THE GAA won't be compromising on the agreed schedule of the International Rules and insist there must be a two-game series or else none at all. Their Australian counterparts, the AFL, who are due to host the series next October, are so far only guaranteeing arrangements for one game, and have until Friday week to come back with confirmation of a second game before the GAA call off the whole thing.
Despite the long, hard effort over the last seven months to revive the series after it was temporarily suspended because of the discipline problems of two years ago, it now seems likely these scheduling difficulties will force its cancellation for another year.
The AFL are claiming they can secure a timeframe and venue for only one game because of three factors: the 150th anniversary celebrations of the AFL, Australia's hosting of the rugby league World Cup, and their hosting of an international cricket tournament - all in or around the same time as the International Rules series is due to take place, in late October.
GAA director general Paraic Duffy outlined these difficulties at a press briefing in Croke Park yesterday, admitting he was now "quite anxious" about the chances of the series going ahead as planned in October.
"The main issue here is the fact that Australia can only commit to the one game," said Duffy. "When we agreed to resume the series, it was on the basis of a two-game series. The AFL, some weeks ago, first made soundings to us on the possibility of playing one game only.
"They are clearly having some difficulties. They are hosting the rugby league World Cup around that time, and also a cricket tournament, and a lot of grounds are already committed to that.
"They are having some problems with their own calendar as well because of their 150th anniversary, with some other events they wouldn't normally have at that time of the year. So there are three issues causing them problems, and it's up to them to resolve them.
"But we made it very clear to them that we're not interested in going for a one-game series. We're not prepared to travel to Australia for one match. So it will have to be a two-game series, or there will be no series at all. We've now made that quite clear to the AFL."
While the GAA are insisting on the two-game series, negotiations with the AFL will continue over the coming days. Dermot Power, the GAA's commercial director, is in regular contact with Dean Moore, AFL football project manager, and GAA president Nickey Brennan is also in ongoing touch with his AFL counterpart, Andrew Demetriou.
"The AFL also approved the resumption of the series," added Duffy. "But this issue of deciding dates and venues is still not resolved.
"So Central Council decided on Saturday that we'd give the AFL another 10 working days, until Friday week, to convey their final decision.
"They must have definite dates and venues by Friday week, and if they don't, then we won't be going ahead with the series for this year. The AFL are aware of this now.
"The reality is there is an awful amount of work that goes into this, from a team-management point of view, and in terms of bringing a team to Australia. In fairness, our championship started last Sunday, and our management team should be out looking at players, and getting a panel together, and so on. So unless we know definite dates and venues by Friday week the series will not go ahead this year.
"We are quite anxious at this stage. Apparently, they (the AFL) are still negotiating to get the venues they want.
"I think they are anxious to go to Sydney with one game. One venue was Melbourne, that was pretty much a given. We're not particularly concerned where they go, as long as it's two games and two venues.
"But the most important point is that we're not interested in going for one game."
It would be disappointing for both parties if the series falls through after meetings took place in Paris and Dubai in recent months to agree the new disciplinary guidelines, which at that time appeared to clear the way for the two games in Australia this coming October.
