ireland v Aussies,compromise rules or blood bath

[kerrygold]

Well lads what did ye make of croker the last day,especially the first quarter and do ye think the series has future.


Its hard to justify the sight of graham geraghty being carried of,his eyes closed,knocked out and breathing through an oxygen mask,thankfully he wasn't paralysed from the neck down.Is that what it will take before the games become civilised and sporting in nature.

personally i'd be happy to see the experiment ended,you only have to listen to the comments of jim stynes to hear the aussies mind set and comments directed towards sean boylan by him.

Hopefully tadgh kennelly comes home soon and does not become the next jim stynes.

[Mickmack]

Leavin asise the thuggery........ the game itself is a farce.......... mainly because of the mark.........a guy gets a free kick just because he catches the ball........

[topcat]

I think the whole thing is rubbish. Also it seems a bit strange that Ireland should moan so much about it, i mean lets face it , did they not bring a team of big men and brutes to fight fire with fire?

If they wanted fast skillfull players then where was Munnelly? Meehan? ect ect ect.
Surely graham geraghty is not one of the top 15 in the land surely?
Was he not there to stir things up a bit???

[sullyschoice]

Its a disgrace. The game has no future. The standard of the Irish team was abysmal, though I got the feeling that any time one of our lads got the ball he was waiting to get the sh1te kicked out of him.

My eldest lad was mad keen to go but luckily I left it too late to start looking for tickets. Watched it on telly.

With regard to the moaning of the Irish squad and management....what did they expect...were they expecting anything but thuggery...surely not.

Bottom line for me is that the game is crap and is a waste of time...someone will get seriously hurt soon. Abandon it

[Mickmack]

I went to it and sat there with this horrible feeling that someone was going to get incapacitated........... images of Brian O Driscolls spear tackle came to mind.

Glad that Donaghy wasnt playing

[topcat]

The GAA wont bin it, 82,000. Its a real money spinner. Incidently id like to know what percentage of the attendance went to watch football and what percentage went to watch belting?

[westkerryace]

Id say 70% for the belting!

[countaeciarrai]

"I was a big fan of the game. But after yesterday, I think they should call it off. I'll not be back near it, that's for sure," said the 25-year-old. "Before yesterday, I was 100 per cent behind this game. I didn't think it was too bad. But after seeing Graham lying on the ground . . . I was the first one over to him. He couldn't breathe and there was stuff coming out of his mouth. I thought to myself 'this isn't on'." from Benny Coulter (my thoughts exactly)

[BIGMAC]

this is the same debate as last year for the same reason.until the aussies face the same penalties at home for playin the comp rules as they do in the afl there will be no change in their attitude.the highest honour in the afl is the brownlow medal and no player can win it if hes been cited during the whole afl season.i'm still a fan of this format but i do feel that this is the end of it and as for those that say 82000 speak loudly in €'s the bad publicity speaks louder.
on a final note the aussies shame the name of cormac mcanallen with their unsportsmanlike conduct and should not be allowed to keep this trophy

[seamus]

McGeeney reckons that Ireland picked a team to play football and if the Aussies wanted trouble then Ireland could have picked a team to give them trouble. He reckoned there are a few hardy boys in Armagh who would'nt mind a crack off the Aussies!!! U up for it BigMac?

[BIGMAC]

seamus said:

McGeeney reckons that Ireland picked a team to play football and if the Aussies wanted trouble then Ireland could have picked a team to give them trouble. He reckoned there are a few hardy boys in Armagh who would'nt mind a crack off the Aussies!!! U up for it BigMac?

too rite,i'm only a slim small fella (6'4 + 21st) with a hobby of gentle weight training and would have loved to had a go at them.i said last year that the team should be selected from the lads that could play this game the same way as the aussies and not the feckin featherweights the send out

[BIGMAC]

from aussie paper the herald sun


Irish chief: Series is deadMark Stevens and Daryl Timms

November 09, 2006 12:00am
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INTERNATIONAL rules is a step closer to the scrapheap, with Ireland's most powerful official declaring he's had enough.
AFL weblog
Would you be sorry to see International Rules go?

