Pies To Play Irish In Goodwill Bid
The Age
Thursday February 7, 2008
COLLINGWOOD has negotiated to play an away exhibition game against Dublin almost certainly at the end of this season in a bid to help repair the eroded relationship between the AFL and its Irish football counterparts.
While AFL boss Andrew Demetriou was holding peace talks in Dubai yesterday with a Gaelic Athletic Association delegation led by president Nicky Brennan, Magpies president Eddie McGuire flew into the United Arab Emirates city fresh from successful talks with GAA chiefs in Dublin. And in a further bonus for Australia-Ireland relations, the seemingly abandoned international rules series also looks set to be resurrected in Australia at the end of 2008 with talks between Demetriou and the GAA successfully breaking up late yesterday and the parties scheduling further planning today.The Dublin game, which McGuire believes could be staged at the end of this season or at the latest 2009, would take place at Croke Park, Dublin, with the Irish confident of a crowd of about 85,000. McGuire, who last year told The Age he wanted to become a goodwill ambassador between the AFL and the Irish in a bid to restore the International Rules series, held talks in Dublin with his CEO, Gary Pert. He did so with a blessing of the AFL and Magpies coach Mick Malthouse. "We're doing this to get the goodwill back into the competition," McGuire said. "We want to get the spirit right. We're not pulling a disparate side together with an overly nationalistic coach at the helm who might get a bit overexcited by the occasion. We're talking about an exchange of sporting ideals and a genuine cultural event. I know it sounds very schoolboy, but I think it has a lot of merit." The Irish were armed with 61 taped examples of dubious on-field incidents, which took place in recent clashes between the two codes, for the meeting with Demetriou. The genuine impression from the Irish was that the GAA was keen to resurrect the International Rules series, which could take place in Australia at the end of the 2008 season, as part of the AFL's 150th celebrations. With the GAA celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2009, the Irish appear keen to stage an international rules series every two years. McGuire and Pert arrived in Dubai yesterday in preparation for Saturday's NAB Cup season opener against Adelaide to be played in Abu Dhabi.The pair were also doing business for the Magpies in London, where they dined with Prince Andrew. "We are keen to reinforce once again that we are not only the biggest team in Melbourne, but also nationally, and that we have a lot to contribute internationally," McGuire said.Collingwood would fund its trip to Ireland while a deal regarding gate-sharing has not yet been settled. The Magpies squad was scheduled to arrive in Dubai from South Africa early today.
© 2008 The Age
