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2004 Post-Season Articles

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Potchestroom Training Camp 2004 - All 2004 Articles

Saints challenge tradition again
. . . With a president who poses for photographs in the lotus position, and a coach who famously cancelled a training session in favour of an afternoon at the movies, the label of football revolutionaries has rested comfortably at Moorabbin. If coach Grant Thomas and his football department have their way, the traditional end-of-season footy trip may also be consigned to history, as the Saints prepare for a development and preparation tour of South Africa next month . . . "The players will be training three times a day, doing gym sessions, a running session and a skills session every day for the whole three weeks, so it's pretty full-on and they will be very very fatigued during it," Thomas said. "We will have to manage them properly during it, but we think it will be a tremendous experience for them" . . . The tour will take the players through the Soweto slums and give them other cultural experiences along the way. "That will give the players a good indication of how some other people have to live in the world . . . they will get some learnings out of seeing a place like South Africa and how it has come through some of its challenges in the last 30 years or so," he said.
The Article - Peter Ker - TheAge - 17Oct04

Australian football now a passport to travel
. . . The odyssey began a couple of weeks back, when they (Dal Santo and Ball) and a handful of teammates took off to Thailand for a week. After arriving back in Melbourne, they had two days to pack for the international rules series in Ireland, for which they, along with teammates Nick Riewoldt, Max Hudghton and Aussie Jones, were picked to play for Australia. When this series concludes next weekend, they'll have three weeks at home before departing for St Kilda's three-week training camp in South Africa. That's all on top of last year's two-and-a-half week expedition by the Saints to London. Not a bad itinerary for sportsmen involved in a game played only in their backyard. For Dal Santo and Ball, the two youngest members of Australia's 26-man squad, it's been as much a life experience as one about their chosen sport.
The Article - Rohan Connolly/Dublin - TheAge - 16Oct04

AFL pushes to get a woman on board
The AFL could appoint its first female commissioner as early as next March. In a bold bid to introduce a woman into the powerful inner sanctum of football, commission chairman Ron Evans is pressing to change the league's constitution.
The Article - Caroline Wilson - TheAge - 19Oct04

Capp urges fairness, not restructure
Collingwood director Sally Capp has criticised the AFL's bid to expand its board to include a woman, saying that a male commissioner should instead be prepared to step aside to make way for the first female. Capp said that she would oppose a push by chairman Ron Evans to change the AFL's constitution to increase the commission and that a woman deserved to be voted onto the existing structure on her own merits. Capp's call came as it emerged that both Collingwood and Essendon believed the AFL commission should target one of its interstate commissioners to stand down if it was determined to put a woman on board. It is understood that Evans has targeted 43-year-old West Australian Fiona Harris as one key candidate for the commission. Harris sits on a number of boards in Perth, including the Alinta Gas board, and in 2000 became the first female chairman of the Government Employees Superannuation Board.
The Article - Caroline Wilson - TheAge - 20Oct04

Ireland's convincing series win
Ireland has claimed the Cormack McAnallen Cup in convincing fashion with a 14-point defeat of Australia in the second and final Coca-Cola International Rules test at Croke Park on Sunday. The Irish won the series in aggregate by 50 points, following a convincing win last Sunday and have won the series for the first time since 2001. The home team was a deserving winner of a pulsating and entertaining clash, but Australia put in a much better effort in the second test, with a much more physical attack on the footy and better use of the ball. Nathan Brown again starred for Australia with seven overs, while Luke Ball, skipper James Hird, Austinn Jones and keeper Mal Michael were also great. More than 60,000 attended the clash with an aggregate attendance of 106,885.
The Article - Ashley Browne?Sportal - saints.com.au - 25Oct04

Injuries hinder Aussie revival
Injuries continue to dog Australia before the second Test against Ireland with the team barely able to muster the required 23 fit players. With Jared Crouch (broken collarbone) and Matthew Lappin (quad muscle) already ruled out, Essendon's Adam McPhee did not train yesterday. His absence was a major concern to the Australians, who are still hurting from Sunday's 36-point defeat at Croke Park. While coach Garry Lyon believes McPhee will play, the Bomber yesterday complained of tendinitis. McPhee aside, Nick Dal Santo (groin) also didn't train yesterday while Jason Johnson (knee) did not complete the vigorous session at Pearce Stadium in Galway. Lyon played down suggestions Australia was struggling to find 23 fit players. "That's all we need, 23, we'll be right," Lyon said. "We came with 26 and we've lost two at this stage, so we've got one up our sleeve. The medical staff didn't want McPhee to train on the back of yesterday, but he'll be right."
The Article - Mark Robinson - HeraldSun - 20Oct04

