesional about 10 years ago and was just as popular before it did so infact the local clubs here have sufferd from lack of players/turnout since it turned profesional and now they are dying a slow death.

Such a small list of countries your game is played in!! only joking!! Yes it still is mainly expats that play gaelic games abroad but all expats not just Irish expats. Gaelic football is the largest amateur game in asia so i saw it claimed somewhere. Every year there are championships held in Asia, Europe, Carrabean, South America and North America. More true blood Americans now play GAA than expats and this all done by a bunch of amateurs with little or no support. new york even play in the all ireland!!! and arent half bad from time to time. Think of what we could do if we put as much effort into marketing it as we do the international rules.

Re the tackle we have no problem with the tackle as long as it starts and ends with the tackle

Edited November 6, 2006 by Woodaaa

[Old Croc]

ARFLI was founded after the countries first best of three Grand Final had been contested in November 2000 between the Belfast Redbacks and the Dublin Demons. In the first properly competitive season the Midland Tigers beat the Leeside Lions in the 9-A-Side Grand Final and the Dublin Demons beat the Leeside Lions in the Premiership Grand Final. Later that same year Ireland won all five of their games at the Atlantic Alliance Cup, including the Grand Final win over Denmark.

Clubs

Belfast Redbacks

Clare Crows

Drogheda Dockers

Dublin Demons

Leeside Lions

Limerick Saints

Midland Tigers

South Dublin Eagles

Which is your club Woodaaa?

A couple more countries with affiliated competitions not mentioned above are Denmark, Germany and Nauru.

Incidently, there are 30 AFL clubs in America!

Edited November 6, 2006 by Old Croc

[Woodaaa]

oh old croc do we really have to start getting into who's bigger when we both know its technique that counts

But since you brought it up here are some lists of GAA clubs in differents parts of the world and these are by no way comprehensive from my own personal experiances in america europe and asia (my old teams and teams i played against dont seem to be listed, must be the amature thing again!!) cant say bout australia or new zealand aint been there yet. But there sure is more gaa clubs there than afl clubs here.

America http://www.nagaa.org/clubs/allClubs.php too many to count and defo missin a good few

Canada http://www.gaa.ie/page/canada.html

Asia and middle east http://www.online.ie/Sport/GAAClubs/Asia/ 100% missing a few with more poppin up all the time cant wait to go back!!

Europe excluding Ireland of course http://europe.gaa.ie/europeangaaclubs.html missing my old austrian club neway

Britain shud be with Europe dont no why it aint http://britain.gaa.ie/clubcontacts.html far too many to count again

Australia NZ http://www.clubgaa.ie/australia/

Cayman Islands http://www.caymangaa.com.ky/teams.htm

and thats just scratching the surface there are many more

So as you can see amatures can organise stuff too and youve got a good chance of finding a gaa club in most places. Think of what could happen if they were actually supported with some money from Gaa headquarters for stuff like balls and well just balls!!!

Re the ARFL i suppose my closet clubs would be one ot the dublin ones i wont embarrass you with the standards and quality of players i saw when i went to see them (yes one of my friends was playin)

[my friend I]

The AFL website is running a poll to see about extending the next series to 3 games.

I think you get a better Irish side when the teams play in Australia coz the players get a free holiday & are keen to go