2017 International Rules Series

2017 International Rules Series
EventInternational Rules Series
Australia Ireland
Australia Republic of Ireland
116 103
Australia won the series (2–0)
First test
Australia Ireland
2.13.12 (63) 1.13.8 (53)
Date12 November 2017
VenueAdelaide Oval, Adelaide
Second test
Ireland Australia
2.10.8 (50) 0.15.8 (53)
Date18 November 2017
VenueDomain Stadium, Perth
← 2015
2020 →

The 2017 International Rules Series (officially the 2017 Virgin Australia International Rules Series[1]) was the 20th International Rules Series contested by Gaelic footballers from Ireland and Australian footballers from Australia. The series was hosted by Australia and was the first in four years to revert to an aggregate points format. The two test matches were played on 12 and 18 November 2017 at the Adelaide Oval and Domain Stadium.[2]

Fixtures

[edit]
  • First test match: Australia v. Ireland, 12 November 2017
  • Second test match: Australia v. Ireland, 18 November 2017
Finals
     
Australia Australia 63 53 116
Republic of Ireland Ireland 53 50 103

Background

[edit]

The series reverted to the traditional two-match format, with the team scoring the highest amount over the two test matches being the winner. The AFL and GAA announced the dates of the two matches in November 2016.[2][3] In March 2017 West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) chief executive Gavin Taylor revealed that the WAFC would bid for the right to host one of the test matches at Domain Stadium (which is the headquarters of the WAFC), in what would likely be the venue's final elite-level football match considering the AFL's move to the new Perth Stadium by the start of the 2018 season.[4] On 8 August 2017, the AFL announced that the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, South Australia would host the first test and Domain Stadium in Perth, Western Australia would host the second test.[1] The series was broadcast live on the Seven Network in Australia and on RTÉ Television in Ireland.[5][6]

Australian team

[edit]

The AFL considered a number of prospective coaches to manage the Australian team. Among the favourites for the role included 2016 premiership coach Luke Beveridge, previous Australian coach Alastair Clarkson, as well as former assistant coaches of the Australian team Chris Scott (eventual appointee) and Ross Lyon.[7][8] On 17 July, the AFL announced that Scott had been selected for the coaching position, who said the appointment was "a tremendous honour".[9] Scott was joined by Lyon and brother Brad as assistant coaches.[10]

The initial Australian squad was announced on 12 October 2017. Among the squad were multiple All-Australians Gary Ablett Jr., Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Pendlebury and Joel Selwood, and five players – Michael Hibberd, Rory Laird, Zach Merrett, Paddy Ryder and Dayne Zorko – who had made the All-Australian team for the first time in their careers in 2017. Of the 17-man squad, nine players – Ablett, Nat Fyfe, Toby Greene, Hibberd, Laird, Merrett, Ryder, Rory Sloane and Zorko – have not represented Australia in International rules football before. Only three players – Eddie Betts, Dangerfield and Brendon Goddard – represented Australia in the 2015 series. The selectors had the capacity to add further selections closer to the matches, after assessing other players' availability from their leave periods.[11] Goddard was chosen to fill the goalkeeper position for the Australian team,[12] while Greene was ruled out with a broken toe.[13] An additional six players were selected to fill the squad on 2 November 2017.[14] Only five days prior to the first test, Ablett pulled out of the Australian team, citing personal reasons.[15] On 10 November, three-time Hawthorn premiership player Shaun Burgoyne was appointed captain of the Australian team.[16] Ahead of the second test match, North Melbourne midfielder Shaun Higgins was brought into the Australian squad, replacing the injured Scott Pendlebury and Paddy Ryder.[17]

Irish team

[edit]

Joe Kernan, Ireland's manager for the 2015 series, returned to coach the Irish team for a second time, joined by Pádraic Joyce, Darragh Ó Sé and Dermot Earley Jnr on the coaching and selection panel. Kernan revealed his coaching panel would consider fitness as well as catching and kicking skills when it came to selecting the squad, and praised the series organisers for returning the concept to a two-match series.[18] In late September, Kernan stated that the final squad of 23 players would include three Irish AFL players, Zach Tuohy of Geelong, Pearce Hanley of Gold Coast and Conor McKenna of Essendon; however McKenna sustained an injury in training and was ruled out of selection.[19][20] On 25 October, Kernan and the Irish management team announced a 21-man touring squad for the series. Mayo's Aidan O'Shea, who represented Ireland in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 series, was announced as captain of the team whilst Conor McManus of Monaghan was appointed vice-captain. In total 14 counties were represented on the panel, including four from Mayo and three from Kerry; however no players from 2017 All-Ireland SFC winners Dublin were selected.[21] Seán Powter of Cork and Niall Grimley of Armagh were later added to the team, completing the final 23-man squad.[22] After Pearce Hanley broke his hand in the first test match, Monaghan player Darren Hughes flew out to Australia for the second test match, replacing Hanley's position in the squad.[23] Additionally, former Carlton AFL defender Ciarán Sheehan was drafted into the Irish squad prior to the second test match.[24]

Squads

[edit]

