International Rules all about the money

Two days before last year’s International Rules test in Perth, Brendon Goddard was one of three Australia players made available for interview.

A two-time All-Australian (the AFL’s version of the All Stars), the Essendon defender is one of Australian Rules’ finest. Earning over $700,000 a year (€465,000), he’s one of the best paid too.

It wasn’t with that knowledge in hand that a fellow Irish journalist asked him if the Australians’ pride would be dented were they to lose to an amateur team. We can safely say there was no agenda to his question but Goddard wasn’t taking any chances. “It’s not about being amateurs,” he replied.