AUSTRALIAN coach Rodney Eade has no concerns about his team being overly physical in this year's International Rules Series.
While acknowledging that his team's main advantage over the Irish was its understanding of tackling, Eade it was unlikely physicality would spill over, as had been the case in previous series.
"Their use of the round ball is going to be an advantage for them," Eade said.
"The advantage we've got is hopefully our fitness and hopefully our ability to put pressure on the opposition. That's what we need to do."
Eade, who is coaching his first series of International Rules, said there was a major difference between putting physical pressure on an opponent and outright violence.
"I think it's a pretty strong line. It's not a grey line. The fact is you have to tackle properly, the head is sacrosanct, you don't shirtfront people and you don't hit people late. But you've got to tackle and put pressure on them," he said.
Eade mentioned Hawthorn pair Matt Suckling and Liam Shiels, as well as Gold Coast's Trent McKenzie and Richmond's Robbie Nahas, as players who had adapted quickly to the hybrid concept
He said it was vital the two countries had a cordial relationship.
"We certainly need to play within the spirit of the game and we need to foster those relations between the two countries," he said.
"We need this series to keep going because I think it's a real plus for our players. Having said that, we need to be able to tackle well and pressure them."
But Brad Green, who was announced as captain of the Australian team on Tuesday, said his team would not take Ireland lightly.
"The Irish are as passionate as you can get," Green said.
"They're not coming over here to have a holiday and taste our Guinness. They're over here to come over and take us on and win back the series."
Green was part of the 2004 and 2010 Australian teams that toured Ireland but as he approaches his first series on home soil, he said a weekend camp in the Victorian coastal town of Torquay helped simulate a similar touring environment.
"Any time you get a new team together and try to jell within a few days, it's always different. I suppose going to Ireland you're living with each other 24/7," he said.
"We've been down at Torquay for the last few days but I think the way this group has come together is the same as what we would have done when we have been to Ireland in the past. We've been away for a couple of days now and the group has been living in each other's pockets and jelled pretty quickly which is great."
The first IRS Test will be played at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on Friday October 28, with the second Test played at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast on Friday November 4. AFL.com.au will cover both games through our live match centre including radio via SEN. Tickets are now on sale via Ticketmaster: call 1300 136 122 or visit ticketmaster.com.au
Follow Luke Holmesby on Twitter - @AFL_LHolmesby
