Australian coach Mick Malthouse has come out in defence of goalkeeper Nathan Bock, despite replacing him for tomorrow's deciding Test against Ireland in Melbourne. Block keeps his place in the team, moving out to full back, with North Melbourne's Michael Firrito taking over between the sticks after starting the first Test at right corner back.
Malthouse has made just one change from his match-day 24 from last week's one-point defeat in Perth, with Geelong's Josh Hunt replacing the injured Scott Thompson.
The Australian coach was quick to absolve Bock of blame after his performance last week, pointing the finger at his fellow defenders.
"It's no demotion. It's simply a difficult game. Nathan is still part of the team and is treating it as such. It is no less a role. He's going to be playing on a very good footballer and knows he has to play the role," said Malthouse
"We don't have goalkeepers (in the AFL) and we are trying now to establish a goalkeeper. It's up to us to establish who is going to be best suited. Michael may well establish himself for the next five or six games.
"We're not disguising the fact that the Irish will attack him and he knows that, his team-mates know that. He's not a one-man band, he's got to get support and I reckon we let our goalkeeper down last week," he added.
Malthouse also played down the theory that his professional players are bound to be in better shape for the MCG decider.
"Everyone naturally assumes we're going to have massive improvement and therefore we're going to win the game. We will improve but I know that six young Irish players came over late because they were playing.
"There's no prediction that we are going to be substantially better than the Irish because that won't be the case. It is going to be another hard-fought game."
Irish boss Seán Boylan also believes his side must step up a gear or two if they are to regain the Cormac McAnallen Cup tomorrow.
"As sure as eggs are eggs we're going to have to improve to survive. That's a certainty but again that is part of the challenge. It's up to the lads on the field how they cope," he said.
The former Meath manager admitted that Down's Benny Coulter is an unlikely starter for but would not rule him out yet.
"We'll have to wait to see how he is. The way he was yesterday he wouldn't have played. The lads that had the bugs have come along really well. They seem to be a lot better. Some of the boys that had soft tissue injuries are coming up well."
AUSTRALIA:Michael Firrito (North Melbourne); Roger Hayden (Fremantle), Nathan Bock (Adelaide), Campbell Brown (Hawthorn); Ryan Crowley (Fremantle), Drew Petrie (North Melbourne), Adam Selwood (West Coast); Brent Harvey (North Melbourne), Daniel Wells (North Melbourne); Marc Murphy (Carlton), Jared Brennan (Brisbane Lions), David Rodan (Port Adelaide); Michael Osborne (Hawthorn), Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide), Matt Campbell (North Melbourne).
Interchange:Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs), Nathan Foley (Richmond), Josh Hunt (Geelong Cats), Leigh Montagna (St Kilda), Daniel Motlop (Port Adelaide), Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), Brad Sewell (Hawthorn), Kade Simpson (Carlton), Dale Thomas (Collingwood).