There is a marked change in the rules governing the International games between Ireland and the Australian Rules teams for the series which get under way later this month. Two years ago when the games were played at Croke Park, the Australians introduced physical tactics which outstepped the canons of sporting behaviour and very nearly led to the abandonment of the series. The series were revived after a meeting between the GAA and the AFL earlier this year when new guidelines were brought in to eliminate the unsavoury scenes which marked the games at Croke Park two years ago. This year the GAA are sending a team to contest the new series in Melbourne in the hope that sportsmanship will prevail in order that the Australians will be welcomed back in 2009 to Croke Park.

A very important aspect of the game’s continuance is the decision to stage the Coca – Cola International Rules series on a biennial basis instead of the current annual arrangement. When the two bodies meet during the current tour to Australia the subject of future series will be on the agenda. The current Irish manager for the tour is Meath’s Sean Boylan who was scathing in his remarks about the tactics used by the Aussies two years ago in Croke Park which nearly ended the series between the two countries. Sean remarked “ We were ‘hockeyed’ in Croke Park the last day, but we weren’t ‘hockeyed’ when we played them in Galway that year. If you remember, the last time we didn’t have the interchange players (the second day). I hope we have learned a lot from what happened before, and I suppose you won’t know until you go out there and try your best. The Irish management team have not yet decided if they will have a preparation game ahead of the first Test in Perth. The Irish captain Sean Cavanagh believes the greater emphasis on tackling in preparations this year puts Ireland on a much firmer footing against the Aussies. Cavanagh predicted a far greater improvement now that the Australians have committed to a new set of rules and protocols.

The only problem facing Sean Boylan as team manager , is the fact that his panel contains a number of very inexperienced players. It includes about seven or eight players who have tasted the fire and brimstones of International Rules football but quite a number of experienced players are not available because they are contesting local championship matches at present here at home. He said, before the team departed ‘down under.’ “It is quite an inexperienced team. We have to go on the consistency that was shown, the way people adapted to it and the commitment they showed to it. This is not a junket—we are going out to Australia to represent Ireland in a very serious competition.” The popular Meath team official hopes that Ireland can be more competitive then they were in 2006.

On the subject of team managers, which I mentioned in this column last month, the Dublin county Board , after a long search, have appointed Jack Gilroy to the hot seat left vacant by John “Pillar” Caffrey who stepped down after this year’s inter county championship. Gilroy won an All-Ireland club championship medal this year and also figured with his club St. Vincents, who regained the Dublin senior football championship title after a lapse of 25 years.

He will have as his team coach, Mickey Whelan, from his own club, who was behind their two major victories this year. The latest team manager to lose his job is former Clare boss Ger Loughane. He was appointed by Galway as their team manager for a three year term when he was appointed two years ago. He proclaimed at the time he would be gone if he didn’t deliver Galway’s first All-Ireland hurling title since 1988. However a very intensive behind the scenes campaign was mounted in the county for his head and it ended a few weeks ago when the county hurling Board voted 28 to 26 to dispense with his services, much to the surprise of many in the County. Candidly, he was a very good team mentor and deserved to be allowed complete his three year term of office . Kerry football manager Pat O Shea, following Kerry’s defeat by Tyrone in this year’s All-Ireland football final has stepped down from the position, and a new manager is being sought.