Discipline was top of the agenda when the GAA and Australian Football League (AFL) met in Melbourne to agree rule changes to the International Rules Series. The meeting was set-up in order to avoid a repeat of the incidents which marred the two test matches last year.
GAA officials had already said they were prepared to walk away from the two-test Series if the issue of rules and discipline were not addressed.
Before leaving Ireland, GAA president-elect Nicky Brennan made his stance very clear on the issue:
"I wasn't in Australia last October, but I saw enough on the television, and it bordered on thuggery, and simply couldn't continue in this vein. There will have to be a change in mindset on the Australian side...there's a lot of anger in Ireland about this."
Therefore in a bid to save future Series’ between the two countries GAA president Seán Kelly cut short his stay with the All-Star hurling tour in Singapore and travelled to Melbourne for the crunch two-day meeting with Australian football officials. Kelly and Brennan were accompanied by GAA director general Liam Mulvihill, and commercial director Dermot Power.
The two bodies agreed that unsporting behaviour on the field overshadowed the 2005 series and was totally unacceptable and not in accordance with the rules or the spirit of the matches.
Kelly and AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou highlighted key rules changes for any future tests.
From now on a player guilty of a red card offence will be sent off with no replacement permitted, and a penalty kick will be awarded to the opposition regardless of where the offence takes place on the pitch.
In the case of a yellow card offence, the player will be sent off for 15 minutes, with a replacement allowed, and no penalty kick. However, if a player receives two yellow cards, they will be sent off for the rest of the game with no replacement.
In both cases a tribunal hearing will then determine any further penalty with a minimum one-match suspension for any guilty verdict.
Kelly and Demetriou added that the Joint Control Committee for the series will conduct a detailed review of the playing rules of the series. This will take place in May.
"Should the series continue, a number of initiatives have been agreed in relation to the training and preparation of match officials and the AFL expressed a strong desire to continue the youth series between our two countries," Kelly said.
Demetriou also said the AFL had agreed to re-examine its rules on international player drafting to address the concerns expressed by the GAA.
"The GAA is keen to ensure that younger players are protected to ensure they could complete their schooling and become established in their home counties," Demetriou said. "We will examine our drafting rules on international players and then come back to the GAA with a proposal in this area."
Kelly and Demetriou said both organisations would report back to the AFL Commission and GAA Central Council, before any final decisions could be announced.