Results

[edit]
2017 International Rules Series – First Test
Sunday 12 November (3.40pm ACDT / 5.10am IST) Australia def. Ireland Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (Crowd: 25,502) [25][26][27]
0.3.5 (14)
0.7.7 (28)
1.12.8 (50)
2.13.12 (63) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final 		0.4.3 (15)
1.6.3 (27)
1.8.5 (35)
1.13.8 (53) 		Umpires: Matt Stevic (Australia), Maurice Deegan (Ireland)
Television broadcast: Seven Network (Australia), RTÉ Television (Ireland)
Fyfe, Shuey Goals M. Murphy
Fyfe 3
Wingard, Brown, Zorko 2
Dangerfield, Simpson, Betts, Ryder 1 		Overs McManus 7
M. Murphy 4
Sweeney, Geaney 1
Fyfe, Goddard, Dangerfield, Wingard, Simpson Best McManus, M. Murphy, Tuohy, O'Shea
Pendlebury (finger) Injuries Hanley (hand)


2017 International Rules Series – Second Test
Saturday 18 November (4.45pm AWST / 8.45am IST) Australia def. Ireland Domain Stadium, Perth (Crowd: 30,116) [28][29][30]
0.3.2 (11)
0.4.5 (17)
0.9.7 (35)
0.15.8 (53) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final 		2.1.2 (17)
2.5.3 (30)
2.8.5 (41)
2.10.8 (50) 		Umpires: Matt Stevic (Australia), Maurice Deegan (Ireland)
Television broadcast: Seven Network (Australia), RTÉ Television (Ireland)
Nil Goals Brennan, Barrett
Zorko 3
Wingard, Sloane, Betts 2
Merrett, Laird, Brown, Fyfe, Burgoyne, Shuey 1 		Overs McManus 5
M. Murphy 2
Walsh, Sheehan, Grimley 1
Simpson, Merrett, Fyfe, Zorko, Goddard Best C. McManus, M. Murphy, S. Walsh, O'Shea, Tuohy
Nil Injuries Nil

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Scott Pendlebury was injured in the first test and his place in the squad for the second test was taken by Shaun Higgins.
  2. ^ a b Pearce Hanley was injured in the first test and his place in the squad for the second test was taken by Darren Hughes.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "International Rules to farewell Domain Stadium". AFL.com.au. 8 August 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b "International Rules series set for two tests in Australia next year". Irish Times. 22 November 2016. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017.
  3. ^ "International Rules Series returns with Australia to host two tests". AFL.com.au. 22 November 2016. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017.
  4. ^ "Australia v Ireland clash could be Domain Stadium's grand finale". TheWest.com.au. 20 March 2017. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Seven's Basil Zempilas to host and call International Rules two-test series". MediaWeek. 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  6. ^ "How to watch Ireland against Australia on RTÉ Sport". RTÉ Sport. 10 November 2017. Archived from the original on 21 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson can keep Australian coaching role if he wants it". Herald Sun. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017.
  8. ^ "For State of Origin, Luke Beveridge the coach differs from Luke Beveridge the fan". The Age. 5 June 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Chris Scott named as Australia's international Rules coach". Sporting News. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Chris Scott to coach Australia in IRS". AFL.com.au. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017.
  11. ^ "AFL reveals International Rules squad". AFL.com.au. 12 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Goddard to don the gloves for Australia". AFL.com.au. 8 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017.
  13. ^ McGowan, Marc (26 October 2017). "Star Giant out of IRS after bizarre injury". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  14. ^ "International Rules 2017: Australia adds six more players to squad to face Ireland". Fox Sports. 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2 November 2017.
  15. ^ "Geelong's Gary Ablett to miss the international rules series against Ireland". The Age. 7 November 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017.
  16. ^ "Silky veteran gets nod to skipper Australia". AFL.com.au. 10 November 2017. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Classy Roo in IRS team after duo ruled out". AFL.com.au. 15 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017.
  18. ^ "Catching and kicking top the agenda for International Rules hopefuls". Irish Independent. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017.
  19. ^ "Lee Keegan ruled out of Ireland International Rules squad". GAA.ie. 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Injury rules speedy Don out of IRS". AFL.com.au. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017.
  21. ^ "Ireland International Rules squad named". GAA.ie. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017.
  22. ^ "Ireland add Grimley and Powter for International Rules series". HoganStand.com. 26 October 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Darren Hughes replaces Pearce Hanley in Perth". The Irish Times. 13 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  24. ^ "Ciarán Sheehan joins Irish international Rules squad". The Irish Times. 14 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  25. ^ "Fyfe stars as Aussies' IRS heat melts Irish". AFL.com.au. 12 November 2017. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017.
  26. ^ "Ireland keep Series alive with strong fourth quarter". RTE Sport. 12 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  27. ^ "Australia defeats Ireland in Adelaide". GAA.ie. 12 November 2017. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017.
  28. ^ "Aussies claim IRS sweep after half-time melee". AFL.com.au. 18 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017.
  29. ^ "Improved Ireland go down fighting in Perth". RTE Sport. 18 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  30. ^ "Australia claims come-from-behind win over Ireland to regain Cormac McAnallen Cup". Herald Sun. 18 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  31. ^ "International Rules: Nat Fyfe stars in Subiaco Oval farewell as Aussies secure series". The West Australian. 18 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018. Dockers skipper Nat Fyfe capped a fine series and bid Domain Stadium farewell in style by receiving the Jim Stynes Medal for player of the series.
  32. ^ "Conor McManus' performances have Australians asking clubs to make an approach". Sports Joe. 18 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2017. For a second successive campaign, the Monaghan man finished the International Rules series as the Irish player of the series. In 2015, he won the GAA Medal and, again on Saturday, he was honoured in defeat. In total, McManus hit 40 points in two games - far and away the top scorer of either country.
  33. ^ "Joel Selwood black carded as Australia win International Rules series". ESPN. 18 November 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  34. ^ "Star-studded Aussie line-up to farewell Subiaco Oval in International Rules". The West Australian. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
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