- 08 Oct 08, 12:39#70281
any Irish members going to be watching the games? Hopefully the Aussies will play for the ball and not for the biffo
AFTER a year in the wilderness, the International Rules Series is back and Fremantle tagger Ryan Crowley thinks the AFL's best players will be eager to pull on an Australian jumper.
Crowley and West Coast midfielder Adam Selwood, who both represented Australia in the 2006 series, launched the hybrid format's return from Subiaco Oval back in August and Crowley drew on the thrill of representing his country.
"When you pull on that Australian jumper it's a weird sort of feeling, you get that sort of sense of playing for your country and you've got the whole country looking at you," he said.
"Just watching the Olympics over the last couple of weeks and seeing everybody being able to play for their country and perform for their country, any opportunity you get to do that ... it's pretty limited so it'd be very exciting."
Both players are part of an initial squad and both expressed a desire to play; Selwood's enthusiasm for the format cannot be doubted after accepting an offer to play just two days after receiving his premiership medallion in 2006.
"I'd just won the grand final and got told on Mad Monday that I was in the side if I wanted to, so luckily they got to me early," he said.
"Two weeks later I was back training again but it didn't worry me, I just wanted to cap the year off as best I could.
"I knew I had a little bit more to give, I'd played the 26 games of the season but I never knew when this opportunity would happen again, so you've just got to take it when it comes."
The first test will be held at Subiaco Oval on October 24 with the second to take place a week later in Melbourne.
Selwood said the prospect of representing Australia in front of his home crowd in Perth and then family in Melbourne was enticing.
He also hinted at the prospect of success in a lean season for his side.
"I think it would be a great achievement for anyone from both [WA] clubs, something to look forward to and probably get something out of the year," he said.
"We're both not going to play finals and that's the disappointing thing from this year, but if we get the opportunity guys will be putting their hand up for sure."
"I kind of enjoyed it [in 2006] because a lot of the guys that I play on during the year are actually my teammates, so it was good for them to see that I'm not an idiot all the time," Crowley added.
However, following the violent scenes in Ireland that marred the 2006 series, Crowley conceded the physicality would be dulled this time around.
"It is pretty fiery, and I think in the last series the Irish gave as good as they got," he said.
"But I suppose with all the press that came along with the last series we might have to tone it down a little bit.
"None of us go out there to intentionally hurt an Irish player, it's just the contrast in the sports. I think that being professional we're just a lot stronger than they are and they probably read the game a lot better."
any Irish members going to be watching the games? Hopefully the Aussies will play for the ball and not for the biffo
