SAM MITCHELL will fill one of the few remaining holes in his football CV when he lines up for Australia in next month's International Rules Test.

 

It's hard to believe that Australia's game against Ireland at Patersons Stadium will be the first International Rules contest Mitchell has played in.

 

The four-time Hawthorn best and fairest winner modestly explained this anomaly by saying that for much of his career the Australian selectors had preferred to pick quicker players.

 

Nonetheless, Mitchell, 32, told AFL.com.au he is genuinely excited to be making his International Rules debut as part of a 24-man Australian squad that ranks among the strongest ever assembled.

 

The former Hawks skipper also sees this year's series as a great opportunity to learn.

 

He is particularly looking forward to working with Australian assistant coaches Ross Lyon and Chris Scott, saying their involvement in this year's series was a significant factor in him signing on.

"I've played against both of those guys' teams many, many times and you're always coming up against something different," Mitchell said.

 

"I'm looking forward to getting to know those coaches firsthand and to see how they go about things.

 

"Being able to learn a little bit about the game from someone other than 'Clarko' (Alastair Clarkson) will be nice too."

 

Mitchell also believes he can learn a lot from the Australian team's oldest member, North Melbourne star Brent Harvey.

 

"Brent Harvey has been such a significant player for such a long period that I'm really looking forward to just seeing the way he goes about and how much training he still does to still be able to run around at such a high level," Mitchell said.

 

"I'm looking forward to playing with a guy like that and trying to learn from all of his experience."

 

Although Mitchell has long kicked a soccer ball around before Hawthorn training, he had not kicked a Gaelic ball until last week.

 

He has since been experimenting with different kicking styles for short and long passes, but admits he has some work to do ahead of the Test.

 

Along with the rest of the Australian team, Mitchell has already been sent edited video footage of the past two International Rules series, with the Australian coaching staff highlighting how they want their team to defend and attack.

 

Ireland has won the past two series by record margins, clinching the Cormac McAnallen Perpetual Trophy by a combined 65 points in Australia in 2011 and by 101 points in Ireland last year.

 

But Mitchell says the Aussies believe they can reverse those results in Perth, provided they put enough pressure on the Irish.

 

"They're used to playing a certain game style in their Gaelic game and if we can bring a little bit more of the AFL side of things to it then I think they won't be as attuned to dealing with that," Mitchell said.

 

"It is a hybrid game so there are some aspects of our game that are going to trouble them, the same way that some aspects of their game are going to trouble us.

 

"But when you look at the quality of players we've got, you think it's going to be a pretty good result for us."

Joel Selwood models the Australian jumper ahead of the 2014 International Rules Series. Picture: AFL Media