Tweet
By Jennifer Witham
GOLD Coast recruit Gary Ablett was a surprise omission as Australia named a relatively inexperienced International Rules outfit for the upcoming two-Test series against Ireland.
Sixteen players will make their international debut on Irish soil later this month.
Only six players in the 22-man squad - Matthew Boyd, Dustin Fletcher, Adam Goodes, Brad Green, Leigh Montagna and Kade Simpson - have played the hybrid sport before.
Recent premiership players Tyson Goldsack - who played in the Pies' win after missing the drawn grand final - and Dane Swan will make up the Collingwood contingent.
St Kilda's Sam Gilbert and Montagna will also make the trip.
The squad has pace with Travis Varcoe, David Wojcinski, Todd Banfield named while there is plenty of goalkicking firepower with Eddie Betts, Patrick Dangerfield, Jarrad McVeigh and Jack Riewoldt to travel.
Swan Kieren Jack has been named, alongside fellow youngsters James Frawley - fresh from his All Australian recognition - Bryce Gibbs and Garrick Ibbotson.
Hard-working midfielders Daniel Cross and Paul Duffield make up the squad, which is notably minus new Gold Coast Sun Ablett, who was touted to be playing.
Carlton and the Sydney Swans have the biggest representation with three players from each team named in the squad.
The Western Bulldogs, Fremantle, Melbourne, St Kilda, Collingwood and Geelong have two representatives apiece while the Brisbane Lions, Adelaide, Essendon and Richmond each have one player.
Fletcher will return to Ireland after captaining the side on its victorious last trip to Ireland in 2006, while Simpson will be looking to win his second Jim Stynes medal for the country's best player after claiming the prize in the 2008 series, staged on home soil.
The Australian team, which will be coached by recent Collingwood premiership coach Mick Malthouse, will leave for Ireland on Saturday, October 16.
The team will gather together in Melbourne next Friday before departure.
The first Test will be played at Limerick on Saturday October 23 and the second at Croke Park in Dublin a week later.
Full squad:
Todd Banfield (Brisbane Lions)
Eddie Betts (Carlton)
Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs)
Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs)
Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide Crows)
Paul Duffield (Fremantle)
Dustin Fletcher (Essendon)
James Frawley (Melbourne)
Bryce Gibbs (Carlton)
Sam Gilbert (St Kilda)
Tyson Goldsack (Collingwood)
Adam Goodes (Sydney Swans)
Brad Green (Melbourne)
Garrick Ibbotson (Fremantle)
Kieran Jack (Sydney Swans)
Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans)
Leigh Montagna (St Kilda)
Jack Riewoldt (Richmond)
Kade Simpson (Carlton)
Dane Swan (Collingwood)
Travis Varcoe (Geelong Cats)
David Wojcinski (Geelong Cats)
GOLD Coast recruit Gary Ablett was a surprise omission as Australia named a relatively inexperienced International Rules outfit for the upcoming two-Test series against Ireland.
Sixteen players will make their international debut on Irish soil later this month.
Only six players in the 22-man squad - Matthew Boyd, Dustin Fletcher, Adam Goodes, Brad Green, Leigh Montagna and Kade Simpson - have played the hybrid sport before.
Recent premiership players Tyson Goldsack - who played in the Pies' win after missing the drawn grand final - and Dane Swan will make up the Collingwood contingent.
St Kilda's Sam Gilbert and Montagna will also make the trip.
The squad has pace with Travis Varcoe, David Wojcinski, Todd Banfield named while there is plenty of goalkicking firepower with Eddie Betts, Patrick Dangerfield, Jarrad McVeigh and Jack Riewoldt to travel.
Swan Kieren Jack has been named, alongside fellow youngsters James Frawley - fresh from his All Australian recognition - Bryce Gibbs and Garrick Ibbotson.
Hard-working midfielders Daniel Cross and Paul Duffield make up the squad, which is notably minus new Gold Coast Sun Ablett, who was touted to be playing.
Carlton and the Sydney Swans have the biggest representation with three players from each team named in the squad.
The Western Bulldogs, Fremantle, Melbourne, St Kilda, Collingwood and Geelong have two representatives apiece while the Brisbane Lions, Adelaide, Essendon and Richmond each have one player.
Fletcher will return to Ireland after captaining the side on its victorious last trip to Ireland in 2006, while Simpson will be looking to win his second Jim Stynes medal for the country's best player after claiming the prize in the 2008 series, staged on home soil.
The Australian team, which will be coached by recent Collingwood premiership coach Mick Malthouse, will leave for Ireland on Saturday, October 16.
The team will gather together in Melbourne next Friday before departure.
The first Test will be played at Limerick on Saturday October 23 and the second at Croke Park in Dublin a week later.
Full squad:
Todd Banfield (Brisbane Lions)
Eddie Betts (Carlton)
Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs)
Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs)
Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide Crows)
Paul Duffield (Fremantle)
Dustin Fletcher (Essendon)
James Frawley (Melbourne)
Bryce Gibbs (Carlton)
Sam Gilbert (St Kilda)
Tyson Goldsack (Collingwood)
Adam Goodes (Sydney Swans)
Brad Green (Melbourne)
Garrick Ibbotson (Fremantle)
Kieran Jack (Sydney Swans)
Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans)
Leigh Montagna (St Kilda)
Jack Riewoldt (Richmond)
Kade Simpson (Carlton)
Dane Swan (Collingwood)
Travis Varcoe (Geelong Cats)
David Wojcinski (Geelong Cats)
Comment