GAA want next series to be held in Australia

The GAA are unenthusiastic about suggestions that next year's International Rules series be held again in Dublin rather than alternating back to Australia. Seán Moran reports

Suggestions that the Tests would return to Ireland, where they have been immensely successful this year, arose over the weekend and were mentioned on air by Australian television broadcaster Eddie Maguire who co-commentated with RTÉ's Ger Canning.

At the heart of this proposal are fears that next year's series will clash with rugby union's World Cup, which is also being staged in Australia. Because the Special Olympics are being held in Ireland with Croke Park as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, the GAA's season has to be put back a week and the knock-on effect will be a later international tour.

The World Cup begins on October 10th and would be well under way by the time the international series is due to begin a week or so later. The AFL is concerned that the delayed series would create problems for both player and venue availability and suggested over the weekend that one solution would be to stage next year's Tests in Ireland.

Dermot Power, the GAA's marketing manager who spearheaded the promotional drive that brought crowds of 115,000 to Croke Park for the two Tests, says the GAA is reluctant to accommodate such a move.

"We would see the series as being very much based on a two-year cycle. Our management teams are appointed for those periods and for players you'd have to say the possibility of travel is part of the attraction involved.

"For young players it's been a great opportunity to play for their country at Croke Park; it would be another great opportunity to represent their country abroad. Experience has shown that the experience of being part of a travelling team is a closer, more tight-knit and often better experience so we would be keen to take our opportunity to go there next year."

Were it necessary the GAA could end up organising an All-Ireland replay for Sunday October 12th. Even if the team travelled a day later players would still be cutting it fine for a Test on October 17th.

One option believed to be under scrutiny would be to combine the likely Australia-Ireland World Cup match at Colonial Stadium Melbourne on November 1st with an International Rules Test on the previous evening, October 31st, in the MCG - thus taking advantage of the Irish support already in town. This would entail a first Test a week earlier, moving the series back a fortnight later than usual.

Whatever the conclusion, plans will have to be made within the next month or six weeks because the World Cup will impact on flight availability from London and hotel accommodation in Australia.

One unusual aspect of the marketing success of the two Tests in Ireland is that the GAA required an entirely different ticket distribution system to the one normally employed for big matches.

With county officials already absorbed in completing their championships, the GAA feel that it would be unfair to burden them and the clubs with selling the International Rules tickets at the same time as they are chasing settlement of ticket sales for last month's All-Irelands.

"It's an entirely different ticketing system," according to Dermot Power. "Internet sales make up a far larger percentage of total than would otherwise be the case. There's a market for International Rules that wouldn't regularly attend Gaelic games matches."

The finances of the series involve both the GAA and AFL paying their own travelling costs. The revenue generated from the series is first used to cover the costs of the Tests and their promotion and advertising. The remaining profit is then split between the two sports organisations.

Although the Irish series this year attracted record attendances, in the four previous years since the internationals were revived in 1998, Australian crowds have been bigger than in Ireland. But the trend of the attendances has been consistently up here whereas they dropped in Australian between 1999 and 2001.

Meanwhile the Players of the Series awards were made on Sunday night after the second Test. The Irish winner was Cork's Graham Canty who played consistently well over the two Tests despite having to play two quite different roles.

Ten days ago he played at full back, filling in for the injured Darren Fay, for the whole 80 minutes without relief from the inter-change bench. Last Sunday he was moved to midfield where his more adventurous instincts had fuller rein.

The Australian nominee for the Jim Stynes medal was Richmond defender Andrew Kellaway who had an excellent two Tests in goal. The position doesn't exist in Australian Rules but Kellaway made a number of excellent saves.