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Australia Coach Mick Malthouse says Ireland’s band of amateurs are just as professional and better prepared than his professional AFL stars for the international rules series.
Malthouse bristled at suggestions Australia’s highly-paid athletes should be able to dominate their amateur counterparts.
He also believes Ireland’s longer preparation for the series, which kicks off on Friday night at Subiaco Oval, would give the visitors a distinct edge.
“The word amateur to me is very much a throwaway line because I don’t see Sean (Ireland captain Sean Cavanagh) any less professional in his assault to be the best player . . . than Brent (Harvey), and I know how hard this guy works,” Malthouse said.
“Talking to Marty Clarke, I don’t think the Irish players are any less professional.
“They don’t get paid but they’ve got that wonderful passion to be better.
“If Sean stood up and ripped his top off he would be just as cut as our best player.
“They’ve had four or five weekends at getting their plays together — that’s professionalism.
“It’s got nothing to do about whether you get paid in my book.
“They have brought their players together to be highly competitive and better prepared.
“Let’s face it, they’ve got four or five weeks (preparation) on us, because I haven’t been able to do it with our blokes.
“So who’s the professional? Ireland? Australia?
“Quite frankly they’ve put more time into it so far.
“So it certainly doesn’t cut any ice with me.
“I go out on that football field tomorrow night knowing that they are going to be as equally prepared, if not better than us, because of that little bit of a window they’ve had.”
Ireland coach Sean Boylan said his team’s ‘amateur’ status was little more than a title.
“If Ireland wins the series we are not going to go around tapping ourselves on the back saying ‘we beat a professional outfit’, it’s not like that at all,” Boylan said.
“And likewise if they beat us we are not going to say ‘well they are professional, we’re not’.
“In other words there will be no excuses.”
Australia have named an expanded 10-man bench for Perth.
With only nine players allowed on the interchange, Malthouse said he would wait until tomorrow before making the final cut.
Those in the mix for the selection chop are Matthew Boyd, Leigh Montagna, Jared Brennan, Kade Simpson, Dale Thomas, Max Rooke, Nathan Foley, Roger Hayden, Daniel Wells and Marc Murphy.
Adelaide’s Nathan Bock has been given the nod in goal ahead of North Melbourne’s Michael Firrito, who has been named in the backline.
Goal keeper
Nathan Bock (Adelaide)
Backs
Michael Firrito (North Melbourne), Brad Sewell (Hawthorn), Campbell Brown (Hawthorn)
Half Backs
Ryan Crowley (Fremantle), Drew Petrie (North Melbourne), Adam Selwood (West Coast)
Midfield
Brent Harvey (North Melbourne), Scott Thompson (Adelaide)
Half forwards
Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), Daniel Motlop (Port Adelaide), David Rodan (Port Adelaide)
Forwards
Michael Osborne (Hawthorn), Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide), Matt Campbell (North Melbourne)Interchange (nine of 10 to play)
Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs), Jared Brennan (Brisbane Lions), Roger Hayden (Fremantle), Leigh Montagna (St Kilda), Marc Murphy (Carlton), Max Rooke (Geelong Cats), Kade Simpson (Carlton), Dale Thomas (Collingwood), Daniel Wells (North Melbourne).
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