Styne give Aussies inside track

THE work undertaken behind the scenes by Jim Stynes in helping Australia prepare for the Foster’s International Rules series was acknowledged yesterday by manager Gary Lyon.

Speaking at a media briefing in advance of this evening's first test here, he said that Stynes the former Dublin minor who established a reputation as one of the giants of Australian Rules football exerted a major influence.

"Jimmy understands the game and the mindset patterns of the Irish boys better than I do and he knows their players intimately. He's part of a really good (management) team. We've all got a pretty good handle on it but Jimmy is pivotal," he commented.