International Rules Series has NSW flavour

By Brendan Day

The Indigenous Australian Rules team will feature Swans superstar recruit Lance “Buddy” Franklin alongside his new teammates Tony Armstrong and Lewis Jetta, with GWS GIANTS player Shaun Edwards also named in the 21-man squad. 

Adam Goodes was initially named in the extended 33-man squad but will be unable to play due to injuries that kept him out of the Swans’ finals campaign. Nonetheless, he is travelling with the team.

Swans legend O’Loughlin will coach and manage the side, with support from an assistant coaching panel that includes former Swans teammate Tadhg Kennelly as well as Rodney Eade and Andrew McLeod. 

“We’ve got a fantastic crew, staff-wise,” O’Loughlin told afl.com.au.

“Andrew McLeod comes in, who’s played the game and dominated it.

“Tadhg Kennelly, who’s the real surprise packet for many, especially the Irish… He’s been instrumental in terms of teaching us the rules and techniques for being able to get over the line in Ireland.”

Kennelly represented Ireland in six IRS series from 2001-2011, and his decision to join the Australian coaching staff has rankled some in his home country. 

As the AFL’s International Talent Coordinator, Kennelly often works alongside O’Loughlin, who was also recently named the Head Coach of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.

It was O’Loughlin who approached Kennelly for assistance, an offer Kennelly accepted after determining that it was best for the future of the IRS.

“I know who I am. I’m very proud of where I come from, what I stand for and who I am,” Kennelly told afl.com.au on Sunday.

“I love the series and I love the concept and I don’t want to see it fail.

“I’ve felt the Irish had the upper hand in the last few series and I’m just trying to impart a small body of my knowledge onto (the Australian team).

“I obviously played Gaelic football and played AFL, so I’m probably the ‘compromise’ footballer – I’ve been able to play both games at the top level.

“I’m all in, I’m all in with the indigenous boys and the Australian team … and the criticism doesn’t really bother me.” 

With Lance Franklin is set to miss the second test to attend former Hawthorn teammate Brent Guerra’s wedding, O’Loughlin gave little away as to how the attacking spearhead would be used, adding that injury prevention, whilst important, would not dictate his decisions.

“We’ll use him as we see fit,” O’Loughlin said. 

“It’s not just with Lance but with every single player, we get them healthy and we send them home healthy.

“We’ll do absolutely everything we need to in terms of injury prevention, but it’s not something in the forefront of my mind.” 

O’Loughlin expressed his pride at being the coach of the first Indigenous Australian side to participate in the International Rules Series.

“It’s something that we’ve talked about for a long, long time now,” he said.

“The last touring Aboriginal side was in 1868, so it’s a long time between drinks.”

Team member Daniel Wells echoed O’Loughlin’s thoughts.

“To play as the All-Stars, that’s another good feeling, but to represent your country and to do it with an all-Indigenous team is something special,” Welles said.

For first-timer Lewis Jetta, the International Rules Series looms as an exciting and new challenge.

“I’ve never played International Rules before, just watched it as a kid on television, but it looks pretty fun,” he said.

 “It’s a bit tougher – you can’t kick (the football) hard, you’ve pretty much just got to time it and put it where you want it to go.

“We’ll adjust to it pretty quickly in training, though.”

As part of the team’s warm-up, Australia will play a practice match against Dublin on Wednesday October 16. 

The International Rules Series 2013 will take place in Ireland, with the first Test taking place at Breffni Park, Cavan, and the second Test at Croke Park, Dublin.

 7Mate will broadcast both matches live at 6:30am on October 20 and 27.