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The International Rules Series between the best players from Australia’s AFL and Ireland GAA competition was resuscitated last Saturday in Perth.
There are some issues with this contest that have been resolved, there doesn’t seem to be an undercurrent of tension that surrounded previous series.
It was also competitive. The Irish dominated last year and it always nice to have a contest when it comes to sport.
Australia, throughout the last decade, have continuously misinterpreted the premise and the meaning of the exhibition.
The apex of this misinterpretation was in 2005 when a bunch of the AFL’s B graders were instructed to be physical with the Irish.
It’s fair to say that Chris Johnson and Co. took the message to nth degree.
For Australia, it should be what it has been for the Irish, an opportunity to exhibit the best talent from the past season, a reward for their stardom.
The AFL – after years of bizarre experiments with Indigenous teams and C and D graders – finally picked best team available.
The reward for picking the best team since 1999 was resuscitation of a relevant contest and a resounding win.
The result was predictable however. Australia won by 10 points but Australia should always win this contest between professional athletes and amateurs
Over the past 20 years, the AFL has evolved significantly. The evidence of this lies with the athlete, the essential ingredient to any professional sport.
Twenty years ago, the athletic capabilities between the Australians and the Irish would have been comparable.
Subsequently the AFL, the professional sport has moved on though for good and for bad.
While the Irish earn their money at construction sites and office desks, the Australians run on treadmills in hyperbaric chambers at the Lexus Centre.
Aussie rules – and so they should. The Irish effort in Perth should be admired.
The GAA effort to evolve their sport however shouldn’t be.
The GAA operate in the same way the collegiate system works in the United States. American collages sign players with backdoor deals and sell merchandise without any revenue going back to the athletes. The GAA do the same.
Americans collages dress their exploitation in providing an education to athletes, the Irish dress their exploitation in the name of amateurism.
The GAA need to realise its 2014, its time pay your players, time to cut them a slice of the pie from advertising, media rights, gate receipts and merchandise sales.
They need to evolve now as the AFL did 20 years ago.
The professional era is well entrenched within commercial existence of sports.
They need full-time athletes to enhance their product and protect the future of the sport that provides their country with culture and as sense of identity as does the Australian version.
You couldn’t help noticed the difference in the physique between the Irish and the Australians.
The Australians were primed and toned, the Irish looked a little overweight in comparison.
If Irish finally join the real world, the gap between the calibre of the athletes that Australia and Ireland annually present would be much closer.
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened of the GAA joined the commercial revolution that sports was under in the late 80s and early 90s.
My hypothetical is that the Americans and Canadians would have loved it, both hurling and Gaelic football.
It wouldn’t have rivalled the NFL or the NBA but it would have been popular with collages just like volleyball and lacrosse currently is.
The fact GAA provide two sports that are minimal in physical contact would also appeals to females to watch and more importantly, to participate.
I don’t know what Australians would have made of it twenty years ago, but it seems too late now for any sport to penetrate the sporting narrative within these countries now.
Ireland missed the boat.
The final point that needs addressing is catering for your audience.
I’m not a huge rugby union fan being from Adelaide, but I do watch the Blesdisloe Cup every year.
I don’t watch the Wallabies-Springboks games however. Why? They’re normally played in Perth in the oval stadium of Subiaco, just like the International Rules game was on the weekend.
The thing about watching a sport played on a rectangle field in oval stadium is that the atmosphere doesn’t penetrate through the TV.
It looks tacky on TV, you see patches of grass surrounding the pitch, and then in the corner of the screen you see a handful of seats and supporters.
Even being at the stadium it’s terrible, I’ve been to the old Adelaide Rams games at Adelaide Oval and you can’t see the turf because the advertising hoardings that surround the pitch block your view.
The same happens at Etihad Stadium when A-League or rugby games are played there, it’s terrible for the people at the game and for the people watching on TV.
It would have been terrible for the people at Paterson’s Stadium last Saturday having the Irish and Australian bench and advertising hoardings blocking the view.
It’s time to adapt Davis Cup rules.
When Ireland are the home team, Ireland can play on a rectangle field at Croke Park. When Australia are the home team, use oval pitches to cater for the stadium.
Still play with the round ball, still use same scoring system, keep the goalkeeper, and keep the rules.
Just change the shape of the pitch for environment.
And one last point, you need to play a game in Sydney, there is huge Irish population in Sydney and it’s a great chance to promote the AFL in a growing and they have square stadia too.
Your thoughts?
@paudiang
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