Ireland are ready to get physical
However, there is another teaser to add to the mix. Ireland’s failure to nail enough three-pointers in Australia last autumn helped the host retain the series, a fact that has not escaped the attention of Irish manager Pete McGrath.
“Our strategy should be to create more with the ball, because as everyone knows, the Australians have an advantage with the tackle. And one of the areas we should be stronger in is kicking the ball between the sticks from a long way out. And we should use that to our advantage.”
Some concern was raised during the week about the state of AFL player Tadhg Kennelly’s back, but McGrath ensured everyone that the Kerry-born star, so integral to the Irish game-plan in the past couple of years, is fine.
“There is nothing wrong with Tadhg. He was a bit mystified as to where this story came from about his back, he was amazed at the amount of press speculation.”
While the Irish have a fully-fit squad, Aussie manager Gary Lyon believes Matthew Lappin, one of the stars for the visitors in the past couple of years, won’t make Sunday’s opening encounter. “In an ideal world, you would have the entire panel fit, but that doesn’t happen in sport,” said Lyon.
“That is why we travelled with a squad of 26, there are going to be people not ready to play and we have others to step into the breach. It doesn’t help that we only get one chance to play a practice game.”
That practice game, against the Dubs on Wednesday, has already caused the first bit of needle in this series with the Aussies causing confusion with their jersey numbers. Of course, at yesterday’s press conference which was all sweetness and light, it was struck down as a honest mistake, though it didn’t assist McGrath in pinpointing the Aussie danger-men.
Needle on the pitch, however, is what most supporters will be coming to Croker to see.
“There is a definite physical dimension to the game,” McGrath agreed. “Our players are well-equipped, both physically and mentally, to deal with that. We want to play creative football but we certainly won’t be holding back when it comes to physicality. We have done some work on the tackle, which is alien to Gaelic footballers.”
One Australian journalist continued to press on the physicality issue, causing Padraic Joyce to ask bemusedly: “Is it going to be that bad?”
Joyce continued: “It is the nature of the game that there is going to be physical confrontations. We will just have to be more mentally alert when it comes to the tackling.”
The Galway star also agreed that the Aussies have adapted a lot better to the hybrid game in the past few years. “They have improved a lot in kicking the round ball. I think everyone can see that. Their skill level has improved, particularly since Gary took over. He has brought with him faster and more mobile players who are more skilful with the round ball.”
Joyce’s counterpart James Hird replied: “We need to get the skill level just right when kicking it. If we don’t kick it properly, we will become undone. The boys have been very good in learning to kick, but we are nowhere near the levels we need to be at. Of course, a lot of our guys have played soccer so round balls aren’t totally alien to us.
“It’s a great opportunity to play against another country,” the AFL legend said. “Everyone in Australia who plays Aussie Rules thinks this is a great series because it is a chance to represent Australia.”
As for the game itself, it might be stretching things to call this a must-win game for Ireland, but after defeat in the last two series, the Irish team need to win one back to ensure the competition doesn’t become the mainstay of the Aussies.
Last year, Down Under, it was the kicking that let Ireland down and McGrath seems to have planned accordingly, with Joyce as skipper and Declan Browne among the ranks. Here’s hoping for a close game to keep the series on the knife-edge for Sunday week.
And maybe a fight or two just to keep the punters pleased.
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