Melbourne hot but not het up

The news that there would be no International Rules series in 2007 failed to cause much of a ripple in Melbourne, the city that is the home of Australian football. On a weekend in which a large section of Victoria, the state of which Melbourne is the capital, was ablaze, there were other things to occupy local minds.

Early in the weekend, the sky over Melbourne was a weird orange haze, tinged with a certain darkness, as smoke drifted in from the hills towards the city. One wag said it was living on the set of Blade Runner. Many worried it was a portent of an age when global warming had delivered the damage it promised.

Later in the weekend, northerly winds blew away the smoke and raised the temperature to an uncomfortable 42 degrees. The news that the International Rules series had been postponed might have caused a slight interruption, as sweating citizens checked their journey to the fridge, or momentarily stopped fanning themselves with a magazine lift-out, but it's unlikely.

The most surprising aspect of the news was the International Rules games were not cancelled altogether. Many Australian football fans were just as shocked as the Irish when Brisbane defender Chris Johnson blew a gasket and began laying fists during the 2005 series.

The main point of shock was Johnson had never done that during Australian Football League games, so it seemed out of character that he was getting all punchy when confronted by the Irish.

After Johnson's stupid behaviour, the death knell seemed to sound when the second match of this year's series turned into a good old dust-up. Australians had mixed feelings about the reasons for the dust-up. It seemed the Irish players were upset over what was legitimate tackling from the Australian players.

The accusations of thuggery got up a few Australian hackles, not only because it seemed the Irish had never bothered to learn the tackling rules, but because the tactics of one Irish player of sliding his knees into an Australian back was considered, as they say, beyond the pale.

Most reasonable Australians (no oxymoron intended) would have guessed the Irish player had acted out of character in an unfamiliar situation, much, perhaps, like Johnson. But even so, it just reiterated the fact there's a bit of space - not quite the width of the Simpson Desert, but enough to bring a shimmering to the horizon - between the rules and cultures of the Australian and Gaelic football codes.

The AFL yesterday released a statement that said nothing much other than there would be a review from the Australian perspective and league administrators hoped to meet their Irish counterparts in the New Year. The AFL review, which is expected to be conducted later this week, is to be on the rules and structure of the series.

Given that Australian players and administrators realise that tackling is the bone of contention, it seems almost likely the Australians will offer to forgo their right to tackle, which would be a news story of some magnitude over here.

Australian football fans and players are fond of tackling. It helps to separate the game from every other game except rugby union, which no one understands, rugby league, which no one likes, and American football, which is irrelevant, because the big jessies wear padding.

A quick scan of Australian football web sites such as bigfooty.com reveals some hostility towards the Irish antipathy towards Australian tackling. It's claimed that, if the tackling rules are dropped, the International Rules series would basically become a form of Gaelic football. If tackling is dropped - gasp - the sooks will have won. Such websites tend to attract the most frenzied fans, the type who spend this time of year hoping for summer to end so the footy can start.

Less frenzied types might welcome an Australian decision to forgo tackling. The rules as they stand now help to promote the perception that Australians are boorish and lacking subtlety. Such a perception is unfortunately too true, but many of us would like the chance for our football ambassadors to show otherwise.

If the Australian and Irish authorities are fair dinkum, they should bring back the International Rules game with significant changes. That would set tongues talking. In the meantime, pass the magazine lift-out.