Ireland coach Paul Earley has applauded Australia for demonstrating their faith in the International Rules concept after naming what he regards as their best squad ever.

As the AFL season gets underway this weekend, former Young Footballer of the Year Tommy Walsh edges closer and closer to his St Kilda League debut. Joe Callaghan met him in Melbourne.

AUSTRALIAN RULES agent Ricky Nixon’s career is in jeopardy after yesterday he admitted to inappropriate dealing with a teenage girl at the centre of an AFL sex scandal.

TOMMY WALSH’S debut in the AFL next week is a story that will be framed by the sports pages, distilled by short-sleeved press men and is, undeniably, about Aussie Rules.

FORMER Young Footballer of the Year Tommy Walsh is edging closer to the first team with AFL side, St Kilda.

FOUR Dublin footballers were allegedly informed that they would be dropped from Pat Gilroy’s panel for this weekend’s NFL tie against Mayo if they attended Ricky Nixon’s AFL trial camp in Meath yesterday.

TOMMY WALSH will make his competitive debut in the AFL tomorrow, with St Kilda naming him in their squad for the NAB Cup opener against Collingwood and head coach Ross Lyon promising a likely substitute’s role because he has “surpassed expectations”.

Australian coach Kevin Sheedy has announced a 24-man squad for the upcoming Coca-Cola International Rules series against Ireland.

Ireland 77 Australia 41

Despite a total of 17 withdrawals, Australian coach Garry Lyon has insisted that his new-look squad is ready to win a third consecutive International Rules series later this month.

The Australian Football League has announced the Australian squad for next month's international rules tour of Ireland.