Post-match interviews
following an emphatic 78-28 victory for Ulster's GAA players against a touring
Australian side. The games of Gaelic Football and Australian Rules Football
were deemed similar enough for a hybrid sport, based on the rules of both, to
be proposed. This was finally formalised in 1984, when an Australian touring
side came to Ireland for a three-match test series against an Irish
representative side of the best GAA players. These were bruising encounters
with both sets of players perhaps determined to show who was the toughest, as
well as the most skilful.
After losing the first test,
Ireland narrowly won the second before falling just short in the decider.
However, in between the first and second games the Australians travelled north
to face an Ulster representative side in Armagh where they were put to the
sword on a memorable day.
The
Ulster coach, Peter McGinnity, admits that perhaps the rule changes made for
the game that day favoured the GAA team, but feels the matches are worth
continuing with if a finer balance between the two codes can be found. Ulster
player Dermot McNicholl, and Australian coach John Todd share their views on
the history-making clash of the codes.