This is one Lyon's team that the Irish won't be shouting for. Taking over the managerial hot seat surprisingly vacated by Dermot Brereton, Melbourne Demons star of the 1980s Garry Lyon will lead the AFL professionals against the touring GAA amateurs when the International Compromise Rules series rolls Down Under in October.
As his nemesis Brian McEniff immerses himself in the assembly of the Irish team - which is expected to include Sydney Swan Tadhg Kennelly - the first task facing Lyon will be a quick familiarisation with the task that faces him.
"I'm really looking forward to the series. I go to bed at night thinking about it and wake up thinking about it. As it's my first foray into management, I'm keen to do it as well as I can. We're going to represent our country and it doesn't really get any better than that."
In the space of just a few months - following Brereton's sudden resignation for personal reasons - Lyon will have to pick a panel of AFL stars, bring them together as one entity for the first time and become proficient in the nuances of the hybrid code.
"Initially, I've got to get myself up to speed - I've about 12 weeks to pour over tapes of previous games, sit down with the match committee and work out how I'd like to see the game played. That's a big challenge. I think I get the players three or four days before the first game, but the beauty of it all is that they are the best footballers in the country - there's a reason for them being the best - and they'll learn quickly."
Lyon believes that last year's series win "sets the bar pretty high", and he doesn't expect the Irish to lie down after being beaten on home soil. "
The best way to avenge that kind of defeat is to reciprocate, and I'm expecting the Irish to come over here hell bent on revenge. It makes for a very competitive series." His own brush with compromised rules can be traced back to 1984, when he toured as part of the Australian junior squad. Little did he think back then that nearly two decades later, he'd be at the helm of the senior team as it bids to put series wins back to back.
"In 1984, we spent four weeks covering the length and breadth of Ireland which is about it for me in terms of playing the game. The hospitality of the Irish people is something that's quite legendary in Australia and that was certainly borne out when we were there."
He is looking forward to going back to Ireland next year.
"Well, firstly, we are so much looking forward to hosting Ireland here. We've all seen the support that the Lions got - the crowd and atmosphere were quite spectacular and we think we can emulate that at the MCG and Football Park (Adelaide). That's going to be enormously exciting for us. And then to go over to Ireland next year, where it's been so well embraced by everyone, it's just a fantastic opportunity for all concerned." Lyon made his AFL debut in 1986 and kicked 426 goals in 226 games. He picked up two Best & Fairest Awards with the Demons' (in 1990 and 1994) and captained the side from 1991 until 1997, before retiring through injury two years later. He thinks this one and only international forum for AFL and GAA players is something that will go from strength to strength.
"As a player who played a lot of state of origin football - which was as high as we could go - to now be able to represent your country in a relevant and serious series is just superb.
"We always looked enviously at our cricketers, our rugby players, our tennis players and swimmers, and up until the reintroduction of the series thought we'd never get the chance. But now we have and it's just superb."
Lyon (34) will team up again with team-mate of 14 years Jim Stynes who remains on as assistant coach and believes that a third Test game would make the series more decisive.
