Pete's high-profile omissions
The former Down manager unveiled a preliminary selection of 43 players in Croke Park yesterday with 10 from Kerry, seven from Tyrone and five from Armagh included.
Though the breakdown of those numbers alone will be the cause for some debate, it's the decisions to omit the Carlton trainee and Armagh captain which will raise most eyebrows.
McGrath revealed that his criteria for selecting players were performances in this year's championship as well as the displays of individuals in last year's successful series which saw Ireland win the inaugural Cormac McAnallen Trophy.
"I think Setanta last year maybe didn't perform as well as he would have liked to perform. It just didn't happen for him," said McGrath. "When you're picking a panel of 43 people, the level of competition is so high and there's so many talented players to choose from. You have to be quite sure of the merits of each player and unfortunately, on this occasion, Setanta hasn't made the panel."
Though Setanta has not made the cut, brother Sean Óg - who was hugely impressive for Ireland last year - has for the second year in a row, despite the fact he has not played senior inter-county football with Cork for a number of years.
On discussing McGeeney's omission, McGrath again took the line on how difficult it was to sieve through so many players over the course of a championship summer. However, this is the second year that the Na Fianna player has been ignored, despite the fact that he was hotly tipped to captain last year's selection.
"Kieran is a player and a person I would have the highest of regard for. He played very little football last year. That was the reason then. He's played well this year and I accept that. When you come down to what you're looking for in a player and, given the type of game we played last year, obviously you are working to certain specifications," McGrath explained.
Last year's custodian Stephen Cluxton is unavailable to tour as he will shortly undergo surgery on a long-standing ankle problem, though another Dubliner, Ciaran Whelan, is rewarded for his fine displays this year with a first call-up since 2001.
Colm Cooper is also included having been overlooked last year by McGrath who explained at the time that the Dr Crokes player was reaching burn-out after a particularly long season.
Cooper's fellow countyman Tadhg Kennelly's inside knowledge of the Australians will again be a vital component in Ireland's plans this year according to McGrath, whose side comprehensively defeated Garry Lyon's touring party in Croke Park last year.
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of that, Australia have departed from previous practice by appointing a current AFL coach to oversee their side this year. Essendon's Kevin Sheedy is one of the most successful current coaches in the AFL and his inexperience with the hybrid game will be offset by the retention of Jim Stynes and Gerald Healy as selectors.
McGrath certainly expects the task of retaining the Cormac McAnallen Trophy to be far more difficult than winning it in the first place proved to be.
"I try to put myself in their shoes. If Ireland had been destroyed out in Australia last year and they were coming here in October, I think we would make a massive effort to repair that damage. They have appointed Kevin Sheedy, a current AFL coach, to manage their team and that is a declaration of intent on their part, to get the best possible players available.
"We are expecting a highly charged atmosphere out there and the games will reflect that. Our guiding principle will be to try and impose as much Gaelic football on the games as we can, as we did last year."
It was also announced yesterday that Coca Cola would be extending their sponsorship of the Irish team for a further two years, incorporating this year's series and the 2006 event which will again be held in Ireland.
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