International Rules series

[mightytiges]

Although it's more Gaelic football than Aussie rules, I actually enjoy watching these games (have a couple of friends who think it's a joke btw  ). The speed of the game especially early on when the Irish amatuers make all our AFL "champions" look like slow duds is impressive. Also good to see if Browny tears the Irish apart again like he did last year.

Blame the Scot in me  .

[WilliamPowell]

I will admit it doesn't interest me at all so I wont be watching.

However, I always check out the results not to see who won but to make sure any Tigers haven't got injured.

 

[mightytiges]

Bowden's second crack at the Irish
2:06:14 PM Tue 12 October, 2004
Matt Burgan
Sportal

Australian representative Joel Bowden says he is 'rapt' to be playing for his country as he prepares for his second crack at an International Rules series against Ireland.

Bowden, who played two tests in the 2001 series which Ireland won in Australia, said while 2004 was a poor year for Richmond, the chance to wear his country's colours capped off a good year for him personally.

This season he won his first best-and-fairest at Richmond - the Jack Dyer Medal.

"It was a good experience (in 2001), but we lost the series and that put a dampener on it a bit," Bowden said as he prepared at the Australian camp at Lexus Centre on Saturday.

"But this time the added bonus is going to Ireland and meeting a group of the best players in the AFL and having a good time, as well as focusing on winning the series.

"In 2001, it was very foreign. You would think that it's easy to kick a round ball, but if you're a novice and you picked up both balls, I reckon it'd be easier to kick an Aussie Rules footy straight, than it would one of these balls.

"(Australian assistant coach) Jim Stynes has showed us the technique, but it's really quite hard."

Bowden said he felt 'no pressure' and instead had the full support to play for his country from new Richmond coach Terry Wallace and assistant coach Brian Royal, while he added that he was feeling refreshed for the upcoming series against Ireland.

"I've had six weeks away. We finished in the last week of August, so I've certainly had enough time to get away," Bowden said.

"It's a good experience and you also get all of the medical staff available to you (in this series), whereas if I was in Melbourne, I would be training by myself and maybe not getting physio treatment everyday.

"I've got two weeks of maintenance as well as representing my country and going over to Ireland on top of that, so I think it's a really good opportunity for me."

The first test will be played at Croke Park in Dublin on October 17.

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=174880