Joe Kernan confident Ireland won’t be intimidated by Aussie muscle

Joe Kernan has dismissed Chan Wingard’s comments about Ireland, insisting his team won’t be intimidated by Australia.

Port Adelaide player Wingard last week stressed the superiority he feels the home side enjoy against Kernan’s group – “We’re professional athletes, they’re amateurs,” he said. “This is our job full-time, so we’ve been hitting the gym. We’re obviously a lot fitter than they are, so we’ve got to use that advantage. If it’s physicality, we’ve got a few big boys to try and push them around and try and win. Whatever advantage we get, and what we think we have, we’re going to use.”

However, Kernan responded: “That’s someone just talking. I think they know themselves that the squad we’ve brought is big, strong, and mobile. We kick the ball well. They’ve picked a mobile squad as well. They seem to be learning from us in that aspect of the game.