If ever there was a microcosm of the battle for hearts and minds in Australian sport, then today’s fare is it.

Eight years on since Danny Hughes claimed an All-Star in Down’s improbable and glorious run to an All-Ireland final against Cork, he is still angry with football.

As Joe Kernan keeps his fingers crossed that three of his bug-stricken players will be able to play some part in the first test, the Ireland International Rules manager has underlined the importance of the two referees doing their job tomorrow.

"THERE’S a guy works down the chip shop swears he’s Elvis,” sang the late Kirsty McColl.

A few high-profile footy players have returned home, but with nine Irish players set to feature, there will be plenty of interest in in the 2015 AFL season, which kicks off this morning in Melbourne.

Jason Abbott’s free-kick winner four minutes from the end of yesterday’s Collingwood Cup semi-final sealed University College Cork a place in today’s decider against Trinity College.

It began with a story this autumn on these pages — but no-one could have imagined the treasure trove of photographic memorabilia the Irish Examiner would help unearth.

Perhaps the most depressing aspect about the ban is that it’s not really a media ban anymore. It’s more of a superstition.

Ciarán Sheehan has described his move to AFL outfit Carlton Blues as an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.

Standing outside the dressing rooms in St Conleth’s Park on Saturday night, Daniel Flynn made his way from the field, a relieved and slightly sunburnt man.

The sun was shining, the pitch was in pristine shape, and conditions were perfect for Championship football — yet an unmistakable air of melancholy hung around Celtic Park on Sunday.

DOWN football received a timely boost yesterday with the news of Jamie O’Reilly’s return home from AFL side Richmond Tigers.

DOWN County Board secretary Sean Óg McAteer insists the door will always remain open for Marty Clarke to return to the Mourne County’s football ranks following confirmation yesterday that the An Ríocht player is returning to Australia to resume his AFL career with Collingwood.

ALL STAR Down forward Danny Hughes has questioned Cork’s ability to put back-to-back All-Ireland titles together and predicted that Kerry will ultimately reign supreme this year.

ENGLISH invader Lilbourne Lad out battled the rather ironically named Tough As Nails in the Group 2 Dubai Duty Free Railway Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

THE Jim Bolger-trained Teolane showed her quality when making all to land the listed Coolmore Stud 2-Y-0 Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas yesterday.

COLLINGWOOD captain Nick Maxwell has suggested that there is no indication that the Magpies even want GAA star Martin Clarke back.

NEWRY’S divide is more pronounced this week but it’s all been good-natured.

CLARE footballer Graham Kelly has been hit by a whopping ten-week suspension following his late altercation with Cork’s John Miskella in last Sunday’s Munster SFC quarter-final.

THE GAA should be doing more to keep its players in Ireland, according to two Ulster greats.

FORMER Roscommon footballer and Melbourne AFL player PaulEarley believes the decision to remove agent Ricky Nixon’s licence will have little or no impact on the Australian Rules recruitment drive in Ireland.

THE good news for Down supporters and Gaelic football fans everywhere is that Martin Clarke will be wearing the famed red and black again next year. The bad news is that he may not do so again in 2012.

IRELAND boss Anthony Tohill has finalised his squad for Saturday night’s International Rules First Test in the Gaelic Grounds by drafting in Kildare defender Emmett Bolton and Offaly attacker Niall McNamee for the clash against Australia.

WHAT’s the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don’t know and I don’t care.

WILL he stay or will he go?

DOWN tyro Jamie O’Reilly insists he has no regrets about leaving home to concentrate on an AFL career with Richmond Tigers despite the Mourne men’s progression to the last four in the All-Ireland championship.

THE green and gold malaise that was the story of the Championship weekend wasn’t merely limited to the borders of the Kingdom.

THE glamour clash with Setanta Ó hAilpín may not have materialised but Tadhg Kennelly still made the most of his trip to Melbourne as Sydney solidified their play-off position with a comfortable victory over Carlton.

TADHG KENNELLY’S first appearance on an AFL scoresheet for 22 months wasn’t enough to help Sydney Swans avoid a shock defeat to lowly Richmond yesterday.

SEEHARN staked her claim as a realistic Moyglare Stud Stakes contender when landing the listed Ballygallon Stud Balanchine Stakes at the Curragh last night.

DOWN’S Benny Coulter has attributed his spectacular return to form to a man who played a pivotal role when Saturday’s opponents Tyrone made the breakthrough to win a first All-Ireland title.

ON a low-key, pre-Royal Ascot weekend, Aidan O’Brien and Johnny Murtagh doubled-up with two of Ballydoyle’s lesser-lights, Emperor Hadrian and Ferdinand Magellan, at Navan last night.

DOWN forward Danny Hughes has acknowledged that revenge will be uppermost in Tyrone’s minds when the teams meet in their provincial football championship semi-final in three weeks’ time.

A SENIOR member of AFL side Collingwood has dismissed suggestions that Down’s Martin Clarke is set for a quick return to Australia.

MARTIN CLARKE yesterday reaffirmed his loyalty to Down’s championship campaign while also leaving the door open for a possible return to the AFL in years to come.

IRISH-BORN Aussie Rules legend, Jim Stynes, is in a stable condition after undergoing further treatment for cancer. The Melbourne president had a three-hour surgery yesterday to remove four tumours that were causing severe headaches.

TADHG KENNELLY famously claimed that he gave up on half a million Australian dollars to return to Kerry last year but Martin Clarke won’t be thinking about his spurned salary when he lines out for Down this season.

THE trouble with talent scouts is that they only talk about where you are going because they don’t know what you are leaving behind.

Dead heats are quite a rarity in racing but memories of Nunthorpe day in 1997 were evoked as Confront and Dream Eater could not be split in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.

Violent storms carrying possible tornados tore across parts of Ontario, Canada, killing one person.

NUMBERS were down for big GAA championship games over the weekend, with just over 15,000 in Thurles for the Limerick-Waterford Munster SHC replay and Galway-Kilkenny failing to fill Tullamore’s O’Connor Park for an eagerly-anticipated clash.

A HIGH-PROFILE official at a top Australian Rules club has warned the recruitment drive for Gaelic footballers is set to intensify.