Why the Irish are going nowhere in the next 5 years

[thepower]

Don't get me wrong, Australia were great last friday but they were helped by what seemed an overconfident badly drilled irish team. Now that won't be the case tomorrow. You'll see something much closer to the way we played last year but with a very densely populated area around the irish goal. It'll be harder for the aussies to score this week and more then likely will be resticted to kicking from 40m under pressure.What we do up the other end remains to be seen but there is some array of talent in that forward line and they're embarassed after last week. All i'll say is our backs are to the wall, we either crawl up in a ball or we're in for a hum dinger on Friday.

True you guys should come out breathing fire tomorrow night. were the irish overconfident?

back to the topic. dont know if the irish aren't going anywhere in the foreseeable future. The thing about this game is that both teams learn about each others game ie. GAA learn about tackling AFL learn about using speed.

This series has shown that if the aussie side is picked with emphasis on speed and agility then it will win.

Whilst I dont see the Irish hitting the gyms just because they arent as strong as the aussies, i do see them perhaps becoming more attuned to the physical aspect of the game.

its a compromise, and in time it will become more even.

 

[Let_it_long]

True you guys should come out breathing fire tomorrow night. were the irish overconfident?

back to the topic. dont know if the irish aren't going anywhere in the foreseeable future. The thing about this game is that both teams learn about each others game ie. GAA learn about tackling AFL learn about using speed.

This series has shown that if the aussie side is picked with emphasis on speed and agility then it will win.

Whilst I dont see the Irish hitting the gyms just because they arent as strong as the aussies, i do see them perhaps becoming more attuned to the physical aspect of the game.

its a compromise, and in time it will become more even.

We are gradually gettin stronger every year but ye didn't turn into the monsters ye are over night either so it;ll take time.

As for ye winning every year, thats what we thought last year and brought that into last fridays game. For a game thats only played twice a year it is evolving at an incredible pace. Just luck at it ten years ago. If last years irish team and this years aussies take the field on friday night it'll be special. The series may be gone but there's more to it than that.

 

[Divado]

Is there any chance of Gaelic becoming professional?? i think if that happens their league's standard would improve a fair bit

 

[Sportaus]

It took 7 years for the Australians to get serious about this form of the game.

One outstanding performance, and best to date, with one of the best ever coaches leading this team and some of you guys are writing off the Irish.

Sheeds tactics surprised the Irish last week, and likely to do so again this week but I am sure now that Ireland has an opponent, who are taking these matches seriously, they will do their homework and come out next year in better shape.

 

[bresker]

People have short memories. I reckon the Irish matched the Aussies in tacking during the last series.

Last Friday tackling wasn't the problem; the Irish players were made to look silly by being constantly caught in posession and allowing themselves to be run down. The speed of the Aussie team was the main factor. The hits on the Irish boys made it look like the Aussies were physically dominant because half the time they didn't see the tackles coming.

 

[davey_magik]

I think that they were caught off-guard on Friday night and tomorrow night will be a lot closer.
MD44 is right, if IR didn't have tackling we would get belted.
Anyway looking forward to see how Moloney goes, he's one of the best in the comp at breaking tackles and will be interesting to see him play IR.

 

[The Biff]

That argument is completely pointless and makes no sense at all. Your argument about 'physical size' and 'brain size' is completely off the track. You start to bring up the argument about aussie rules cracking the sads when they get tackled, ok yeah, but its not relevant to this argument is it? I am arguing that the irish are mediocre at there own game! there not strong enough and they dont like the rough stuff, hence get shoved around. Why do you think the aussies won on friday night? You tell me why

Australia won last week because of better ball skills, pure and simple. They passed better and kicked scores better.

The Irish have always had some problems with the tackling and much of it is our own fault; we didn't anticipate some of them. However, the Aussies dont need to add the needle bits after the tackle. With the Irish player on the ground, some Aussies use them as a lever to lean on when getting back up. Those are the types of "last nudges" that I was referring to and they're just not necessary.

Look, we lost the first test and it's my duty as a fan to whinge and whine about it. Sporting Life would be boring if we all just kissed-ass all the time. I'm counting on the Irish playing better this Friday. Whether it's better enough remains to be seen.

Someone else asked about GAA going professional. It's a regular topic in Ireland but personally I dont think we have the population base to support it. But our GAA is more than just a sports body, it's usually at the heart of every community and that's where the vast majority of fans want the money to keep going; building good facilities in every part of Ireland and supporting locals coaches in schools etc. I'm sure most of our players have no problem with either; as long as they are not out-of-pocket for their efforts, they'd be happy with that.

Enough of all that - there's a game to be won. Bring on the butt-whuppin'

 

[O Grobbecker]

However, the Aussies dont need to add the needle bits after the tackle. With the Irish player on the ground, some Aussies use them as a lever to lean on when getting back up. Those are the types of "last nudges" that I was referring to and they're just not necessary.

That happens regularly in the course of AFL games, one of the less savoury aspects. A refinement is to push the head of the tacklee into the ground as the tackler completes the tackle. It happened regularly last Friday night.