Aussies no match for Irish in opener
A frightingly quick Ireland put Australia to the sword last night, winning the first Test of the International Rules Series 77-41 at Dublin's Croke Park. In a stunning result in this two-Test series, Ireland outran, outplayed and, at times, out-muscled the Australians in a match in which the travelling team was never in a position to a win. The Aussies trailed at every break, and despite a responsive third quarter after coach Garry Lyon highlighted their errors at halftime, the Irish remained in control.
The Article - Mark Robinson - HeraldSun - 18Oct04

IRELAND 3-17-8 (77) defeated AUSTRALIA 1-9-8 (41)
Ireland: Goals: McDonald, Forde, Joyce. Overs: Dolan 4, Cavanagh, Coulter, Kennelly, McDonald 2, Bergin, Brogan, Forde, Joyce, Kelly.
Australia: Goals: Brown. Overs: Brown 3, Hird 2, Bowden, Johnson, Ball, McPhee.
Ireland stuns Australia in series opener - Rohan Connolly - TheAge - 18Oct04

Tourists pathetic: Irish
Former Irish team manager Eugene McGee yesterday launched a scathing attack on Australia's international rules team, accusing it of treating the two-game series as a junket . . . "It seems that it is not only Irish politicians who have discovered that getting all expenses paid trips to far-flung places around the globe provides the easiest ticket to an exotic holiday," McGee wrote. "Looking at these Aussies struggling in every aspect of the . . . game and in every position on the field, it appears that they are more interested in getting a trip to Ireland than they are in winning " . . . McGee went on to describe the Australians as 'insipid', 'spineless,' 'pathetic' and 'lacking national pride'. He said the squad should abandon its planned trip to Galway and replace it with intense training . . . It was also suggested that Australia should bring Kylie Minogue into its team, while former Irish coach Colm O'Rourke said on Irish television that "Australia couldn't kick a round ball, an oval ball or a concrete block" . . . Australian coach Garry Lyon said the team would not alter its routine and the players would have to accept the criticism. "We'll just cop that," Lyon said. "It may have looked like that . . . I'll make sure the boys all read that, though, and it might fire them up."
The Article - Craig O'Donoghue, Rohan Connolly - HeraldSun - 19Oct04

Aussies' chance to rethink
The Australian International Rules squad has arrived in Galway in Ireland's west for a few days of purported rest and recreation, but the humiliating 36-point loss to Ireland in Sunday's first test looms large within the mood of the squad. Before leaving Dublin on Monday, the team gathered for an 8am training session and the likelihood is that sometime in the next three days, coach Garry Lyon will put the squad through a searching training session. Australian skipper James Hird said the team remained disappointed by its showing. "We didn't give ourselves a chance. We let ourselves down and we have to have a good, hard look at ourselves. There are no excuses." The self-examination started on the team bus, where sections of the game were shown to the players on the three-hour trip. Swans midfielder Jared Crouch is returning to Sydney for an examination on his broken collarbone and surgery remains an option. Collingwood forward Alan Didak will return to the side, while Jude Bolton and Matthew Lappin face an extensive week of medical treatment in order to be passed fit to play.
The Article - Ashley Browne/Sportal - saints.com.au - 19Oct04

Australia hammered by Ireland
Australia faces a massive task at retaining the Cormack McNallen Trophy after suffering a 36-point belting from Ireland in the opening Coca Cola International Rules clash at Croke Park on Sunday. The visitors will have to win by at least the same margin next Sunday back at Croke Park to keep their hold on the title, but it will take a massive injection of pace and skill in the next seven days to do so, because they were the areas in which Garry Lyon's men were deficient against a resolute and determined Ireland, which prevailed 77-41. The Australians went into the game with injured players and were further hamstrung with a broken collarbone suffered by Sydney midfielder Jared Crouch, after laying a crunching tackle on Irish star Dessie Dolan.
The Article - Ashley Browne/Sportal - afl.com.au - 18Oct04

Time to face up to physical Aussies
The memory of Declan Browne being shamefully and cynically taken out during a so-called 'warm-up' game in Perth last year should become the presiding image in the Irish players' minds as they prepare for tomorrow's first International Rules test against Australia at Croke Park (2.0) . . . Quite frankly, Ireland have no chance of winning this series unless they stand up strong and physical all through. Manager Pete McGrath said that while quick deliveries would be crucial to Ireland's game, they wouldn't step back if the Australians tried to intimidate them. That's welcome news because the Australians are certain to repeat the tactics that brought them success in the last two series. Coach Gary Lyon has a great record and would love to sign off with a third successive victory, so Ireland must be prepared for a seriously intense battle. As always, their main tactic has to be quick movement and accurate passing. McGrath has also placed big emphasis on scoring three-pointers (points in Gaelic football terms) and he certainly has the finishers to deliver on that if they get a good supply . . . Australia have pushed right to the edge of what's acceptable and have even wandered beyond on occasions so it's up to Ireland to fight back. If they do, they are good enough to win both games.
The Article - www.unison.ie (Ireland) - 16Oct05
International Rules Page afl.com.au

