Australian rugby’s biggest battles aren’t on the pitch
It will be Saturday night, here in Melbourne (11:05am Irish time), when Ireland kick off their bid to stay alive in their series with the Wallabies, at AAMI Park. At the same time, 600 metres away, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Aussie Rules club, Hawthorn, will be approaching the end of the first quarter in their Australian Football League (AFL) clash with Adelaide Crows.
By that time, over at the Etihad Stadium, Carlton, another of the Melbourne area’s 10 clubs in the 18-team AFL, will have played Fremantle Dockers. Add to that a full slate of National Rugby League (NRL) games in the 13-man code and did we mention there is a World Cup on?