 

[bresker]

I heard an Aussie player from a past series say that some Irish players dish out a sneaky kick to the shins or ankles off the ball to the man they are marking. In the AFL that is foreign behaviour & considered much more unsporting than rubbing your opponent's head in the dirt.

It's hard to change the way you play a sport for 2 games a season, especially in the heat of battle. It doesn't look like fair play to the Irish but this is way Aussie Rules is.

 

[O Grobbecker]

I heard an Aussie player from a past series say that some Irish players dish out a sneaky kick to the shins or ankles off the ball to the man they are marking.

I remember in one earlier series Irish players using their feet to fend off which got the Australian crowds a little excited. I've not seen it since and I've never noticed ankle tapping.

 

[SorryIHammerChicken]

Yep AFL players represent the pinnacle of overall fitness and strength. Look at soccer players, Beckham back in '92 was a little runt and that new guy, 17-year old Stephen Ireland, he is lanky as you can get, but because soccer is a weak sport, they can be anorexic and get away with it.

With rugby players, they don't have much skill but I'm guessing they'd be a bit tougher than AFL players, but not fitness-wise.

 

[demondavey]

Yep AFL players represent the pinnacle of overall fitness and strength. Look at soccer players, Beckham back in '92 was a little runt and that new guy, 17-year old Stephen Ireland, he is lanky as you can get, but because soccer is a weak sport, they can be anorexic and get away with it.

With rugby players, they don't have much skill but I'm guessing they'd be a bit tougher than AFL players, but not fitness-wise.

just let you know that rugby players are very fit! I can tell you that with confidence, they need a very good aerobic base as they need to recover from there constant hard repeated efforts. Without any form of fitness they would not be able to keep pushing at high intensities for a full game. Little different to AFL fitness but they would still fair up pretty well on a beep test. The smaller rugby players, ie: George gregan and the like would cut it very easily in an afl game.

 

[demondavey]

Australia won last week because of better ball skills, pure and simple. They passed better and kicked scores better.

The Irish have always had some problems with the tackling and much of it is our own fault; we didn't anticipate some of them. However, the Aussies dont need to add the needle bits after the tackle. With the Irish player on the ground, some Aussies use them as a lever to lean on when getting back up. Those are the types of "last nudges" that I was referring to and they're just not necessary.

Look, we lost the first test and it's my duty as a fan to whinge and whine about it. Sporting Life would be boring if we all just kissed-ass all the time. I'm counting on the Irish playing better this Friday. Whether it's better enough remains to be seen.

Someone else asked about GAA going professional. It's a regular topic in Ireland but personally I dont think we have the population base to support it. But our GAA is more than just a sports body, it's usually at the heart of every community and that's where the vast majority of fans want the money to keep going; building good facilities in every part of Ireland and supporting locals coaches in schools etc. I'm sure most of our players have no problem with either; as long as they are not out-of-pocket for their efforts, they'd be happy with that.

Enough of all that - there's a game to be won. Bring on the butt-whuppin'

Whats wrong with the needling? its a contact sport, when you drive your opponent into the ground you need to let him know about it dont you? Its just as much verbal as it is physical. There is nothing wrong with needling in a contact sport. I was taught when you tackle someone and put them down that you should walk all over them when you get up, let them know your for real and fair dinkum

 

[Let_it_long]

just let you know that rugby players are very fit! I can tell you that with confidence, they need a very good aerobic base as they need to recover from there constant hard repeated efforts. Without any form of fitness they would not be able to keep pushing at high intensities for a full game. Little different to AFL fitness but they would still fair up pretty well on a beep test. The smaller rugby players, ie: George gregan and the like would cut it very easily in an afl game.

Rugby players are about 2/3 as aerobicly fit as a GAA or AFL player. I know cos i've been told by the fitness coach of the Irish rugby team. Thats the wingers. Bigger guys are way behind. But it suits their game. They're far stronger.

 

[Ghost of Punt Road]

Yeah but isnt it there game? LOL, i mean they play with a round ball we play with an oval one? Its there game mate, why are you so defensive? You Irish are you? Just thinks its funny that the irish are all so patriotic and 'ireland forever' that they would be pretty determined to stand up and try and win. They know its an aggressive game, yet not one of them laid an aussie player on his bum. i thought it would dent their famous irish pride to be swept aside so easily.

Keep in mind the Irish loss may have just been shock at Australia's change of strategy.

Their coach is abysmal. He didn't study the opposition at all!

The second game could be very different, now that the shock and surprise has passed.

 

[Let_it_long]

Keep in mind the Irish loss may have just been shock at Australia's change of strategy.

Their coach is abysmal. He didn't study the opposition at all!

The second game could be very different, now that the shock and surprise has passed.

He hasn't coached an intercounty team in years, won one all ireland with an exceptional County Down team who shoulda won more. Very lazy approach to the series this year.

 

[hotpie]

The irish were clearly ahead in size and speed until this game.

The Aussies didnt have a real coach and a decent preparation until this game.

The Aussies need to sack Sheedy immediately and bring back Gary Lyon. Its the only way the competition will ever be close again. That or more rulechanges in the Irish's favour.