Gaelic Athletic Association president Nickey Brennan, guarded after Monday morning's violent second Test, opened fire soon after the Australians left the country.

``My personal view is the series is over,'' Brennan said.

Although it is only Brennan's opinion, the Irish media are reporting it is a formality that the series will be consigned to the grave.

Brennan indicated his view was shared by most of the GAA's decision-makers and said the series was ``hanging on by the barest of threads''.

The Irish could pull out within weeks, before a meeting scheduled for early January with the AFL in Dubai.

The GAA's management and central council meet on December 8 to discuss the fallout from the events of the Dublin Test.

Brennan did not rule out the series ending there and then.

Irish team management and players will be asked for their observations on all facets of the two Tests before the GAA management makes any recommendations.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou told the Herald Sun from France last night
that it had been agreed with GAA officials after the second Test that the series would be reviewed in coming weeks.

``And we would also review the match after we've had time to look at the replay and make further investigation,'' Demetriou said. ``We left it at that and it hasn't changed.''

Brennan's comments in the Irish Examiner have been backed up by another senior GAA official, director-general Liam Mulvihill.

Mulvihill described Monday's first quarter, featuring six yellow cards and an injury to Graham Geraghty, as disgusting. He even went as far as saying the Irish should have stayed in the rooms at quarter-time and not come back.

``Maybe we should have stopped the game and it might have been better from everyone's point of view,'' he said.

Adding further momentum to the push to scrap the series is Irish star Benny Coulter, who has told the Irish press he will never again play for Ireland after witnessing the aftermath to the Geraghty incident.

Coulter was first on the scene to see Geraghty lying on the Croke Park turf unconscious after a tackle by Australian Danyle Pearce.

``I think they should call it off. I'll not be back near it, that's for sure,'' Coulter said.

``Before (Sunday) I was 100 per cent behind this game.But after seeing Graham lying on the ground ... he couldn't breathe and there was stuff coming out of his mouth. I thought, `This isn't on'.''

Geraghty, who discharged himself from hospital that night, has also broken his silence on the controversial first quarter.

The Irish star claimed the Australians issued him a warning seconds before the game: ``Hope you're ready because we're coming to get you.''

But Geraghty has defended the hybrid game, saying he would play for Ireland again.

``There's nothing wrong with the game - it's the way the rules are applied that causes the problems. Both referees had a lot to answer for. Why weren't any red cards used?'' he said.

AFL commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick, who toured with the Australian squad, yesterday remained hopeful the concept would continue.

``We'd like to have a future,'' Fitzpatrick said. ``There are obviously a lot of issues we have to iron out. Most of them are to do with, I think, the roughness.

``What happened in the first quarter of the second match was obviously unacceptable.''

Brennan apologised to the capacity crowd that turned out at Croke Park on Sunday.

``People came to see a good game, played in the right spirit.

But what they got in the first quarter simply wasn't acceptable and on behalf of the GAA, I want to apologise to each and every one of the 82,127 people - including 20,000 children - who turned up at Croke Park.

``The Irish players were seriously intimidated in the first quarter and that can not - and will not - be tolerated.''

Brennan made light of Australian coach Kevin Sheedy's suggestion the teams should have a pre-series dinner next year to resolve any differences.

``Maybe they'll bring special steaks from Australia with some ingredient in them to calm everybody down,'' Brennan said.

On his return home yesterday, Pearce insisted his tackle was perfectly fair.

Pearce said he did not intend to hurt Geraghty and was simply applying ``a tackle you get taught when you are a kid''.

``You get taught to pin their (opponents) arms and take them to the ground and it was just unfortunate he (Geraghty) hit his head,'' Pearce said.

