London And Irish Games

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

GEEL   5.3   8.5   10.7   13.10 (88)
PA     3.1   6.3    8.6   10.7  (67)

GOALS: GEEL - Gamble 4, Egan, J.Hunt, Byrnes, Bartel, Batchelor, Stokes, McCarthy, Prismall, Milburn; PA - Cassisi 2, Mahoney 2, D. White 2, Bentley, Willits, Ebert, Giles.

BEST: GEEL - Bartel, Prismall, Stokes, Gamble, S.Hunt, West, Playfair; PA - Pearce, Salopek, Wakelin, Ebert, Mahoney

INJURY: PA - Wakelin (hamstring)

Port Adelaide registered the game's opening goal through Greg Bentley, but the Cats responded with the next 5 for a comfortable lead. Port clawed its way back with two late goals to trail by 14 points at 1/4 time.

Port opened the second term with another pair of goals with Cassisi's cutting the margin to just one point. But goals to McCarthy and Prismall restored Geelong's 14 point lead at 1/2 time.

Neither team could assert its authority in the third term as the match developed into an arm wrestle. Both sides kicked two goals each, but Port added one more point than the Cats in the term as Geelong went to 3/4 time with a 13 point lead.

Geelong pulled away from Port with 2 early goals in the final term, which was marred by several scuffles. Several streakers also interrupted the final term, but were quickly bundled off the ground by security. Port added two goals, but the Cats kept them at bay with a third for the term.

For the Cats, Bartel continued with his stellar 2006 form through the midfield, while draftee Gamble was impressive up forward.

For Port, second-year ruckman Fabian Deluca dominated the hitouts against Mark Blake and Trent West and also showed plenty of mobility around the ground. Rookie ruckman Jonathan Giles provided support to Deluca. Despite his beanpole frame (6'6' & 187 lbs.), Giles held his own in the ruck and up forward opposed to Geelong's Matthew Scarlett, taking a couple of strong marks. Also showing he might have a future as a ruckman was second year player Ryan Willits.

Source: afl.com & Adelaide Advertier

IRE   0.5.1   0.6.3    0.8.5   1.12.6 (48)
AUS   0.1.1   0.4.2    1.8.3    1.9.7 (40)

GOALS: AUS - O'Keefe; IRE - Bergin

OVERS: AUS - O'Keefe 3, Davis 2, Hall 2, Davey, Lappin; IRE - McDonnell 4, Barden, Begley, Bergin, Brogan, Cavanagh, Earley, Geraghty, Kennelly

BEST: AUS - Lappin, O'Keefe, Fletcher, Sherman, Hall, Davis;

IRE - Kelly, McDonnell, Fitzgerald, Bergin, McGeeney, Brogan

REPORTS: IRELAND - Graham Geraghty had a post match report laid against him for rough play against Bulldog Lindsay Gilbee.

UMPIRES: Pat McEnaney (Ireland), Shane McInerney (Australia)

CROWD: 30,000 (approx) at Pearse Stadium in Galway, Ireland

Ireland peppered its attacking zone early in the first term, putting Australia's defense under immense pressure. Ireland captain Kieran McGeeney was impressive during this period. Ireland kicked five overs to one for the term, including a terrific shot on the run from Sydney Swan Tadhg Kennelly. Australia's only over came from Sydney's Barry Hall. Carlton's Matthew Lappin had his over reversed and ruled a point, leaving Ireland with a 12 point lead at 1/4 time.

The Aussie defense improved in the second term, as did their scoring, with Bomber Dustin Fletcher particularly prominent as goalkeeper and the Aussies rebounded well out of the back line to score three overs to one for the term to trail by 7 points at 1/2 time.

The official half time entertainment was provided by an Irish band, but there was also some unofficial entertainment provided by several ground invaders. "Superman", a "sheik", "Warwick Capper", and a male streaker ran around the field, much to the amusement of the home crowd, who are accustomed to such antics. The invaders were allowed to have their run with no interference from security.

Australia lifted in the third term to outscore the Irish as they kicked four overs to two, with the second from Sydney's Nick Davis leveling the scores. Then with less than six minutes remaining in the term, O'Keefe booted a goal to give Australia a seven point lead. Irish player McDonnell booted a late over to reduce Australia's lead to four points at 3/4 time.

The final term was delayed briefly by another ground invader, but he was quickly removed from the field. And just minutes into the final term,  Ireland's Graham Geraghty was banished to the bench via a yellow card. And the Aussies stormed back into the match with 4 overs to take a one point lead late in the game. The Australians then decided to employ the AFL tactic of retaining possession and slow the game to protect that lead, but the ploy backfired when an errant pass from Eagle Adam Selwood gifted Ireland's McDonnell with an over to give Ireland the lead with 90 seconds left on the clock. Then, in the dying seconds, local hero Joe Bergin kicked Ireland's first and only goal for the match to ensure victory over the Aussies, who have not won in Ireland since 2002.

