Saturday
Mostly sunny
Min: 13?C Max: 25?C
UV: Very High
Make sure that you come along to Mahoney Reserve this Saturday from 2.30pm. Attendance is free ... and as they say some of the best things in life are free.
I have had the pleasure of assisting with the training of both codes over the past few weeks & the one thing I can say is that this will be one cracker of a game in this inaugural clash between the two codes in Sydney.
Both sides are treating it like a true representative clash and it will be very interesting seeing the weakest AFL state against one of the strongest GAA states.
Both sides have played scratch matches at training & this is one hell of a quick game.
The AFL Sydney selectors have gone for a youth strategy with a number of superstars in the making. Over the past few weeks they have adapted pretty well to the round ball in training & have neutralised the competitive advantage that the Paddies thought they would have.
The GAA side have gone for a more physically mature side & won't be intimidated come Saturday. It all looks good for an enticing match & enough to whet the ole apetite for supporters from both codes.
A successful day may lead to this being a curtain raiser to future International Rules series with the Irish being keen to play one of the tests this year in Sydney - only to have it ruled out by the Rugby World Cup booking out all major venues.
So who will win? I think the GAA side will start very well & jump out of the gate. With the Mahoney ground being longer than the standard (and with 16 per side) I think the AFL Sydney side will gradually drag themselves back into the match & make it a cliff hanger in the final quarter. It could go either way but I predict the GAA side to hold on & win by 3 points.
In the earlier match I expect the ladies GAA side to win by 22.
Media Release from AFL (NSW/ACT)
International Rules takes centre stage in Sydney
With the AFL season done and dusted local footy fans need not despair ? this weekend the best young footballers from AFL Sydney will take on the NSW GAA in a huge International Rules match at Mahoney Park, Marrickville.
Kicking off at 4pm this Saturday, October 18, the highly anticipated match is in fact the first major International Rules event ever to be held in Sydney.
Match officials are preparing for an epic showdown between Sydney's finest Australian Football and Gaelic Football players with both sides bolstered by impressive recent performances.
The NSW GAA have been a powerhouse of the National Competition in recent years, having won the national titles in 2007. The AFL Sydney representative side surprised many this year, nearly defeating football heavyweights, Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), in a close match which saw AFL Sydney go down by less than a goal.
The AFL Sydney side will also showcase some of Sydney?s up and coming talented players, with two AFL scholarship listed players, Ted Strudwick (Melbourne) and Lachlan Pryor (North Melbourne) lining up for the representative side.
Pryor has had a busy few weeks, having recently travelled to Canberra for state screening during the draft camp. Pryor?s teammate Mitchell Frail also attended the state screening and the pair will surely strengthen the AFL Sydney line-up.
The big match is sure to set the stage for the highly anticipated International Rules series, which gets underway in Perth on Friday, October 24, with the second and final Test in Melbourne on October 31.
The visiting Irish International Rules team will then travel to Sydney to take on the NSW GAA in a Gaelic Football match on November 2, in what promises to be one of the biggest Gaelic football fixtures ever played in Australia.
Admission for this weekend is free. There will be a curtain raiser match between SWAFL and NSW GAA starting at 2:30pm.
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