Stynes taken to task for ‘trivialising’ Rules violence

WESTMEATH County Board secretary Paddy Collins has taken former Dublin minor and AFL star Jim Stynes to task for ‘trivialising’ the violence in the second test in Melbourne in the International Rules Series.

In his time one of the GAA’s most accomplished referees, with considerable experience of the series in Ireland and Australia, Collins says most people were repulsed by the ‘utter disregard’ shown by the hosts for even the most basic requirement of good behaviour.

“For those of use who had first hand experience of trying to cope with the attitude of Australians - who engage in a sporting activity, but who by no stretch of the imagination, could be considered sporting people - the recent debacle was no surprise. What was surprising was the infantile attempt by a former Aussie Rules superstar, but a much less talented Gaelic footballer, to trivialise some of the major violent incidents in the game,” he writes in his report to convention.