Irish players urged to drop defensive mentality ahead of Croke Park clash with Australia
Ahead of tomorrow’s one-off test against Australia in Croke Park, Joyce says the standard of kick-passing has not been up to scratch either.
“Our big thing is to try and get the guys to mentally change from the GAA to this game because even there in trial games we are watching lads drifting back and sitting in front of the D, which is not what you do in this game,” said Galway’s two-time All-Ireland winner.
“You really have to go man-to-man in this game because it’s all action. You can’t afford to let an Australian go up the field because he’ll do a couple of hand-passes and pop it over the bar.
“Trying to get guys to change their mentality has been a big challenge and obviously the kick-passing has improved as the weeks have gone on but it’s not at the level it should be at in our game.”
A captain in 2004 and ’05 as well as a selector with Seán Boylan in ’06, Joyce has retained an interest in the hybrid sport.
“I think the Australians have probably changed it more than we have changed it. They used to bring the big 6’5”, 6’6” fellas in the full-forward line and lump it into them, whereas the last couple of years Australia, watching last year’s video, were better kick-passers of the ball than we were with the round ball. They were more comfortable with the ball than we were last year, which was strange to see.
“We’ve worked a lot on that this year, moving the ball. Obviously, their coach (Alastair Clarkson) has won the last three AFLs playing a fast, fluid running game but the speed of it is obviously huge. The physical side has waned a little bit from what we were used to. There’s a lot more sanctions for the Australians that they carry into their own game so they can’t be too robust.”
Joyce knows several of the names in the Australian touring party. In 2004, he broke his jaw in a clash with Nick Riewoldt, who is one of the senior members travelling to Dublin from New York where they were visiting. Joyce says the Big Apple trip sweetened the deal for the AFL stars.
“It’s probably a great carrot to get the Australians to tell them that they’re stopping off there and to bring their girlfriends, wives, or partners and do a bit of Christmas shopping on the way over or do what they want to do. But it’s a huge carrot and a nice idea for us next year if we’re there for a week on the way down.
“But, look, it’s something Australia probably did to reward their players for committing to go out and play it. A lot of guys would have been thinking, ‘Oh, we’re going to Dublin or Galway again’. There’s nothing wrong with those cities but when you throw in the carrot of New York for three or four days you’d definitely put your hand up for it.”
