The current international rules series between Australia and Ireland could be the last unless the AFL can convince the league’s best players to back the hybrid game.
The GAA has expressed concern about Australia’s recent inability to field a competitive team with Ireland winning easily away in 2011 and looking to repeat at home in 2013.
AFL officials, including football operations manager Mark Evans, met with their Gaelic counterparts this week to discuss the future.
No decisions were reached with the parties agreeing to talk again in a few months.
Evans on Friday said the GAA was keen to send a team to Australia in 2014 but it will come back to the AFL being able to hold up to its side of the bargain.
“We think the success of the series and the future of the series is dependent on getting the best players to participate – from the spectacle point of view, from an interest point of view and for the contest,” he told reporters in Dublin ahead of the second Test at Croke Park on Saturday night (Sunday morning AEDT).
Ireland won the first Test in Cavan 57-35.
Evans couldn’t guarantee the competition would continue beyond the current series but is hopeful the game can be revived possibly with the All-Australian team once again representing the AFL.
“I don’t want to talk about guarantees (but) what I will talk about is the flavour of the meeting which was very productive about how we can look to the future,” he said.
The compromise competition has lost its appeal since the rules were changed following the 2006 series when Ireland labelled Australia “thugs” after a number of players suffered injuries in violent incidents.
Hard bumps, slinging tackles, shepherding and physical intimidation were banned but Evans suggests in the intervening years the Gaelic players have become stronger meaning the advantage has now swung in their favour.
“Some of our very best players aren’t overly suited to the hybrid game,” he said.
“There’s some physicality in the game but we’ve been very protective of that given the recent history.
“But maybe … more (physicality) would be a good thing.”
Geelong goal sneak Mathew Stokes this week said he’d love to see more push and shove.
Evans said if the rules could be amended to allow bigger AFL players to participate again “then it might be that we’d go back to the All-Australian side representing Australia which seems to have been the best era for this game”.
Officials also discussed the possibility of holding the series in January or February or alternatively pushing it back to early November when the Irish club and county competitions are finished.