AFL Sydney goes Gaelic

AFL Sydney and the NSW Gaelic Athletic Association (NSWGAA) have announced that the annual Sydney International Rules match will be played at HJ Mahoney Memorial Reserve, Marrickville on Saturday 16 October 2010. 

This match will coincide with the reintroduction of the International Rules series between Australia and Ireland who are scheduled to meet in Limerick on October 23 and at the famous Croke Park in Dublin a week later. 

The encounter will be the third contest between the two sides with AFL Sydney winning the Mick Raftery Cup on both occasions. 

After losing by a solitary point in the inaugural match in 2008, the Gaelic boys were comprehensively outplayed last year and they have already commenced training for the match as they eagerly seek redemption and stop an AFL Sydney hat-trick.

International Rules is a mixture of Australian Rules and Gaelic football and has been a challenge for the AFL Sydney team in the past as they need to become familiar with handling and kicking the round ball which is used in the composite game. 

The AFL Sydney squad will be coached by Leigh Forsyth, with the initial squad announced next week with players added once their club commitments have finished.