Football

International Rules: Brogan basks in 'amazing feeling'

Ireland’s Michael Quinn takes possession away from Australia’s Patrick Dangerfield as Bernard Brogan offers support during Saturday’s test at Croke Park         
Ireland’s Michael Quinn takes possession away from Australia’s Patrick Dangerfield as Bernard Brogan offers support during Saturday’s test at Croke Park          Ireland’s Michael Quinn takes possession away from Australia’s Patrick Dangerfield as Bernard Brogan offers support during Saturday’s test at Croke Park         

VICTORIOUS Ireland captain and International Rules man-of-the-match Bernard Brogan sensed “something special” was in the pipeline ahead of Saturday’s test win over Australia.

The Allstar Dublin forward fired 13 points including a one-pointer for a behind that proved surprisingly significant late on, repelling a strong Australia fight-back and ensuring a four-point win for Ireland.

Victory might have been achieved a little easier than that considering Ireland led by 20 points at half-time. But the bottom line was that the Cormac McAnallen Cup was successfully wrestled away from Australia and Ireland can be proud of a famous win over one of the strongest sides that the AFL has ever put out.

By the touring party’s own admission, it was a ‘dream team’ of players who’d all won at least one All Australian award.

Brogan spoke with journalists after a press briefing on Friday, admitting he was ‘quietly confident’ given the group’s excellent preparations and he would reiterate that statement to manager Joe Kernan later that evening.

“You know, on Friday night we all had a really honest chat and afterwards, Joe said to me, ‘We’re buzzing, there’s a great feeling around this camp’,” recalled Brogan. “I said, ‘We’re going to do something special here’. The lads had just really bought into it, they were a really good group of lads that Joe put together.”

The win capped an incredible career for Brogan who had already won everything in the game, from individual awards like his 2010 Footballer of the Year gong to his league and Championship successes with Dublin yet never captained a club or county team, let alone his country to victory.

“It’s something I never thought I’d do,” admitted Brogan. “To go out with players who you have played against all year, and to lead those guys and for them to be looking at you when you are talking to the group, it’s an amazing feeling. I’ve never done it before and going up to the steps to get the cup was just the icing on the cake.”

Aidan O’Shea pushed Brogan hard for the Man of the Match award as Ireland’s two-goal hero. The AllStar Mayo full-forward said delivering long early ball to the inside forwards was a deliberate tactic to exploit Australia’s vulnerable full-back line, which was done to great effect, particularly in the first two quarters.

“We didn’t adjust to their tactics last year,” said O’Shea. “We knew this year they’d play 20 yards higher up the field, trying to press us into our own goal. We knew that was coming this year.

“We definitely talked about that in the lead up to the game, to try and get the ball in early. Conor McManus and Bernard had space to burn inside so we took advantage of it.

“We had lots of chances, a few chances maybe to kill off the game but we missed them. I don’t think it was that we stopped creating chances at any point, we just didn’t take them.”

O’Shea said it’s been a long year for club, county and country though he will still line out in an inter-firms final during the week.

After that, the powerhouse attacker who lit up this year’s Championship will take an extended break, flying to London and also New York and not returning to action until, potentially, the early rounds of the Allianz league.

Harry Taylor of Geelong was named Australian Man of the Match though the gong rang a little hollow for him after seeing the title relinquished. He praised the conditioning and preparation of the Irish players.

“I guess they’re amateur in name but very professional in how they approach their sport,” said Taylor. “Even their body shape and things like that, they look first class and move with great skill.

“They use the ball vey well and although amateur, we certainly see them as very professional in the way that they prepare for the game and obviously in the way that they played.”

Australia led Ireland by 28 points at half-time in last year’s test. On Saturday, they trailed by 20 at the same stage.

“I’m not sure what the reason for it was,” said Taylor. “We had plenty of time to prepare and we did know the ins and outs of the game plan very well.

“Unfortunately in professional sport, if you have a little lapse, which we did, you can get done pretty quickly.”