The International Rules series is in danger. Source: Patrick Hamilton / AAP
THE AFL will consider re-introducing the All-Australian side to represent the country in future International Rules Series games against Ireland.
Australia's disappointing performance in the first game of the series in Cavan, Ireland, last week, has forced AFL football operations manager Mark Evans to consider further modifications of rules and the timing of the hybrid game.
Sending over an all indigenous side has received plenty of criticism in Ireland as the Gaelic Athletic Association says the concept of the series is to provide the most talented players.
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Speaking on the eve of this morning's second and final game of the series at Croke Park in Dublin, Evans said the AFL would consider re-introducing the All Australian side for future games.
In the past, All Australian players were given first option of representing their country, but the selection policy changed in 2005 to hand-pick players best suited to the pace of the game but a change of rules could be implemented to suit bigger players.
And Evans said consideration would also be given to changing the timing of the series to a November or even January/February date.
Ireland is due to travel to Australia next year, followed by a gap year in 2015.
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The GAA and AFL are still negotiating whether the series will go beyond next year, with the Irish independent suggesting it's not 100 per cent guaranteed that the Ireland team will play here in 2014.
The newspaper suggests the series' future is precariously balanced.
One of the modifications being considered is some more physicality which has almost disappeared since a crackdown on the on-field violence which threatened to end the game after the 2005-06 series.
"There is some physicality in the game, but I think the opinion is that we have been very protective of that, given the recent history from some years ago," Evans told the Irish Independent.
"Maybe a small amount of more physicality would be a good thing for the game. It's just about getting the right balance between the two codes.
"If we feel that there could be a slight amendment to the rules that would allow some of the bigger AFL players to participate then we might be able to go back to the All-Australian side representing us," Evans said.
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"The best era for this game seems to have been when all those players were playing."
Former Port Adelaide's Matthew Primus was vice-captain of Australia in Ireland in 2002, yet didn't play because he was deemed unsuitable for the game with a much greater emphasis on speed and nimble footwork.
It was a similarly embarrassing fate to that suffered by ruckmen Shaun Rehn and Steven King on previous trips.
One motivating force to hand-picking players was the farce of 2004 when only five members of the All-Australian team made themselves available to tour Ireland.
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