GAELIC GAMES: IRELAND MANAGER Seán Boylan has declined to respond to critical comments by former Australian coach Kevin Sheedy, writing in a newspaper column at the weekend, which compared his 2006 counterpart to a leprechaun.
Asked had he a response, the Ireland manager replied: "No, I don't," before adding: "I didn't see it. I have to tell you about half an hour before I came out I got a phone call about it. As far as I was concerned what happened, happened the last time, we said what we said and I didn't apportion blame anywhere. I just said it shouldn't have happened. I stick with that.
"He was a renowned coach himself in the AFL and he's entitled to his opinion. If that's how he feels about me I can't do anything about that. I did give respect to them for the fantastic skills they had. Their movement, their speed and their shooting was awesome. Give credit where credit is due."
Writing in the Herald Sun at the weekend, Sheedy defended the behaviour of his players during the violent second Test in Croke Park and then commented on Boylan's reaction to the same match.
"Irish coach Seán Boylan didn't see it that way and he ranted and raved for an hour after the match in Dublin. I almost fell asleep waiting for my turn and it was the first time I thought I had met a leprechaun," he wrote.
"It could have easily been Ray 'Slug' Jordon (former Melbourne underage coach) giving me an earful. But at least there was passion and I'm thrilled the matches are back."
Boylan was speaking after last night's training session at the venue for Friday's first Test, Subiaco Oval in Perth. It was the first time the panel had been able to train together here, as six players arrived only yesterday afternoon after club engagements at the weekend. Questioned about whether he was concerned at the amount of time before the second Test, he admitted he was.
"Yes but there's nothing you can do. Our lads are all amateurs and that's it. When people like Kevin have a go at the lads I think back to Galway when things were going against them and it looked as though Australia were home and dried the lads came back with good football and good kicking. There's lots of times when we won't get it right unfortunately but it won't be for the want of trying."
Among those travelling yesterday was Ireland captain Seán Cavanagh, who together with the others took part in last night's session and scored a goal in the training match.
"It was a tough trip for me personally because I lost a game on the Sunday," said Cavanagh at the end of the training session, "and had to leave all of the lads. We lost the game in bad circumstances, kicked 17 wides and kicked ourselves out of the game. It was probably a welcome distraction too in that it was a new challenge and a new country and it was nice to see a bit of sun too.
"We'd only arrived in at five this evening and Seán said to me and the five lads to take it easy but when you see all the lads again you just want to get back into it. We've already missed a day-and-a-half's training so it was good to get some of it back."
Tonight the Ireland players and their AFL counterparts will be guests at a dinner in Perth.