| Event | International Rules Series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Australia win series 109–79 on aggregate | |||||||
| First test | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | 28 October 2006 | ||||||
| Venue | Pearse Stadium,Galway | ||||||
| Referee | Pat McEnaney (Ireland)[1] Shane McInerney (Australia)[1] | ||||||
| Attendance | 35,000 | ||||||
| Second test | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | 5 November 2006 | ||||||
| Venue | Croke Park,Dublin | ||||||
| Referee | David Coldrick (Ireland)[1] Shane McInerney (Australia)[1] | ||||||
| Attendance | 82,127 (Sell Out) | ||||||
←2005 2008 → | |||||||
The2006 International Rules Series (officially the2006Coca-Cola International Rules Series) was the 13th annualInternational Rules Series and was played betweenIreland andAustralia.
The 2006 series involved two sell-out test matches, the first inGalway and the second inDublin. Both of the matches were alandmark occasion for the International Rules Series andIrish sport; the Galway test was the first international rules series match to be played under floodlights in Ireland and the first to be played outsideDublin, whilst the attendance for the second test was the largest in the history of international sport in Ireland.[2]
Both tests were again controversial due to the off-field actions of the Australian team and the on-field actions of both teams, as well as injury to several players from both sides.
Graham Geraghty was cited for a knee to the head of Australia'sLindsay Gilbee.
Off-field controversy also dominated the series.Brendan Fevola's assault of an Irish barman which resulted in his being sent home from the Australian tour brought the series into question for the behaviour and laid-back attitude which the professional Australian players have towards the series.[3]
A tackle by Australia'sDanyle Pearce on Ireland'sGraham Geraghty in the second test left Geraghty unconscious and requiring hospitalisation. The act was considered a "square up", further adding tensions to the series. Despite several on-field incidents, including a shirtfront byAdam Selwood which resulted in the broken nose of an Irish opponent and a headbutt to Australia'sRyan O'Keefe which left his face bloodied, red cards were not used and the actions were cleared by the match review panels.
Irish coachSeán Boylan publicly blamed thuggery and refereeing for Ireland's loss to Australia and called for the series to be scrapped. In December, 2006, theGAA decided not to participate in the series any further unless the Australians agreed to abide by a code of conduct and stricter rules regarding tackling.[3]
Ryan O'Keefe was awarded theJim Stynes Medal.[3]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ireland | 0.5.1 | 0.6.3 | 0.8.5 | 1.12.6 | (48) |
 Australia | 0.1.1 | 0.4.2 | 1.8.3 | 1.9.7 | (40) |
| Ireland won by 8 | |||||
| Date | Saturday, 28 October 2006 |
|---|---|
| Scoring (IRL) | Goals: Bergin Overs: McDonnell 4, Barden, Begley, Bergin, Brogan, Cavanagh, Earley, Geraghty, Kennelly |
| Scoring (AUS) | Goals: O'Keefe Overs: O'Keefe 3, Davis 2, Hall 2, Davey, Lappin |
| Best | IRL: Kelly, McDonnell, Fitzgerald, Bergin, McGeeney, Brogan AUS: Lappin, O'Keefe, Fletcher, Sherman, Hall, Davis |
| Injuries | Nil |
| Venue | Pearse Stadium,Galway |
| Attendance | 35,000 |
| Umpires | Pat McEnaney (Ireland) Shane McInerney (Australia) |
| Video | RTÉ Broadcast of the 1st Test (YouTube) |
| RTÉ Match report | |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 0.3.1 | 0.4.4 | 0.5.5 | 0.7.10 | (31) |
| Australia | 1.3.1 | 1.6.3 | 3.11.6 | 3.15.6 | (69) |
| Australia won by 38 | |||||
| Date | Sunday, 5 November 2006 |
|---|---|
| Scoring (IRL) | Goals: - Overs: Brogan 2, Earley 2, McDonnell 2, Coulter |
| Scoring (AUS) | Goals: Crowley, Goddard, Stanton Overs: Hall 4, Sherman 3, O'Keefe 2, Pearce 2, Bateman, Davey, Davis, Goddard |
| Best | IRL: Kelly, Lockhart, Cavanagh, Moyles, Coulter, McDonnell AUS: Pearce, Sherman, O'Keefe, Hall, Fletcher, Davey |
| Injuries | IRL: Geraghty (concussion) AUS: Brown (hand/lower back), Crowley (knee) |
| Venue | Croke Park,Dublin,County Dublin |
| Attendance | 82,127 |
| Umpires | David Coldrick (Ireland) Shane McInerney (Australia) |
| Video | RTÉ Broadcast of the 2nd Test (YouTube) |
| RTÉ Match report | |
As far as I'm concerned what happened out there in that first quarter today is not acceptable in any code of sport. It's not accepted on the street. How that could be termed as playing within the spirit of the game is beyond me.
— Seán Boylan, Ireland coach[4]
The 2006 series is remembered as a significant turning point in the history ofinternational rules football. The physicality and occasional violence in the second test marred the entire contest between the two nations and resulted in theGaelic Athletic Association (GAA) abandoning the planned2007 series and only agreeing to resume following a significant change to the game's code of conduct. On the pitch, Ireland managerSeán Boylan had to be convinced by his players not to abandon play at the end of the first, so serious was the off-the-ball meleeing. The sling tackle which resulted in a serious concussion to Ireland playerGraham Geraghty and forced play to stop in the first quarter dominated discussion post-match, whilst the trading of barbs and insults between the teams was prolific both before and after the final test.[5]
Don't get blinded by your passion. I think we won well, and I think it's very hard to win in Ireland, and I think we won because we were fitter. Every time Australia win the series is coming to an end. Unbelievable. You're the greatest conmen I've ever met.
— Kevin Sheedy, Australian coach[4]
No player was later sanctioned by theAustralian Football League (AFL) and GAA following the series, though a number of yellow cards (send-offs) were issued to players by both referees. The series would later go on to be ranked 10th by the Irish public in the one-off television program20 Moments That Shook Irish Sport. Despite eventually returning in2008, the International Rules Series struggled to maintain a place on the annual Irish and Australian sporting calendars, and the no test match since has come remotely close to the rivalling the sell-out crowd 82,000 who attended the second test match on a Sunday afternoon atCroke Park.[4][5][6] Others editorialised that the disgruntlement in the series demonstrated a difference in cultural values regarding aspects of the Indigenous Gaelic and Australian games such as umpiring methods and types of physicality deemed tolerable in the two sports.[7]
The hybrid game has always had its detractors, and the heavy-handed tactics that Kevin Sheedy's victorsdeployed in front of 82,127 Croke Park spectators – a record crowd for an international fixture held on Irish soil – will only add to their number.