Irish ready for muted Aussies
AN intriguing hybrid or a frustrating compromise? The jury is still out among Gaelic football and Australian Rules purists about the merits of the International Rules code, but an anticipated crowd of between 60,000 and 70,000 at Croke Park today tells its own story about the game's box office appeal.
The Article - www.unison.ie (Ireland) - 17Oct05

Aussies tame Irish in warm-up match
Nick Riewoldt is already a star at AFL football. And on the basis of one practice match, he might already be able to add a derivative of the game to that list. Riewoldt wasn't the best player in the 10-point International Rules practice match win by Australia on Wednesday afternoon but he was every bit as exciting and played with as much flair as he does every weekend for St Kilda. Riewoldt kicked three overs (worth three points each) for Australia in the clash against a combination team drawn from Dublin's better club footballers but looked damaging in the air and every time he went close to goal. Ireland is said to be relieved that Barry Hall is not playing this year, but that relief might be short-lived once Riewoldt starts to strut his stuff on Sunday.
The Article - Sportal - 14Oct04

Lyon quells hype on Riewoldt
Last year all the talk was about Barry Hall. This year it's Nick Riewoldt. The St Kilda superstar has grabbed the attention of the Irish in the lead-up to Sunday's first Test at Croke Park and yesterday showed why he will be pivotal to Australia's chances of winning a third consecutive International Rules Series . . . The Irish were impressed, although Lyon did his best to quell the hype. "This Riewoldt, he looks like a bit of a phenomenon, he's going to be the one everyone will be talking about on Monday morning," one Irish reporter said to Lyon. Quipped Lyon: "I wouldn't have thought so, he's just a good honest toiler. I wouldn't go getting too excited about him." Playing barely 24 hours after arriving in Dublin, Australia looked sluggish for most of yesterday's match.
The Article - Mark Robinson - HeraldSun - 15Oct04

Lappin injury blow as Aussies find their feet
Irish manager Pete McGrath would have learned very little about his Australian counterparts on yesterday's display at Parnell Park. In a dour contest, which only came to life thanks to a late Dublin rally, the clearly jet-lagged Australians appeared to be trying to come to grips with the unfamiliar round ball. Also, it was an ideal arena to bed in a goalkeeper. Brisbane Lions player Mal Michael was the chosen man and despite conceding three goals he produced a number of quality saves to eradicate any thought of Ireland having the upper hand there. The major benefit for Ireland was that Australia's most effective points scorer, Matthew Lappin, looks doubtful for Sunday after picking up a quad strain. Nevertheless, coach Gary Lyon was fairly satisfied with his teams performance despite the high error count.
The Article - www.unison.ie (Ireland) - sportsdesk - 14Oct05
Irish star remembered - Rohan Connolly - TheAge - 16Oct04
Lappin and Bolton to miss - Ashley Browne/Sportal - saints.com.au - 16Oct04
Brown named Australian IR vice-captain - Ashley Browne/Sportal - saints.com.au - 16Oct04
Australians keep Ireland guessing - Rohan Connolly - TheAge - 15Oct04
Dipper's Diary: Day 2 - saints.com.au - 14Oct04
Aussies win IR warm-up - Ashley Browne/Sportal - saints.com.au - 14Oct04
Browne has appetite for double test - www.unison.ie (Ireland) - sportsdesk - 14Oct05
Online Newspapers - Ireland Newspapers List

International Rules cup named in memory of McAnallen
The cup that goes to the winners of the annual Coca-Cola International Rules series has been dedicated to the late Cormac McAnallen. At a joint announcement in Croke Park yesterday the GAA and the AFL perpetuated the memory of the great Tyrone footballer, who died suddenly at the age of 24 last March. Cormac had played against the Australians in three test series (2001, '02 and '03) and would have been a valued member of the current squad if he was still alive. Cormac's mother Bridget and his aunt were present at the announcement ahead of tomorrow's first test which is expected to attract a crowd in excess of 50,000.
The Article - www.unison.ie (Ireland) - 16Oct05

Australia vs Ireland
It's advantage Ireland after a comfortable win in the first test in the international rules series at Croke Park. The home side held a strong 43 points to 13 lead at half-time after goals in either quarter by Armagh's Stephen McDonnell and Mattie Ford of Wexford. But the Australian's came out strongly in the third quarter and started with an excellent goal from Nathan Brown as they threatened to pull themselves back into the game but the Irish managed to maintain their grip on the game with a brilliant goal by the captain Padraig Joyce. The Irish also matched their opponents in the fourth quarter when they traditionally find themselves being overpowered by the Australian professionals with Joyce, Coulter, Dolan and Ford all causing problems in the forward line. At full-time today and half-time in the series it's: Ireland 77 Australia 41.
The Article - NewsTalk 106.fm - 17Oct04