Mark Planamente
NormInternational Rules Series Put On Hiatus
December 10th 2006 12:27
The International Rules Series between Australia and Ireland has been cancelled next year after the Gaelic Athletic Association pulled out due to the violence-marred contest in Ireland this year.
The GAA drew up a list of conditions that the AFL will have to agree on before the tournament will start up again, earliest in 2008. The AFL will meet again early in the new year to discuss the conditions, however it is possible that the International Rules Series will not be reinvented in the near future.
The International Rules, a game that combined both AFL and Gaelic Football rules, was played between AFL players and Irish Gaelic footballers annually between the two countries since 1984.
However over the past few years the contest has been marred by violent brawls between the two teams, to the extent that the Ireland manager Sean Boylan accused the AFL players of ‘thuggery’ after the brawl-infested match at Croke Park.
The two organisations, the AFL and GAA, will meet early in 2007 to discuss the potential of the tournament going on possibly from 2008.
I believe that the decision to scrap the tournament is nothing but good news. The tournament itself was mediocre at best. Both sides had nothing but pride on the line, and more often than not it was only the Gaelic side that was putting everything on the line. Most of the AFL players played well, but they did not have the passion from the sport.
And they did not have any reason to. These players would train all year to play Australian football, and after a gruelling season, where most players would be exhausted after going through the home and away, and most probably the finals competition. The last thing on their mind is to play a hybrid game where they have to pick up the fine points of the sport in about a week.
Since it started in 1984, the International Rules Series was a novelty game at best. It never did really grab the attention of the AFL supporters, and over the past few years and number of fans simply did not care about the game.
Now that the International Rules Series has been scrapped for at least a year, the AFL now have to decide what is the best way for their star players to play representative football. And the answer, the return of the State of Origin.
The State of Origin was scrapped a number of years ago after the AFL decided that it was not earning the attention that it required. However, the game has evolved since then.
The game of Australian Rules has expanded to be one of the biggest national leagues around. The premiership has been fought out over the past four years from teams not in the dominant state of Victoria. Players are not simply coming out of the Victorian league the VFL, but all around our nation.
It is time to strike whilst the iron is hot, and to bring back a representative competition to truly show the strength of a national league.
Until next time, sports minds.
The GAA drew up a list of conditions that the AFL will have to agree on before the tournament will start up again, earliest in 2008. The AFL will meet again early in the new year to discuss the conditions, however it is possible that the International Rules Series will not be reinvented in the near future.
The International Rules, a game that combined both AFL and Gaelic Football rules, was played between AFL players and Irish Gaelic footballers annually between the two countries since 1984.
However over the past few years the contest has been marred by violent brawls between the two teams, to the extent that the Ireland manager Sean Boylan accused the AFL players of ‘thuggery’ after the brawl-infested match at Croke Park.
The two organisations, the AFL and GAA, will meet early in 2007 to discuss the potential of the tournament going on possibly from 2008.
I believe that the decision to scrap the tournament is nothing but good news. The tournament itself was mediocre at best. Both sides had nothing but pride on the line, and more often than not it was only the Gaelic side that was putting everything on the line. Most of the AFL players played well, but they did not have the passion from the sport.
And they did not have any reason to. These players would train all year to play Australian football, and after a gruelling season, where most players would be exhausted after going through the home and away, and most probably the finals competition. The last thing on their mind is to play a hybrid game where they have to pick up the fine points of the sport in about a week.
Since it started in 1984, the International Rules Series was a novelty game at best. It never did really grab the attention of the AFL supporters, and over the past few years and number of fans simply did not care about the game.
Now that the International Rules Series has been scrapped for at least a year, the AFL now have to decide what is the best way for their star players to play representative football. And the answer, the return of the State of Origin.
The State of Origin was scrapped a number of years ago after the AFL decided that it was not earning the attention that it required. However, the game has evolved since then.
The game of Australian Rules has expanded to be one of the biggest national leagues around. The premiership has been fought out over the past four years from teams not in the dominant state of Victoria. Players are not simply coming out of the Victorian league the VFL, but all around our nation.
It is time to strike whilst the iron is hot, and to bring back a representative competition to truly show the strength of a national league.
Until next time, sports minds.
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