Out cold: Graham Geraghty.
Also in SportFlemington fall: McEvoy rushed to hospital
International fallout: Irish chief: Series is dead
Code breaker: AFL chief jumps ship
Raiders slippery: Japanese slipped under net
Ambassador's role: Pat Rafter returns to court
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Holden v Ford: Kelly gang talk off track
NBL: Hawks keep flying
Ambitious program: Tawqeet set for Dubai
Coach earns stripes: Name your price, Al Westover
Golden double: Miss Finland scoops Oaks
Getting tough: Crackdown on Ashes louts
Kyneton win: Forest's cup tally growing
Online poll: Will soccer ever catch Aussie Rules?
Fresh vibe: Stuart Appleby defends depth

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Have Your SayLatest Comments:
To do the event properly, remove all tackling. That way, the Irish won't get physically hurt by opponents. They would then be more willing to continue with future International Rules series. Remember, Gerahty is built like a soccer playing midfielder, so he can't fairly be tackled like an AFL midfielder.
Posted by: paul of Melbourne 3:23pm today What most AFL supporters are not realizing is that those Irish players are simply carpet layers, mechanics, electricians and uni students with a passion to play their loved sport. Yes, it is compatible to AFL however there is a main fact here - they are not professionals! and paid huge sums of money and practise 6 out of the 7 days a week honing their sport and physical strengths. The problem lies with the Irish organisation (GAA), whereby they should justifiably pay their players a salary and bring them into the 21st century, then we would have an evenly match game and if there are off the ball offences during this type tournament - hit them where it hurts not on the pitch but in their pockets. They are smart enough not to adopt such tactics if they lose money because of it... Shame on the GAA for not professionalising the sport in Ireland, there were 81,000 people at that game and those Irish players simply get a pat on the back? for breaking their backs,necks,ankles, arms, collar bones for nix - get real!!!
Posted by: Mike of Sydney of Sydney 3:05pm today Good riddens, Aussie rules is aussie rules and we don't need to play any hybrid games!
Posted by: Mary of Sydenham 2:14pm today You lot make me sick, the two codes have nothing in common, the irish have the right to complain because they aren't paid the massive amount of money that the Aussie rules fellas are. As someone that has heritage in both countries I am discussed at the attacking of each other, grow up its only a sport. Remember that we could not beat them when we tried playing their way. So just forget about the series. and to JP people in other countries think our beloved AFL is a bizarre sport, so pull your neck in!
Posted by: simon of melbourne 1:08pm today

[BIGMAC]

