Compromise Rules first and then International Rules. Changes back to Uncompromising Rules and now, it appears, In Disrepute Rules. No matter what name you give them, what your viewpoint is about our annual relationships with our friends Down Under - are you pro the series or one of those to argue long and hard for their abandonment - the bottom line is the 2005 version will have interested you and indeed many people in the country who only have a passing knowledge of the games. The live broadcast from a hot and sticky Telstra Dome supplied the evidence and by the time I had made my way back to the hotel room the texting had begun. I understand news programmes and Liveline went big with the reaction to the aggression shown by the Aussies. It was something similar in downtown Melbourne. The players and their manager, Pete McGrath, hit out at the bullyboy tactics and most neutrals would agree they had a case. And it is interesting to wonder why their coach Kevin Sheedy and his panel of the best team yet to come from there, felt they had to up the ante physically for the second test and bring the standard of sportsmanship crashing down. To fail to understand is due to our lack of exposure to the professional Australian athlete of all codes and games. They are ultra competitive and the trouncing received in Croke Park in 2004 was going to be air brushed one way or the other. The Australians won the Series handsomely and their football (handball?) was outstanding by times. They outscored Ireland in the crucial area of overs (three pointers but 'points' in our GAA game) by a ratio of 3:1. Their support play and pace was top drawer and the 1st Test victory in The Subiaco stadium in Perth sent a few home truths in our direction. Their kicking for scores won the day. Having decided to move the ball via hands to the scoring zone, it was obvious they did not trust their long passing kicks. But when they closed in on 35 metres from the goalposts they worked clever hand passes that opened space for the kicker. And invariably they obliged with a score. The mark was an area where our hosts beat us all ends up also. And once they won in Perth by a record equalling margin, Melbourne immediately became damage limitation. And the daftness of comparing favourably our amateur fitness levels with deep professional conditioning was revealed as just that - daftness. They are stronger, bigger, faster and harder-end of story and when they are well drilled and determined to win the games they invariably will. Sheedy has now established a template for future success and they will be difficult to beat from now on. The Irish performance, and in some instances attitude, was disappointing. It is fair to say the touring team did not reach the level of competency we all expected. More damning, well over half the squad did not perform at anywhere close to optimum. That will be the most disappointing aspect for the management - too many players were in holiday mode when any international match demands serious attitude. Both parties - players and staff-must accept their role in that deal and move on. The atmosphere at both games was superb - sell out for the first game and 45,000 spectators for the second. The stadia facilities compared favourably with Croke Park and the view from the press area was near perfect - great central location and at a central tier that kept you close to the action. A huge Irish presence had gathered by the time we went east and they tried their best to raise the spirits of the underdogs. That the fans did not really get a chance to really shout was disappointing - playing catch up is not an easy starting point. I felt the northern Band of Brothers tried hardest and Tom Kelly from Laois gave a performance. The Cork lads burst a gut and Bryan Cullen had his moments. Yet they too ended up on the shoreline as the strong Australian tide washed them away. I was disappointed officials did not voice their concern while in The Land of Plenty but perhaps that is for another day in the spring. I hope so for the rules need urgent attention - indeed they needed attention before matters came to this ugly head. How a red carded player can be replaced defies logic - a coach could use five of his rotations to take out five key opponents if he so wished and be happy he would not suffer a numerical disadvantage. Now that the Aussies did away with their All Star Pick and tailored the selection for speedsters and skilled exponents, it is perhaps time that we too had a more in depth look at how we go about our selection. For sure, some players were picked on reputation and performance in last years series. Critically, their championship seasons had, in some cases, been very average. And the inclusion of Sean Og (who did fine it must be added), a hurler by preference and a player who has not played first class inter county football for some time, meant the omission of a top class footballer somewhere in the country. Is that fair? The question of management will arise and how we prepare will be part of the McGrath Report I am sure. It needs to be because if we are to stay competitive we need to crack on at speed with our own vision for success. The proximity of the All-Ireland Series to the squad prep time for the trip (or when playing at home) is a problem - can it be moved back to November? Many people wondered if this marriage has a future at all. I must say, when played well and in a sporting spirit-as in the first test - it is a spectacle that is easy on the eye. I admit to being sceptical about most aspects of these games but that game in the Subiaco won me over. A week later it crashed and burned. In the modern era even sport has a bottom line and more often it is not the column measuring speed, skill, scores, excitement. No, finance is a key consideration - the two countries are essentially at opposite ends of the world, and logistics are costly. I estimated over 90,000 fans went through the turnstiles and at a $Aus30 ticket that amounts to almost $Aus3 million. Throw in the key anchor sponsorships from Fosters when in Australia and Coca Cola when at home, the TV rights and ancillary monies and the deal must come in at the 4 million Aussie dollar mark. No small hill of beans. Or 4 million reasons it will continue? Tweet

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