CHAD Wingard believes the superior fitness of the AFL stars will overcome their deficiencies with the round ball in the Virgin Australia International Rules Series.
Ireland will be eager to retain the Cormac McAnallen Cup when they face Australia in the two-Test series at Adelaide Oval on November 12 and Domain Stadium in Perth on November 18.
Wingard – who played in the Australian team that claimed the one-off Test in Perth in 2014 – said the Irish lacked the fitness to keep up with the best the AFL had to offer.
"We're professional athletes, they're amateurs," Wingard told Channel Seven.
"This is our job full-time, so we've been hitting the gym.
"We're obviously a lot fitter than they are, so we've got to use that advantage.
"If it's physicality, we've got a few big boys to try and push them around and try and win.
"Whatever advantage we get, and what we think we have, we're going to use."
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Led by Mayo star Aidan O'Shea, Ireland has selected a strong squad of Gaelic football's elite, along with Geelong's Zach Tuohy and Pearce Hanley from Gold Coast.
Ireland holds the trophy after beating Australia in a one-off Test in Dublin in 2015.
Wingard was originally selected for the tour of Ireland, but pulled out with a shoulder injury.
Players in the Australian squad have been sent a round ball to practice with before they get together for their first training session in Adelaide next Thursday.
"It's all about figuring out which way you want to bend it," Wingard said.
"You can bend it to your left, or bend it to your right.
"I like to bend it to my right and you have a bit more control with it."
Another subtle difference is how the forwards are expected to stay deep in attack, rather than work back and do their defensive duties.
"As a footballer, you're always moving and you're relied on playing defence," Wingard said.
"When (I played for Australia in 2014), I had Nick Riewoldt saying, 'Come back, come back', to be up there presenting as a forward.
"It's a lot of burst efforts and it's not as much of an endurance game."
Wingard is coming off an impressive season for Port Adelaide as he made the move to the midfield.
But Adelaide goalsneak Eddie Betts can also provide Wingard with valuable tips on how to impact the scoreboard.
"Eddie Betts is going to be playing, so hopefully I'm going to learn a few things about his movement, maybe the way he brings people up, takes them back and uses his speed and agility," Wingard said.