what the aussies think,again from the herald sun
To do the event properly, remove all tackling. That way, the Irish won't get physically hurt by opponents. They would then be more willing to continue with future International Rules series. Remember, Gerahty is built like a soccer playing midfielder, so he can't fairly be tackled like an AFL midfielder. Posted by: paul of Melbourne 3:23pm today
Comment 25 of 25
What most AFL supporters are not realizing is that those Irish players are simply carpet layers, mechanics, electricians and uni students with a passion to play their loved sport. Yes, it is compatible to AFL however there is a main fact here - they are not professionals! and paid huge sums of money and practise 6 out of the 7 days a week honing their sport and physical strengths. The problem lies with the Irish organisation (GAA), whereby they should justifiably pay their players a salary and bring them into the 21st century, then we would have an evenly match game and if there are off the ball offences during this type tournament - hit them where it hurts not on the pitch but in their pockets. They are smart enough not to adopt such tactics if they lose money because of it... Shame on the GAA for not professionalising the sport in Ireland, there were 81,000 people at that game and those Irish players simply get a pat on the back? for breaking their backs,necks,ankles, arms, collar bones for nix - get real!!! Posted by: Mike of Sydney of Sydney 3:05pm today
Comment 24 of 25
Good riddens, Aussie rules is aussie rules and we don't need to play any hybrid games! Posted by: Mary of Sydenham 2:14pm today
Comment 23 of 25
You lot make me sick, the two codes have nothing in common, the irish have the right to complain because they aren't paid the massive amount of money that the Aussie rules fellas are. As someone that has heritage in both countries I am discussed at the attacking of each other, grow up its only a sport. Remember that we could not beat them when we tried playing their way. So just forget about the series. and to JP people in other countries think our beloved AFL is a bizarre sport, so pull your neck in! Posted by: simon of melbourne 1:08pm today
Comment 22 of 25
Go sook you irish. Posted by: sjaf 12:55pm today
Comment 21 of 25
No surprise, because there is no other sport in the world but AFL where players are allowed to rough eachother up before the whistle blows for the start of the game. We therefore condone violence and intimidation as a part of sport in Australia - it is simply uncivilised and the Irish to there credit truly recognise this. It's as simple as that. Shame Australia shame for condoning violence in sport. Posted by: Mike of Melbourne 12:36pm today
Comment 20 of 25
I agree with the majority of the previous bloggs posted...and have absolutley no sympathy for Geraghty. He kneed Gilbee in the HEAD, giving him 4 stitches in the previous game and was then cleared to play. Pearce put him down in a fair tackle - well done. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. My opinion of the Irish team and officials has taken a big nose dive after their pathetic whinging - get some backbone and vegemite into you boys!!! Posted by: Roscoe of Melbourne 12:36pm today
Comment 19 of 25
Luckily the Irish don't have recurring violence throughout their nation's history. They've always promoted peace and goodwill. Posted by: Luke H 12:32pm today
Comment 18 of 25
Good, stop spending AFL money on something that will never work and put it into developing grass roots football. Posted by: Brendan R 12:27pm today
Comment 17 of 25
If the Irish want to discontinue the series lets take on the yanks in a bastadised version of AFL & NFL & let's give them a hiding. We'll then see who the bigger sooks are if the yanks weren't to wear any padding - the big girls. Posted by: Bill Ziogos of Brisbane 12:26pm today
Comment 16 of 25
Bring back state of origin. Posted by: Damien 11:58am today
Comment 15 of 25
Good. It was a silly concept anyway in order to "internationalise" two games that frankly the rest of the world are not interested in. Posted by: David of Melbourne 11:11am today
Comment 14 of 25
Oh, have a cry, Ireland. Seriously, what is it with everyone calling us rough? First the Socceroos are "too physical" and are targetted in the World Cup, and then the Aussie Rules boys are in it neck deep in Ireland. If you're going to sook about it, don't play. Play with the little schoolgirls if you can't hack it with the big boys. GO AUSSIES!!!! Posted by: Bemused of Melbourne 10:46am today
Comment 13 of 25
Ireland.......get over it. You ankle tap and hit shins and you find that acceptable. Then you bring out your toughie(who went down quicker than a pint of Guiness) and you haven't stopped whinging. We won the game fair and square. Let the series die....it will never take off over here. Posted by: Tony M of Melb 10:40am today
Comment 12 of 25
Wha, wha, wha. I am in favour of abandoning the series because outside of tackling everything else is in Ireland's favour. I can't believe how they whinge but then again tackling is not part of their games culture. We use their field, their goals (bar the behind posts), their round ball. All we get is the tackle and the usual whineing whenever they lose. Obviously they have no understanding of how to handle themselves in terms of diplomacy and all we are doing is letting the Irish rubbish the reputation of our players and our great game. Bye, bye International rules, or Irish Rules or Gaelic with tackling or whatever you want to call that rubbish. Posted by: JP 10:32am today
Comment 11 of 25
I have lost interest in the series mainly because the Aussies use rough house tactics everytime they have their backs to the wall. The Irish can't cope with the professionally trained bodies that AFL players have and aren't used to tackling. If you want to play them at a hybrid game, then the rough stuff has got to go. The funny thing is, that I have lost interest in AFL at the same time for the opposite reason. Those in charge have taken out the rough house tactics and made it too soft and too much like the International rules game they wish to keep. Posted by: Roger Gray of Geelong 9:04am today
Comment 10 of 25
International Rules is died not just to the Irish. The game has become irrelevant as a way to put our game on the International stage. Because of the differences between our games it is simply seen as violent by the Irish and that's the only way we can win. Money and time would be better spent promoting the game in places it is played. Get players to visit Africa etc and put on clinics give away footballs boots and other items. Have a world series played in Australia every four years which is supported by AFL and help bring sides from countries that play our game. It hard to see where the International series is going. If its only a means for our top players to represent Australia then scrap it. Posted by: Lindsay Crowe of Melbourne 8:57am today
Comment 9 of 25
Do you want to see International Rules Football? Watch the real football, soccer. Posted by: Les Vlakies of Melbourne 8:54am today
Comment 8 of 25
The irish started most of the brawling. They wanted to play with the big boys, but they belong in the sandbox!!! Posted by: Findles of Ireland 6:49am today
Comment 7 of 25
Good! Posted by: Garry of Korumburra 5:33am today
Comment 6 of 25
Maybe it's time the Irish learnt how to play rough and returned fire rather than sulking everytime one of their own hits the turf. Toughen up Irish boys. If you want the Aussies to soften up, then they might as well be playing females as opponents. When you have 2 teams of men, then everyone expects the game to be played like men. Posted by: Jake Minetti 5:18am today
Comment 5 of 25
We've enough whinging Thin-skin Ozzies over here already, "its too cold", "theres no vegemite", "ya can't get a descent Roo pie over here" etc etc so we don't need an extra few thousand ever second year. Stay where your liked please Posted by: Brian L of Ireland 3:05am today
Comment 4 of 25
All those people attacking the Aussie rules team, review the game! The Irish were the instigators and couldn't cope with the retaliation. Kevin Sheedy said it best "the irish are con-artists." Wake up people. Posted by: Nick Carstairs-Prott of Traralgon 2:56am today
Comment 3 of 25
sport in ireland is about skill and not being thugs like aussies played,if aussies can win with skill,they get dirty,no one is surprised,only way the irish will be better is play aussies at there own game,to be frank,playing thugs isn't irsh sport,so we think we dont need the cr*p and play againist another nation who play with skill as aussies cant and never will. Posted by: kelticknight of EIRE 2:03am today
Comment 2 of 25
Football is a rough n tough sport.......... . mayb our guys gotta tone it down ...after all their not playing aussie rules.... Posted by: sa 1:25am today
Comment 1

