Why Ireland needs to continue the International series against Australia
Ireland have been comprehensively beaten by Australia on an aggregate score of 163-106 and nobody could argue that the better team won. There are some calling for the series to be abandoned. Some say that it's a mismatch, amateurs against professionals. Others say that the GAA have degraded our national sport and have made it look poor in full view of the southern hemisphere. The fact of the matter is that GAA football was not played today, so how could playing this series degrade a sport that wasn't on show?
Shortcomings are never an excuse to throw in the towel. The reason that Australia scored more was because of their dramatic improvement when it comes to kicking the bar over the bar. Sounds over simplistic, doesn't it? The next time the Faroe Islands plays Brazil, they could get hockeyed 10-0. Will they abandon the effort completely because their players all have full-time jobs?
The Aussies had lost the two previous series which provoked yet more calls for the GAA to ditch the contest. They were accused of not taking it seriously. Now that it seems they have taken it seriously the same ridiculous demands are being made for its demise.
It's tiresome to hear these complaints. If these nay-sayers had their way, the All-Ireland series would have been abandoned this year because of the abjectly poor contest last year between Kerry and Mayo.
How's about any future Irish team learns how to evade the tackle, release the ball quickly and kick the ball instead of running into dark alleys with all this handpassing? Tyrone get away with this because they don't have to face the wrap-around tackle in Gaelic football. Another novel idea would be not to select players who are 5 ft nothing and can be swatted away by a big Aboriginal** arm. Ross Munnelly and Gooch are class acts at home but it isn't travel sickness that turns them into poor compromise players.
In my view, here was a fantastic opportunity to play to our strengths and glamourise the skills of our players. Here was the chance to take on brutes and beat them with guile and craft. We did it in the past against men of equally-gigantic stature. Everyone loves the story where David slayed Goliath. Next time they come over here, we just need to select the right sling and the right stone.
PS - used the word "aboriginal" because I'm a racist apparently. Word was used for polemical purposes but some people failed to see the motive for using it.
Published by Colm.
Shortcomings are never an excuse to throw in the towel. The reason that Australia scored more was because of their dramatic improvement when it comes to kicking the bar over the bar. Sounds over simplistic, doesn't it? The next time the Faroe Islands plays Brazil, they could get hockeyed 10-0. Will they abandon the effort completely because their players all have full-time jobs?
The Aussies had lost the two previous series which provoked yet more calls for the GAA to ditch the contest. They were accused of not taking it seriously. Now that it seems they have taken it seriously the same ridiculous demands are being made for its demise.
It's tiresome to hear these complaints. If these nay-sayers had their way, the All-Ireland series would have been abandoned this year because of the abjectly poor contest last year between Kerry and Mayo.
How's about any future Irish team learns how to evade the tackle, release the ball quickly and kick the ball instead of running into dark alleys with all this handpassing? Tyrone get away with this because they don't have to face the wrap-around tackle in Gaelic football. Another novel idea would be not to select players who are 5 ft nothing and can be swatted away by a big Aboriginal** arm. Ross Munnelly and Gooch are class acts at home but it isn't travel sickness that turns them into poor compromise players.
In my view, here was a fantastic opportunity to play to our strengths and glamourise the skills of our players. Here was the chance to take on brutes and beat them with guile and craft. We did it in the past against men of equally-gigantic stature. Everyone loves the story where David slayed Goliath. Next time they come over here, we just need to select the right sling and the right stone.
PS - used the word "aboriginal" because I'm a racist apparently. Word was used for polemical purposes but some people failed to see the motive for using it.
Published by Colm.
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