Would you be embarrassed losing to a bunch of amateurs?
If the tough talk of the travelling Irish media is anything to go by, Australia’s star-studded squad will face one hell of a fight in Saturday night’s International Rules clash in Perth.
Ireland enter the one-off Test with recent history on their side after thrashing Australia in the past two series.
Last year in Ireland, an all-Indigenous Australian outfit were mauled 173-43 across the two games, with the lop-sided result placing the future of the International Rules in jeopardy.
In a bid to add relevance to the concept, Australia have selected only past or present All-Australians this year.
Luke Hodge, Joel Selwood, Nic Naitanui, Patrick Dangerfield, Nick Riewoldt, Sam Mitchell and Travis Boak are just some of the talent on offer in an Australian side oozing with big names.
In contrast, Ireland’s squad of Gaelic players is made up of amateurs, with AFL star Pearce Hanley the exception.
Mercurial Geelong midfielder Steve Johnson, Port Adelaide gem Robbie Gray and Essendon’s Brendon Goddard were grilled by the visiting Irish media on Wednesday, with Goddard taking umbrage when asked if it would be embarrassing losing to amateurs who worked day jobs.
“Yeah, you can classify yourself as amateurs, but we see you guys as pros and experts in your field,” Goddard said.
“You’re elite at the game of Gaelic.
“They’re experts in their sport and you have the advantage of kicking a round ball, which is quite difficult to us.”
Gray, who took part in the losing 2011 series, was asked whether it was more embarrassing than disappointing to lose those games on home soil.
“Yeah it definitely was,” Gray said.
“We had the opportunity to represent our country, and it was a very disappointing result over the two matches.
“We’re looking to make amends this year and looking to get a good result on Saturday.”
Johnson was then grilled about the pressure to win given several rule changes have been made this year to give Australia more of a chance.
“I think the pressure for us is we want to come out here and rejuvenate this series,” Johnson said.
“Last year was really disappointing from Australia’s point of view. We see it as a great opportunity to represent our country and we want to come out and put on a good effort.”
Goddard said it was good that Dustin Fletcher and Jobe Watson had been cleared to play despite the infraction notices hanging above 34 past and present Essendon players.
“We’ve been joking around that Fletch is about to play his 100th International Rules game,” Goddard said.
“He’s a guy that started playing the game a long time ago and is still laying the foundations and having an impact on the International Rules game itself.”
RULE CHANGES FOR THIS YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL RULES SERIES
*Goalkeepers required to kick out over the 45m line after every over, behind and wide.
*The number of consecutive handballs teams are allowed will be increased from four to six.
*Interchange rotations will be increased from 10 to 15 a quarter
*A mark will no longer be paid from a backwards kick.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Brisbane star Josh Dunkley says players are exaggerating head contact in tackles to win free kicks, with the results often seeing the tacklers suspended.
Sean Lemmens was given a four-match ban for this crunching tackle - is it a fair whack?
Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy has been forced into a premature and immediate AFL retirement through concussion to prioritise a "full and healthy life"…
Footy Classified's Matthew Lloyd believes that in hindsight North Melbourne should've lost their final game last season if it meant getting Harley Reid, given…
Free speech is one of the big misunderstandings of today’s society - and unfortunately, sport, while largely based on games and fun, is not…
The aim of the system should be to strike a balance between ensuring accurate decision-making and preserving the natural rhythm of the game.
