Australia's International Rules panel arrives in Dublin tomorrow night in some disarray due to injuries and withdrawals. The finalised travelling party will be without goalkeeper Stephen Silvagni and the last two captains, Nathan Buckley and Wayne Carey - both set to undergo surgery in what is the Australians' close season.
And in a bizarre twist earlier today, it was announced that Jeff Farmer, the Melbourne Demons forward, had been replaced by Essendon's Chris Heffernan for not turning up for training camp over the weekend.
Neither Australian nor Melbourne officials have been able to locate or speak to Farmer. The Demons confirmed, however, that he was in Western Australia, though uncontactable. Talking to the Melbourne Age national selector Gerard Healy was unperturbed.
"Chris more than adequately covers for Jeff Farmer," Healy said. "Jeff had yet to prove he had come to grips with this game. We weren't going over there expecting him to be the star player he's been for Melbourne."
Farmer's club will play an exhibition match against Adelaide in London this Saturday.
Carey was to be captain for the tour, as he was two years ago on the Australians' first visit of the revived series. Injury-prone, he missed last year's series in Melbourne and Adelaide. An inspirational figure who is the longest-serving club captain in the history of the North Melbourne Kangaroos, he will be a major loss.
Nonetheless, the biggest loss is that of Buckley. Vice-captain two years ago and captain last year in Carey's absence, he is the Australian player most accomplished at International Rules.
Man of the match in the first test in 1998, he was Australia's best player last year and kicked the over (three points) which secured a draw for Australia in Adelaide and prevented an Irish whitewash of the two-match series.
The withdrawal of the two means that none of the captains and vice-captains in either country made the initial panels. Ireland's captain John McDermott of Meath was ruled out because of work commitments and his vice-captain, Tyrone's Peter Canavan, was named only in the stand-by list, but was called up after the All-Ireland ended in a draw and ruled out the six Galway and Kerry players. Australia's vice-captain from last year Shane Crawford similarly hasn't made his country's panel.
Silvagni's absence is a less obvious setback, but a serious one nonetheless. As there is no goalkeeping position in Australian Rules, special provision has to be made. Silvagni is a highly-rated full back in his game (and made the Team of the Century in that position), but was also a very good goalkeeper in the last two International Rules series. His withdrawal was exacerbated when Silvagni's replacement Dustin Fletcher, having been specially trained in the role, also withdrew.
Former Dublin minor and Australian Rules Brownlow Medal winner Jim Stynes is assistant coach to the travelling Australians and, with his football background, has the task of preparing the goalkeeper. He will have his work cut out to turn one of the travelling players into as useful a goalkeeper as Silvagni was.
On the training ground, the Australians had their first run-out with a practice match on Sunday against the Academy under-17s in Melbourne on Sunday.
"It was a bit of a wake-up for some of our guys," Brereton said. "They realise that once they gave the ball up, possession-wise, it was a chase 100 metres in the other direction. The game we will be playing will be a lot more running orientated for us than the Irish because they can spot a bloke 40 metres away and pass the ball to him better than us."
On arrival, the Australians will play a warm-up match against a Dublin selection at Parnell Park on Thursday evening. The occasion will be a fund-raiser for Cumann na mBunscol, Ath Cliath.
The Dublin selection will include the county's three members of the international panel, Ciaran Whelan, Paddy Christie and Jon McGee. The team is prepared by Erin's Isle's Mick Downes, Dermot Murphy and Mick Noonan with the assistance of Gay McCabe who has refereed the under-17 International Rules matches. Ireland and Dublin jerseys will be raffled at half-time.
Tickets for Sunday's first test will go on sale from the ticket shop at the rear of the new Cusack Stand, Croke Park from 11.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. today and from 11.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.
The prices are: Cusack & Canal Stand £13.00; family tickets (two adults & two juveniles) £28.00; Hill 16 £6.00; Students (admission to Hill 16) £4.00 (with ID); Senior Citizens (Nally Stand) £5.00.