[kerrygold]

bigmac said:

this is the same debate as last year for the same reason.until the aussies face the same penalties at home for playin the comp rules as they do in the afl there will be no change in their attitude.the highest honour in the afl is the brownlow medal and no player can win it if hes been cited during the whole afl season.i'm still a fan of this format but i do feel that this is the end of it and as for those that say 82000 speak loudly in €'s the bad publicity speaks louder.
on a final note the aussies shame the name of cormac mcanallen with their unsportsmanlike conduct and should not be allowed to keep this trophy

the game has become an embarresment to the name and memory of the late cormac mc anallen.

[BIGMAC]

DESPITE Sunday's ugly scenes in Croker and the sight of Graham Geraghty being stretchered off, the vast majority of the Irish International Rules players want the series to continue.

In a survey carried out by the Irish Independent, only two of 22 players who featured in the defeat to the Aussies - Kerry's Marc Ó Sé and Down's Benny Coulter - confirmed that they would be opposed to participating in the hybrid code which is under threat after last Sunday's controversial second Test.

Misgivings

GAA President Nickey Brennan has already placed a serious question mark over the troubled series, but his reservations about the game's future contrast markedly with the players who want it to continue.

Brennan stressed after the Croke Park fixture that the GAA would not rush into making any decision about the future of the series.

GAA and AFL bosses are expected to be in contact in the coming weeks and a decision on whether Ireland travel to Australia in 2007 will be made in January when the two organisations meet in Dubai where this year's Allstar footballers will be tour.

But despite the misgivings of the GAA's top brass, emotions are sure to have cooled considerably in two months' time, and the wishes of the players who took part in the two latest Tests are likely to be taken into consideration by Brennan and his fellow Croker officials.

Of the Ireland players surveyed, one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the series was 'dual star' Tadhg Kennelly.

