"Were Going Through a Weird Patch With the Draft and Free Agency" - Peter Ryan, The Age (20.10.2026)

Mark Duffield (0:00)

But now, it's time to talk some footy. And we've got The Age's Pete Ryan on the phone now. Pete, welcome.

Peter Ryan (0:08)

G'day, Duff. Mention Boland, and you'll always have my support. I went to the same school as Scotty, and he grew up around the corner from where I grew up, so we want him in the team every time.

Mark Duffield (0:19)

Did you have to face him in the nets, Pete?

Peter Ryan (0:23)

No.

If I hadn't, I wouldn't be here to tell the tale, or I certainly would have made a hole in the netting at about Square League. He's gone pretty well though, it's great. And the town of Parkdale will really get behind him, to be honest, it's great.

Mark Duffield (0:37)

No, he's fantastic. He drops the ball on a hanky every time he runs in, and he gets a bit of nibble both ways, and that's all you need to do to knock good batters over. Hey, interesting thing that caught my eye yesterday, are we going to see a return of international rules in the AFL against Ireland?

Peter Ryan (0:56)

It looks like it, doesn't it Duff? I think Tom Haley and Greg Swammer over in Ireland, Dublin, meeting the GAA last week with Tristan Walker, who I know was part of the international rules trip to Dublin back in 2015 And that was a tour that the players loved. Alistair Clarkson led that tour, Chris Scott and Ross Lymer on it, and it was lifelong friends really made from that tour.

It's been played in Australia a few times since. I think it's something that they want to regenerate because the players love it so much. I'm not sure the general public gets that excited about it, although they have good crowds at Croke Park, but it's certainly something that the players really aspire to be a part of.

Mark Duffield (1:41)

So what are we looking at? Are we looking at a series or a game next year, or are we looking at something in 2028?

Peter Ryan (1:50)

I think we're looking at something in 2028 that could be a... Generally, it depends on time. I mean, they only had a one-off test back in 2015, and they had a couple of tests in, you know, if they're late before COVID, basically.

I think that at the moment, they put their feet in the water pretty tentatively and have one test, perhaps two, and then try and make it a biannual thing that they can go back and forth between each country so the Irish come out every couple of years and the Australians do the same thing. Interestingly, when they went in 2015, they made a detour to New York, which was very well received by the players. I'm not sure it had a lot to do with their performance in the international rules, but they really went out to make it a big thing for the players to aspire to.

Mark Duffield (2:44)

What's your view on it yourself? Does it hold any meaning for you, or is it just a novelty thing that brings two countries together, or sometimes splits them apart, depending on what happens on the field?

Peter Ryan (2:59)

Yeah, look, I think it's something in it. I'm a supporter of it, not necessarily because at the moment, it has got great passion attached to it among supporters, but certainly the players feel that passion of representing Australia in something that is meaningful against an Irish squad that are also great athletes.

And they make connections with that game and an understanding of that game. It's difficult, as you know, Duff, because you're picking up a, you know, round ball and competing in different rules. They weren't so enamoured with the tackling and so on that the Australians display.

And you do, obviously, have preparations a little bit more relaxed than it would be for a normal international. But I reckon that every player went on that tour, and certainly myself being a part of that, it is one of the highlights of your career, to actually go there and feel like you're part of something bigger than what is really an Indigenous and regional game, and get to know some of the Irish boys and some of the Irish culture. And look, 40 years down the tracks, they actually got to go on with some consistency. It could be a really good thing, and we've seen that with the women particularly. So I think it's worth the investment, but I'm probably a little bit biased because the experience was so good when I went over. So it's something to be part of, it's just whether they can capture the hearts and minds of Australians watching at home, that's the big question.