Australia coach: No more Mr Nice Guy

Australia coach Rodney Eade wants his side to "make a stand" in next week's second Test as they bid to recover from a record defeat to Ireland.

Today's International Rules opener ended in a landslide 80-36 victory for Anthony Tohill's tourists, with Michael Murphy, Eamonn Callaghan, Leighton Glynn and Steven McDonnell hammering home the goals.

Ireland noticeably won most of the collisions, performing a number of textbook tackles as they outmuscled the professional Australian outfit.

Both Eade and Tohill spoke at the pre-match press conference about the importance of playing a "hard but fair" game and banishing memories of the violent scenes that marred the 2005 and 2006 Tests.

It now seems certain that the Australians will show a harder edge and go for a more aggressive and direct approach in both defence and attack next Friday.

Predicting a much more intense affair in the Series finale at Gold Coast's Metricon Stadium, Eade said: "I think we probably worried too much about being nice and making sure the spirit of the game was upheld.

"The Irish were probably more physical than I expected. They probably beat us in that area as well.

"I don't think we'll expect fireworks (in the second Test), but we'll certainly be playing our way next week - there's no doubt about that.

"It's probably going to be difficult to win (the Series), but we've really got to focus on making a stand and winning the game next week.

"What that victory will look like, I don't think we can worry about that. We've just got to stand up and win the game."

Eade picked a young, hard-running side but they could not keep up with the pace of Ireland's attacks and clever use of the ball by hand and foot.

The Australians' inexperience was also a factor. Makeshift goalkeeper Matthew Suckling had a night to forget and the four home players with previous experience at this level - captain Brad Green, James Frawley, David Wojcinski and Stephen Milne - made little impact.

Acknowledging the Irish players' superior footballing skills, he added: "The disparity with the use of the ball was just extreme. We struggled to control the ball, and the Irish were just fantastic the way they used the ball.

"Their kicking skills were sensational, from short range and even from long range. They were kicking 50-metre passes, which is extraordinary."

The array of skills shown by the Irish, both on the ground and in the air, must have been a bit of an eye-opener for the former Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs supremo.

It was just last week that he brazenly suggested that Gaelic football is stuck in the past and has struggled to evolve as a sport.

"They have had their thoughts for 100 years and they’ve stayed the same, whereas our game’s evolved and our thinking has evolved," he told the AFL website.

"I think we've got a bit more willingness to try different things. They're very much about sticking to the tried and true, the way it's been played for a long time. We'll probably try and push the boundaries at times."

Some may feel he has a point, but there is no denying who were the better prepared, more skilful and tactically astute footballers on show in Melbourne today.