Rules challenge is taking shape

INTERNATIONAL RULES:IRELAND'S International Rules challenge has begun to take shape with a number of players invited to take part in two recent training weekends.

Although manager Seán Boylan won't be finalising his travelling panel for next month's resumed series in Australia, the former Meath All-Ireland-winning manager and his selectors have got down to the business of preparing for what will be a make-or-break two tests for the future of the international game.

The past two series have been won devastatingly by Australia and any repeat of those margins - never mind the indiscipline and violence that erupted in the second Tests both in 2005 and '06 - will almost certainly spell the end of the co-operative venture between the GAA and AFL, which has been running on and off for 24 years and 12 series.

Most of the work done in the sessions in Dunboyne concerned familiarisation for players as well as some work on the rule changes intended to address some of what the GAA believed were inequalities in the rules of the game.

There are few surprises amongst the names involved at this preliminary stage. With the All-Ireland final between Tyrone and Kerry taking place in nine days no approaches have been so far made to players in those counties, although there will obviously be a number invited to take part as soon as the championship concludes.

Co-incidentally the same final took place when Ireland last played a series in Australia three years ago, although it's unlikely Boylan will follow the precedent of his predecessor Peter McGrath, who selected seven players from the 2005 All-Ireland winners, Tyrone.

Ireland will be glad, however, to see the return of former captain Graham Canty of Cork, who had to miss the previous series because of injury. A couple of other players who had expressed reservations about the series in the aftermath of the farcical events in 2006, Dublin's Bryan Cullen and Down's Benny Coulter, have also been involved at this preliminary stage.

There's still plenty of time before Boylan has to finalise his travelling squad, which is restricted to 27 players. One of the major issues facing the Ireland manager will be how many Irish AFL players he decides to add to his panel.

One Croke Park official when asked was there any official view on the selection of AFL footballers at the expense of GAA players, responded tersely: "The big question here for us is 'do we have a competitive team?'" If the decision is taken to ask Irish players in Australia - which has happened in the past but the Irish presence in the rules game has never been as sizeable - as many as five could be invited to join up.

Tadhg Kennelly, the longest established of the expatriates, was originally named as captain of the team for the 2007 series in Australia, which never took place because the series was suspended. It isn't yet known whether Kennelly will be confirmed as captain for next month's tests.

Other who have lined out for Ireland and currently play in the AFL are: former Cork Young Hurler of the Year Setanta Ó hAilpín, who struggled on his call-up in 2004 but has since played regularly for Carlton, Laois's Colm Begley (Brisbane Lions), Down's Martin Clarke, who had a sensational rookie season last year for Collingwood, Mayo's Pierce Hanley, who has experienced AFL with Brisbane in his first season. Michael Shields, who returned to Cork this summer after a number of months with Carlton, is one of the players who have been taking part in the training weekends.

The rule changes to be introduced next month are effectively four-fold: a prohibition on four consecutive hand passes, restricting the kick-outs to goalkeepers, limiting the number of inter-changes in any quarter to 10 and enforcing the need for a striking action with the hand pass.

This year's tests take place in Perth on October 24th and Melbourne on October 31st .

Among those taking part were:Kevin McCloy (Derry), Benny Coulter and Dan Gordon (Down), Steven McDonnell, Ciarán McKeever and Aaron Kernan (Armagh), Tommy Freeman, Paul Finlay and Damien Freeman (Monaghan), Seán Johnston (Cavan), Michael Murphy (Donegal), Bernard Brogan, Bryan Cullen and Barry Cahill (Dublin), Kevin Reilly (Meath), Dermot Earley (Kildare), Redmond Barry and Ciarán Lyng (Wexford), Graham Canty, Michael Shields and John Miskella (Cork), Paul Doherty and Michael Meehan (Galway).