Australia needed to win the next game by nine points to win the series.

Carlton's Brendon Fevola was cut from the touring team in Ireland and sent home in disgrace after an altercation at a Galway nightclub. Reportedly, he became irked when a bartender cut him off, and reportedly wrestled with the man, putting him in a headlock, and struck him with a bottle when another staff member tried to intervene. Several other players then restrained Fevola. Police are investigating and the bartender - referred to as Paul - said he would press charges.
A female patron said most of the players - about 15 in all - were drunk when they arrived at the bar and were somewhat rowdy and loud, prompting complaints from other patrons.

Andrew Demetriou and the AFL a statement, which read, in part:

"Brendan offered a full unconditional apology for his actions. The matter of whether Brendan may face any police charges down the track is a matter for the Galway police, but the AFL will not tolerate such behavior from any player while representing our code and our competition....The AFL has offered a full unconditional apology to the Galway police and the staff of the nightclub and, on behalf of the AFL, we are extremely embarrassed and disappointed that one of our players has been involved in an incident of this nature while representing the competition on an international stage. We felt we had to act in the strongest possible terms to send a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated."

Fevola did not play in the first match, but was due to play in the second game.

The disciplinary committee comprised Demetriou, AFL Football Operations Manager Adrian Anderson, AFLPA CEO Brendan Gale, Coach Kevin Sheedy, and team captain Dustin Fletcher.

In a later interview, a repentant Fevola said the incident was the culmination of he and teammates, especially the indigenous players with racial taunts, being insulted wherever they went. However, this claim was denied by the other players and an angry Andrew Demetriou responded by saying Fevola owed the Irish an apology.

Fevola left Ireland the next day and was reported to be "hiding out" in Europe where he briefly met up with St. Kilda's Fraser Gehrig. He then returned to Ireland to apologize for his actions and face the law. However, after extensive investigations, Fevola was let off with a reprimand without having to face any court action or charges. Carlton has yet to decide if they will sanction him for his unsavory behavior.

Source: Melbourne Age, afl.com, & Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release

Iereland's Graham Geraghty pleaded not guilty at the international tribunal hearing held several days after the match and was cleared by an independent tribunal. The panel consisted of Irish representatives Padraig Duffy, Gareth O'Reilly, and Australian QC David Galbally.

The charge had been brought against Geraghty by international committee member and Australian talent manager Kevin Sheahan who claimed that Geraghty had acted in a "reckless and negligent fashion". Sheahan claimed Geraghty's knee made contact with Gilbee's head, forcing Gilbee to leave the ground with a head gash which required several stitches.

Geraghty's player representative Sean Walsh suggested the report made by Sheehan - who is independent from the Australian team on this tour - was a deliberate tactical ploy by the Aussies. He pointed out that Sheahan, as opposed to the referee, was the only person to make a report. He described the report as "vexatious and malicious" and claimed Geraghty had been targeted by the Australians.

Gilbee did not attend the hearing, but under International Rules laws had to make a statement which was presented at the hearing. In the statement he said he felt a knee to his head and suffered a head laceration which required treatment. However, Walsh, using video footage of the incident, showed that Geraghty's knee did not make contact to Gilbee's head and that Gilbee was injured in a separate passage of play.

Source: afl.com

AUS   1.3.1   1.6.3   3.11.6  3.15.6 (69)
IRE   0.3.1   0.4.4   0.5.5   0.7.10 (31)

GOALS: AUS - Stanton, Goddard, Crowley

OVERS: AUS - Hall 4, Sherman 3, Pearce 2, O'Keefe 2, Bateman, Goddard, Davey, Davis; IRE - Brogan 2, Early 2, McDonnell 2, Coulter

BEST: AUS - Fletcher, Sherman, Pearce, Davey, Goddard, Hall; IRE - Early, McDonnell, Coulter, Kelly, Lockhart

UMPIRES: S. McInerney (Australia), D. Coldrick (Ireland)

JIM STYNES MEDAL: Ryan O'Keefe (for best in series)

CROWD: 82,127 at Croke Park, Dublin

With no shortage of dramas since the first game - Fevola's disgrace, the Australians vowing to play tougher, the Irish press sledging the game and the Aussies, and the Aussies defending themselves and the concept - it was a guaranteed sell out for the second game.

Australian coach Kevin Sheedy had predicted a bruising encounter, and his team's 38-point victory over Ireland in game two of the International Rules series at Dublin's Croke Park was just that.

