'Violence is what happens in wars'

Ian O'Riordan finds Kevin Sheedy in cryptic form as he plays down talk of Australian retaliation in Sunday's final Test

Australian coach Kevin Sheedy and star player Michael Voss had just sat down when a cameraman accidentally knocked over a bottle of water on the table in front of them.

"Bottles thrown at Australians," said Sheedy. "There's your headline. Take it away."

It was obvious what the theme of this press conference would be. Brendan Fevola's expulsion from the panel for tangling with a barman in Galway last Monday, followed by Lindsay Gilbee's claim that Ireland had used "little tactics" in the first Test and that Sunday would be "no holds barred . . . at all costs" has clearly raised the heat on this year's International Rules series.

And Sheedy wasn't about to dampen the hype.

Asked if Gilbee's comments would add further spice to the game, his old eyes just deepened in his head.

"No doubt about it," he said. "But look, he (Gilbee) was just doing an interview, and it rolled along, and he just didn't realise he'd created around 20 headlines. I asked him this morning did he say what was printed, and he said 'Yes'. He probably went too far, but he'll learn. I just told him I would choose my words better next time."

It wasn't clear if there'd be any reproach from Sheedy either: "Well he's not in the team yet, he's got to be picked. I hadn't detected it, but you know the boys probably sat down and had a bit of a chat. But it's only a knee in the head. We've all had one of them. Some of them from our wives.

"I haven't given Gilbee any warning at all. But we're not the players getting reported, so you better let the Irish team answer that. It's not about us. It's about you.

"But look, the tickets are already sold, so you don't need to ramp anything up. It will be a great contest, and the most important thing for us is that we play better than last week, and don't stop the Irish people from getting value from their tickets."

Suddenly Sheedy wanted nothing more said about Gilbee's incident with Ireland's Graham Geraghty in Galway last Saturday, as it had still to go before the tribunal. So the questions shifted to Fevola, who had claimed days of abuse and racists taunts prompted his violent outburst in the Galway nightclub.

"From our point of view," said Sheedy, "I would have to say Brendan Fevola was the emergency on the trip, and probably wouldn't have been here had one of the players not pulled out. It's a situation that just came out of the blue, but we're training to win in Croke Park, that hasn't changed.

"We've trained our best this week, like we've done the whole trip. And I felt we dealt with that professionally, that the AFL have done the right thing."

So as matters stand, the GAA could probably sell out Croke Park twice over. Voss chipped in to say that as far as he was aware none of the taunts were racist. Four Aboriginal players are on the panel, and none of them reported any racial insults when questioned by AFL chief executive, Andrew Demetriou.

"I would certainly hope not," said Voss, the three-time Premiership-winning captain with the Brisbane Lions. "We've had taunts and all that kind of stuff, but it's still got to be a series played in great spirit between both countries, and we realise there is passion involved with that, as with our own clubs. But there is a line.

"So we're getting taunts on the street but a lot of it is friendly. We just get on with things. The Irish are passionate about their code and so are we. But you've got to move on from it. It's been dealt with, and we have to move on, and talk about the game coming up."

Back to Sheedy, who is asked if his instructions for fair play and best behaviour will be as strong this Sunday as in Galway last Saturday - especially given the efforts the GAA and the AFL have made in cracking down on the violent incidents which last year threatened the future of the series.

"At times I think violence is an overused word. Violence is what happens in many cities around the world, and in wars. I think the intensity was there last week. We didn't play that well in the first quarter. A lot of people don't realise that we've picked a young side as well.

"In European terms that (first Test) was probably the friendly, and this is the match we've really come for, going to Croke Park, in front of 80,000 Irish fans. I think it's been a good series so far. It's put the spring carnival to the second-back page of the papers at home, and that's pretty big in Melbourne.

"So I'm looking forward to Sunday. And we can't afford not to get it right, and that's my challenge as a coach."

One last time then, Kevin - how strongly will you be instructing your team to play fair?

"I think the more games we play, the more minutes we play, our confidence will grow, no doubt about that. If you want to give the people that go to the game proper value then it has to be played in the right spirit as well. But we'll want to raise the intensity a little, use that experience."

Sheedy goes on like that for a while more without really answering the question. Sounds like seconds out, round two.

"But it's only a knee in the head. We've all had one of them. Some of them from our wives . . ."

"I haven't given Gilbee any warning at all. But we're not the players getting reported, so you better let the Irish team answer that . . ."

"I think it's been a good series so far. It's put the spring carnival to the second back page of the papers at home, and that's pretty big in Melbourne. So I'm looking forward to Sunday . . ."

"But look, the tickets are already sold, so you don't need to ramp anything up"