Despite being forced off after just 50 seconds and being unable to take any further part in the second Test - "I got two knees into the kidney" - the Sydney Swans star strongly contends that the code has a future and suggests it would benefit from having two referees in each half of the field.

"We have that in Aussie Rules, and it works very well," insisted Kennelly, who, because of his injury, was unable to come out of the dressing room to watch the match until early in the second half.

"Two referees in each half will certainly help to considerably cut down on the type of incidents which we saw last Sunday. As in Aussie Rules, whichever ref is closest to the play at the time could award frees, while the other ref could deal with any off-the-ball stuff. There is only so much one referee can see, so the more eyes you have, the better it is.

"Things would have been helped last Sunday if the refs had handed out red cards rather than yellow. Players will always test the water. But the stuff that went on at Croke Park wouldn't be tolerated in Aussie Rules, and some of the fans that I know left the match early in disgust," added Kennelly, whose mother made the journey from Listowel to watch her son in action.

Benefit

Continuing on the refereeing theme, Kerry star Kieran Donaghy claimed that the series would benefit from having three referees.

"It's not easy for the Irish or the Australian referee to be impartial, so maybe somebody involved in sport from a neutral country could be trained in the rules of the game, and brought in as a third referee," said the Austin Stacks ace.

"As well, wrestling with a player should be a red card rather than a yellow-card offence, and it was a disgrace that the player who took out Benny Coulter was not sent off." Kerry defender Aidan O'Mahony suggested that players would receive considerably more protection if the rule regarding the third-man tackle was amended.

"If you see one of your team-mates being punched around the place, you shouldn't be banned from going in to separate the two players," he argued.

"As well, there's far too much tolerance by the referees of the late tackle by the Australians as you kick the ball." Cork goalkeeper Alan Quirke argued that the match panel for the teams should be increased from 22 players to 25.

Unmarked

"Instead of having seven interchange players we were down to just four after the first quarter because three of our lads had been taken out," pointed out Quirke, who in the build-up to the first Aussie goal was left to contend with four completely unmarked opponents. Quirke went on: "As a result, many of our players were out on their feet long before the end of the match."

Despite not wishing to be considered for any future contests with the Australians, Marc Ó Sé revealed that he was a big fan of the International Rules concept.

"It is a great game when played in the right spirit and there were two terrific games in Australia in 1999 when Colm O'Rourke and John O'Keeffe were in charge of the Ireland team," he said.

"But I've no interest in being involved in a game where the rules are not applied by the referees, and where players can get away with punching an opponent in the face when they should be automatically red-carded. It was a disgrace that so many young children had to watch what went on at Croke Park last Sunday."

Paddy Hickey

[BIGMAC]

Herald SunClose Poll Results
Thanks for voting, here are the results so far:

WERE our players too aggressive? Or are the Irish just whingeing because they lost?

Our players were too aggressive 42% (508 votes) The Irish are whingeing because they lost 57% (695 votes) Total votes Total of 1203 votes

[kerrygold]

it has no future in its present format,which is a shame,not many events in ireland could pack 82000 people into an arena in the middle of november.

[seamus]

please remember that all kids got in for €5 and some for €2

[BIGMAC]

theres a blog on the herald sun site with all the aussie views and they think we're a bunch of whinging *s

[kerrygold]

that behaviour isn't part in their own game,why should it be part of this game?
when irish teams stood up to them in the 80's and 90's they we shown up as big cowardly bullies and lost series when the irish players took them on.
those above comments show why the series has no future and should be scrapped.

one aspect of the aussie tackle where when they throw a player to the ground and hold the players head/neck down with the part of the arm between the elbow and wrist is akin to what the wolves do in the wild to demonstate dominance by putting their heads over the subordinates neck as a show of power.That has no place in a sport and cant be justified.

the way jim stynes has retracted comments directed at graham geraghty shows how out of touch this lads are with reality.

Its an easy cut to spend 7 or 8 years pumping weights in a gym 5 or 6 days a week and then go out and intimidate a group of smaller amature players,big lads alright.