Versatility the mark of Sheedy selection

International Rules squad: Australian manager Kevin Sheedy has, as expected, cast tradition aside in selecting a 26-man squad for the upcoming International Rules Test series. Sheedy named only four All-Australian representatives and just seven players with previous experience of the hybrid game.

Last year's captain James Hird and Barry Hall, of Grand Final winners the Sydney Swans, were both omitted from the squad. Sheedy opted for players with more natural versatility to allow them combat the free-running game that saw Pete McGrath's Irish side easily win last year's series in Croke Park.

Trent Croad, Matthew Lappin, Nathan Eagleton, Brent Harvey, Chris Johnson, Andrew McLeod and Daniel Wells are the only players with previous experience.

Harvey has been capped five times for his country and is favourite for the captaincy. The squad go into camp this Saturday in Busselton.

The new-look side comes as little surprise to Irish selector John Tobin. "We knew he was going to pick a team to play a specific type of game. We hear they have done a lot of work in preparation for the series; they have studied plenty of matches including the All-Ireland final."

Sheedy is believed to have watched the Tyrone-Kerry match alongside Dublin brothers Jim and Brian Stynes who are now both part of the Australian backroom team.

"Sheedy is famous for his unorthodox coaching," continued Tobin. "He is not afraid to change his tactics, depending on the opposition, by picking a full forward at full back or whatever. It may not be conventional but it will be very interesting."

This selection is a departure from previous Australian teams who have dragged Ireland into a war of attrition and then backed their superior fitness to pull away in the final quarter.

Last year's whitewash has forced a rethink as the Aussies attempt to tie up the series at four-all since its second coming in 1998.

"This (Australian team) is not so much a smash-and-crash team," said Sheedy yesterday. "We have definitely gone for a speed team more so than the older, regulated, experienced AFL player.

"It was a tough task to build the team around the All-Australian team so we have had to ask (the AFL) to move that aside so we could have a crack at getting the right players into this team."

"Kevin has been given a mandate that is specifically designed to win this series," said AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou.

"We didn't like losing last year and Kevin and his support group (of assistant coach Danny Frawley, chairman of selectors Gerard Healy, goalkeeping coach Stephen Silvagni and specialist coaches Jim and Brian Stynes) will no doubt put together a team which will be attuned to win this game."

Sheedy also hinted that either Darren Milburn or Dustin Fletcher would be used in the alien goalkeeping position.

Ireland depart for Australia on Saturday but Colm Cooper and Eoin Brosnan will follow the squad out on Sunday as they play in the Kerry club championship semi-final for their club Dr Crokes against Laune Rangers in Killarney at 2.30pm.

The Tyrone contingent have no such problem as results over the weekend ensured all seven players selected from the All-Ireland champions are no longer involved in their local championship.

Ryan McMenamin's club Dromore did progress to the semi-finals but he is suspended after receiving a straight red card in the victory over Edendork last weekend.

Heath Black (Fremantle), Amon Buchanan (Sydney), Trent Croad (Hawthorn), Aaron Davey (Melbourne), Nick Davis (Sydney), Brett Deledio (Richmond), Nathan Eagleton (Western Bulldogs), Dustin Fletcher (Essendon), Daniel Giansiracusa (Western Bulldogs), Lindsay Gilbee (Western Bulldogs), Shannon Grant (Kangaroos), Brent Harvey (Kangaroos), Luke Hodge (Hawthorn), Chris Johnson (Brisbane Lions), Matthew Lappin (Carlton), Andrew Lovett (Essendon), Andrew McLeod (Adelaide), Troy Makepeace (Kangaroos), Darren Milburn (Geelong), Brent Moloney (Melbourne), Dale Morris (Western Bulldogs), Chris Newman (Richmond), Ryan O'Keefe (Sydney), Russell Robertson (Melbourne), Jarrad Waite (Carlton), Daniel Wells (Kangaroos).