Action needs to be taken now to save seriously ill series
Always have been. Always will be. And this time around, I think I’ve outdone myself.
Not only will my latest brainwave consolidate peace and understanding between nationalism and unionism, but it will also give the International Rules Series the novel twist it so badly needs.
‘How can one man with one idea solve such contrasting problems?’ I hear you cry. ‘It must be brilliant. You must be a genius’, I hear someone shout (thank you, mother).
Well, to be honest, it is rather excellent. And here it is. In response to the AFL sending an aboriginal International Rules squad to Ireland, the GAA has been presented with a wonderful opportunity to respond in kind. I, for one, think we should take advantage.
So, for next year’s tour Down Under, we’ll send an Ulster-Scots select. We’ll start hand-picking them now. The finest men that Ballymena, Ballymoney and the Glens of Antrim can provide. By next year, they’ll be a crack squad.
In keeping with the GAA’s outreach work to unionism we will encourage our Ulster-Scots team to express their culture and
customs. If the Australians can do a war dance in Breffni Park, there is no reason why our Ulster-Scots squad can’t have a wee band parade through Collins Avenue on Saturday. In the time-honoured tradition of a good march, it might just bring the traffic in Melbourne city centre to a standstill. But sure isn’t that half the beauty of it? Granted, like most of my ideas, this one mightn’t garner much approval, but one thing is sure, someone has to come up with some type of plan to stop the hybrid-game from drifting into extinction.
By the way, I’d like to stress that I have no objection to the AFL sending an indigenous squad. I think it’s a fantastic idea. Colonised, disenfranchised and forcibly removed from their land, the Irish and the aboriginals have much in common. If there is one race of people in the planet that should
embrace the first touring aboriginal team since 1886, it’s us.
It is also worth pointing out that unlike the AFL squad selected for their home series in 2011, this year’s panel actually included a bona fide star.
Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin recently moved to the Sydney Swans for a deal that will earn him $10m (€7m).
It’s an open secret that Croke Park was extremely annoyed with the AFL two years ago. The absence of any headline player was a major reason why the two Tests drew such dismal attendances.
You can’t blame the Australian public for failing to get excited about a so-called national team made up of second-string players.
The GAA was quick to outline their grievances and the Australians insisted they remained committed to the series. That frank exchange took place in Melbourne.
In 2011 the hybrid experiment was in the A&E department. Two years on and it’s on life support.
Representatives from the governing bodies tried to revive the corpse this week. Hopefully, the GAA chiefs didn’t spend the entire meeting pointing their fingers at the Australians. The blame lies on both sides.
For starters, the GAA’s decision to broadcast the Tests on TG4 has been a disaster. The Irish language channel does a fantastic job screening club matches. I can’t speak Irish. But it’s Gaelic football, I don’t need someone to tell me what’s happening.
International Rules is different. Viewers aren’t familiar with the rules. While the GAA has a remit to promote the language, its primary concern should be to market the series. To do that properly it can’t afford to broadcast in a language that is understood by about 8% of the population.
Two years ago, our men in Croke Park reminded their AFL counterparts that a national team should feature their nation’s best players. Again, the GAA needs to get its own house in order. There are only nine All Star nominees in Paul Earley’s squad. If the popularity of the series continues to wane, more and more stars will make themselves unavailable.
Footballers like Sean Cavanagh might already be asking themselves if it’s worth the hassle. There was a time when county boards were prepared to accommodate them to represent their country. No more. Cavanagh (former captain), Michael Murphy (captain) and Ciarán McKeever (former vice-captain) received zero assistance from their boards. Those who remain stridently opposed to the International Rules are never going to change.
But for as long as the series is being played, the GAA and AFL should make a concerted effort to make the game as attractive as possible. On Saturday, Breffni Park looked fantastic. The place was packed. The night was crying out for a great contest. And for a few thrilling minutes, we got a tantalising glimpse of how good this game could be.
In the fourth quarter after Steven Motlop crashed a shot off the crossbar, the crowd sensed Ireland were in danger. The Aussies had hit 14 points without reply. Suddenly, there was tension. When Michael Murphy scored, 10,000 green flags were raised in unison into the air. It was a magical sight. If that atmosphere was stretched out over four quarters, then the International Rules could be a truly gripping spectacle.
Of course, if the concept dies, it will not be a tragedy. Nevertheless, it would still be a huge shame if we never got to witness one Test played to its full potential. But not only does that need to happen, its needs to happen soon.
Life support machines can’t be kept on forever.
