SirFozzie
11-06-2006, 09:17 PM
You think these guys take this annual series (played between the best AFL (Aussie Rules) players from Australia and the best Gaelic Football players from Ireland) played under a compromise rules set a wee bit too seriously?
http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2630/72411801dd9.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/1680/72411806fj9.jpg
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/8303/72411860ew6.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7638/72412421ph0.jpg
DUBLIN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - A question mark hangs over the future of the International Rules Series between Ireland and Australia following violent scenes in the first quarter of Sunday's second test at Dublin's Croke Park stadium.
Calls to abandon the 22-year-old series came after an 82,000-strong crowd -- the largest in the history of the series -- watched a much-anticipated game degenerate swiftly into a pitched battle, with two players punished before the first ball had been thrown in.
The game, a hybrid of football developed to facilitate international matches between Australian rules footballers and Gaelic footballers, has come under fire in recent years for increased use of physical force.
"With bouts of football breaking out between fights and melees, seven players were yellow carded in the opening quarter," the Irish Examiner said of Sunday's game.
County Meath's Graham Geraghty was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital with an oxygen mask strapped to his face.
"The latest instalment of this grotesque parody of two fine sports should be the last," wrote the Irish Times on Monday. "(It's) time to say goodbye." Both sides blamed each other, with Australian manager Kevin Sheedy adamant that his players were reacting to Irish violence.
"I think Ireland were the aggressors last week and this week," he said.
Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) president Nickey Brennan described the scenes as "completely unacceptable" and said: "We have to reflect and review what happened."
The irony, many commentators said, was that the remainder of the match saw some fine play, particularly from Australia who secured the series with a 109-79 aggregate triumph after Sunday's 69-31 win.
http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2630/72411801dd9.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/1680/72411806fj9.jpg
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/8303/72411860ew6.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7638/72412421ph0.jpg
DUBLIN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - A question mark hangs over the future of the International Rules Series between Ireland and Australia following violent scenes in the first quarter of Sunday's second test at Dublin's Croke Park stadium.
Calls to abandon the 22-year-old series came after an 82,000-strong crowd -- the largest in the history of the series -- watched a much-anticipated game degenerate swiftly into a pitched battle, with two players punished before the first ball had been thrown in.
The game, a hybrid of football developed to facilitate international matches between Australian rules footballers and Gaelic footballers, has come under fire in recent years for increased use of physical force.
"With bouts of football breaking out between fights and melees, seven players were yellow carded in the opening quarter," the Irish Examiner said of Sunday's game.
County Meath's Graham Geraghty was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital with an oxygen mask strapped to his face.
"The latest instalment of this grotesque parody of two fine sports should be the last," wrote the Irish Times on Monday. "(It's) time to say goodbye." Both sides blamed each other, with Australian manager Kevin Sheedy adamant that his players were reacting to Irish violence.
"I think Ireland were the aggressors last week and this week," he said.
Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) president Nickey Brennan described the scenes as "completely unacceptable" and said: "We have to reflect and review what happened."
The irony, many commentators said, was that the remainder of the match saw some fine play, particularly from Australia who secured the series with a 109-79 aggregate triumph after Sunday's 69-31 win.