Geaney up for the Test
Ireland trail Aussies by 10 points after first Test
IT’S a game that leaves many Gaelic football lovers cold, but the oft-maligned International Rules Series between Ireland’s Gaelic footballers and the best of the Australian Football League heats up this week in anticipation of next Saturday’s second test match (8.45am Irish time) in Perth’s Subiaco Oval.
Ireland trail Australia by 10 points, 6353, after last Sunday’s opening game in Adelaide, and the Joe Kernan managed Irish team, of which Darragh Ó Sé is a selector, have it all to do if they are to retain the Cormac McAnallen Cup.
Kerry players Peter Crowley, Paul Murphy and Paul Geaney all played some part in last Sunday’s match, played under soaring early afternoon temperatures in South Australia, with Geaney one of only six Irish players to score for the tourists. Geaney, who arrived in Australia a week after collecting Kerry’s only All Star award for 2017, was disappointed with the result and frustrated by his own performance after missing a number of chances, including a great goal opportunity that was well saved by goalkeeper Brendon Goddard.
“We’ll be chomping at the bit to have another go against them. It’s great that we have a chance to get it right,” said Geaney, who scored one ‘over’ (the equivalent of a Gaelic football point). “If I nail those chances next week and other lads do the same, we’re in with a shout.
“WE all learned a lot - there’s no doubt about that. We need to make that count next Saturday. The way the game went, I had to push out a small bit more and they really pressed from the back when they got the ball. They do that very well. They had three runners straight off. We tried to leave two (players) inside and it just wasn’t working. We probably have to change that for next week but we’ll see,” the Dingle man said.
Reflecting on those missed chances during the game, Geaney said: “I just fancied (over chance) off my left because the breeze was helping it. I didn’t catch it, I’ll say I’ll leave it off the next time I get the chance for one! The one-on-one (goal chance) I had to do it because if I took it on (Goddard) was tackling and I was going to be smothered and it would have been a turnover. I could have tried to kick it higher and harder but the goal was empty and it was a case of just getting it over him. I hit the post with another one.”