Aussies feel pain of defeat

AFL legend Robert Dipierdomenico yesterday admitted that the Australians were shattered by their International Rules loss to Ireland at Croke Park.

“The Big Dipper” who has had a role in every test since 1984 said that the champions could not explain away the gulf in class on Sunday.

“We are a very proud team, we are a very proud nation of course. And, one thing I’m sick and tired of answering, not by you but people in general, is ‘do the players take it seriously.’

“You have only to go into the dressing rooms after Ireland get beaten and into the rooms where Australia were beaten and you see the disappointment on people’s faces and the embarrassment. “That’s what it means.

“We are sending one boy home, Jarrard Crouch who broke his collar bone. He has been just fantastic. He has always been prepared to play for us.”

The fact of the AFL season finishing at the end of September and the first test a week later than last year resulted in a three-week lay-off for the players, he pointed out.

They’ve been together as a group for no more than seven days, but he insisted that this should not be put forward as an excuse for such a poor display.

“At the end of the day, we know how to play football. You know that you can ‘man up,’ you know you can run, you know you can read the play and tackle when you have to tackle. Obviously the ball was a big problem for us, but the preparation leading up to the game was fantastic.

“I felt very confident the boys had picked up the essence of the ball. We don’t need to kick it, but we need to move it with our hands. That’s our strength and that will be something we will be looking forward to in the second game!”

In the latter regard, he hopes that their players can learn from the lessons experienced on Sunday, agreeing that the majority of them didn’t really know what to expect.

“We’ve been very fortunate in the past with players who played the game before. In this squad, only three or four have experience. You can explain to the others that this a quick game, you can explain it’s a skilful game and you can explain the tactics. But, unless you have played the game you don’t know what we’re talking about.

“Now they have played the game, they know what to expect. And this is how they’re going to prepare and be ready for Sunday’s game!”

Before the party left their Dublin hotel yesterday morning en route to Galway, the players were taken out for a training session at 8 o’clock. And, while there will be opportunities for sight-seeing, a little golf and possibly outdoor activities like clay pigeon shooting and archery, Dipierdomenico insists that nobody will lose focus on the second test.

“We’d like to win on Sunday. I don’t know about winning the series, but you never know. It’s a big challenge and if we could win the game it would be a bonus for us.”