After being called-up as a late addition to the Australian squad for the 2011 International Rules Series, Lions defender Joel Patfull has been busy preparing for his International debut this Friday night against Ireland at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast.

Patfull joined his fellow Aussie compatriots at training earlier this week after replacing injured Richmond utility Jake King in the squad.

The 26 year-old said he is now trying to familiarise himself with the hybrid ‘round ball’ game.

"I have mucked around with soccer balls a bit as a kid but I never played soccer, so that has been the hardest thing to try to adapt to," Patfull told The Courier Mail.

"I have been spending a fair bit of time on it. I think that is where a few of the boys struggled on Friday.”

"David Wojcinski from Geelong seems to have a grasp on it, he's the best I reckon, so he might be the one to try and copy."

While his inclusion has come quickly and unexpectedly, Patfull said it proved an easy decision when first approached.

"It is such a good opportunity, I didn't have to think twice about what I wanted to do," he said.

"I watched it last Friday night. I've always liked the game and what it is about.”

"Being able to play for Australia is not going to happen every day, so I've always wanted the chance to play."

The reliable defender has already been hard in training over the past month in readiness for the Lions’ 2012 pre-season campaign which officially kicks-off next Monday 7 November with a pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast.

"I have been doing a fair bit (of training). I had a few weeks off after the season, but I didn't have any injuries to slow me down and I got back into it pretty quickly," he said.

"I don't like losing too much fitness over the break. I was pretty unfit when I was 17 or 18 and I had to work hard to get fit and I made a conscious decision then to never lose condition."

Patfull will likely line-up against his fellow Lions team-mate Pearce Hanley, who played a key role in helping the Irish side to a big win in the first test at Etihad Stadium last week.

Patfull also becomes just the sixth current Lions player to represent his country in an International Rules Series - joining Hanley, Todd Banfield, Simon Black, Amon Buchanan and Andrew Raines.