Entering the match, the Australians made some changes, including the loss of Lindsay Gilbee, who earlier in the week said the Australians would retaliate against Graham Geraghty. But Gilbee had to be replaced in the side by  St. Kilda Saint Brendon Goddard after injuring his quadricep during a warm up. Also coming into the team for his international debut was exciting young Docker Brett Peake and his teammate David Mundy, who sat out the first match. At the other end of the scale, it was the final game for Brisbane's Michael Voss.

The opening term began in a spiteful manner, with a several fights breaking out, one coming before the game started. Graham Geraghty was the first casualty, having to be stretchered off inside the first few minutes of play after hitting his head on the ground when tackled by Australia's Danyle Pearce. Geraghty was subsequently taken to the hospital while Pearce could come under scrutiny for slinging Geraghty to the ground - an illegal tactic in international rules. Aussie Chance Bateman and Irish player Paul Galvin both were sent from the field on yellow cards early in the first term, It was the Irish who drew first blood on the scoreboard with an over, but the Aussies hit back with a goal to Essendon's Brent Stanton.

From there, the Aussies dominated as the referees continued to put out spot fires around the ground. Ireland's Aidan O'Mahoney was yellow carded, while his teammate Shane Ryan smashed Hawthorn's Campbell Brown, leaving Brown to hobble off the field. But Australia continued its scoreboard dominance despite the physical attention, adding three consecutive overs through Swans O'Keefe and Barry Hall and Port's Danyle Pearce to jump out to a 15 point lead. O'Keefe was also involved in a tangle with Sean Martin Lockhart, with the duo physically separated by two different referees. Peake then tangled with Irish captain Kieran McGeeney, which resulted in the latter being sent off with a yellow card. The Irish scored an over through Brendan Coulter, who then got into it with Eagle Adam Selwood. Selwood, as a result, received the sixth yellow card for the match. When Alan Brogan and Dermot Earley scored two late overs, it cut the Australian lead to just six points at 1/4 time.

The Australians quickly restored their 15 point lead with another run of three overs to Bateman, Saint Brendan Goddard, and Demon livewire Aaron Davey. A combination of inaccuracy from the Irish and stout defense from the Australians kept the Aussies in front.

Joe Bergin, the hero of the first game, was denied a goal thanks to an excellent smother by O'Keefe and it wasn't until late in the term that Ireland's McDonnell soccered through an over which slipped past goalkeeper Dustin Fletcher. But the Aussies still held an 11 point lead at 1/2 time, as well as four points on series aggregate.

Australia blew Ireland away in the second half, with Dustin Fletcher making four sharp saves as goalkeeper - three of them in the opening minutes of the third term. Up forward, Brisbane's Justin Sherman, Pearce, and Nick Davis each scored three point overs to stretch Australia's lead. Davey narrowly missed kicking another Aussie goal, but when the ball hit the post, Goddard was in perfect position to gain possession on the rebound and slot a goal for Australia. When Docker Ryan Crowley goaled and Sherman added two overs, the Aussies led by a massive 38 points at 3/4 time. Ireland managed just one over for the term, to Alan Brogan.

The final term was party time for the Aussies as they added four more overs to Ireland's two for a comprehensive win. It was the seventh win out of 13 series for Australia in front of a record crowd in Dublin. The previous best crowd was 71,532 at Croke Park in the second Test in 2002. It was also Australia's fourth series win from the past five.

After the game, the Irish were fuming at the level of violence with GAA chief Sean Boylan calling it "thuggery" and accusing the Australians of deliberately targeting the Irish players. Boylan was so incensed at the brawling in the opening term of the second game, he wanted to call off the match at quarter time. The players refused and he let the game continue at their urging. He also accused Australian umpire Shane McInerney of being biased. Demetriou defended the referees, saying the aggression displayed by the players put a lot of pressure of the officials and it would not have mattered who was officiating.
AFL boss Andrew Demetriou and Australian coach Kevin Sheedy both defended the games and the players, although Demetriou admitted that the first term violence was "not a great advertisement" for the game. He said officials needed to sit down and discuss ways of preventing such incidents in the future. Sheedy told Irish reporters at his press conference to sit down and watch the game and said that the Irish were as much to blame for the fights as the Australians. He pointed out that Aussie player Ryan O'Keefe was headbutted and Matthew Lappin was kneed in the back.

Both Demetriou and Sheedy described the incident which saw Graham Geraghty concussed as an accident and both wished him well, saying no one likes to see a player injured.

Source: Melbourne Age & afl.com

There was also a Legends match played in Tasmania in mid-October with a Victorian team taking on a Tassie side. Final scores:

VIC  12.14 (86)
TAS  13.6 (84)

After the game, former Bulldog and current Carlton assistant coach Tony Liberatore called for the revival of State of Origin games, believing the support shown for the Legends game showed State games could again be successful.

The AFL discontinued State games in 1999 due to a lack of support and concerns from the AFL clubs of star players getting injured in the games, which were usually played midseason.

Source: Melbourne Age