Adelaide’s Patrick Dangerfield and Brodie Smith will clash against Brisbane Lion Pearce Hanley and his former teammate Colm Begley who are the only men with AFL experience to feature in Ireland’s squad for the upcoming 2014 International Rules Series test.
Hanley, who was in the Lions’ top-five for disposals, marks and tackles this season, is the only AFL-based Irishman in the 25-man squad. Begley played 30 matches for the Lions and St Kilda from 2006-09.
Adelaide’s Patrick Dangerfield heads up a star-studded squad for Australia, in what will be Dangerfield’s first IRS appearance since the 2010 series in Ireland.
The match, which will be held at Patersons Stadium, will be Brodie Smith’s debut in the hybrid game.
Ireland manager Paul Earley said he was “anticipating a very strong challenge from the hosts” after easy wins in two tests against Australia in Ireland last year.
“The players we have chosen have worked hard in recent weeks and have shown many of the attributes we hope will allow us to build on some of the promising aspects of last year’s series performances,” Earley told rte.ie, Ireland’s national television and radio broadcaster.
“As a group we are looking forward to showcasing all that is good about Gaelic football while representing Ireland.”
The Irish leave for Australia on November 12 and will play a warm-up match in Melbourne on November 16 against a VFL team.
The test will be played at Patersons Stadium on Saturday, November 22.
IRISH SQUAD
Colm Begley (Laois)
Colm Boyle (Mayo)
Seán Cavanagh (Tyrone)
Cathal Cregg (Roscommon)
Mattie Donnelly (Tyrone)
Finian Hanley (Galway)
Pearce Hanley (Brisbane Lions)
Darren Hughes (Monaghan)
Lee Keegan (Mayo)
James McCarthy (Dublin)
Ciaran McDonald (Tipperary)
Neil McGee (Donegal)
Chrissy McKaigue (Derry)
Kevin McKernan (Down)
Kevin McLoughlin (Mayo)
Conor McManus (Monaghan)
David Moran (Kerry)
Niall Morgan (Tyrone)
Ross Munnelly (Laois)
Michael Murphy (Donegal, captain)
Colm O’Neill (Cork)
Pádraig O’Neill (Kildare)
Paddy O’Rourke (Meath)
Aidan O’Shea (Mayo)
Aidan Walsh (Cork, vice-captain)
AUSTRALIAN SQUAD
Grant Birchall (Hawthorn)
Travis Boak (Port Adelaide)
Luke Bruest (Hawthorn)
Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide Crows)
Dustin Fletcher (Essendon)
Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
Brendon Goddard (Essendon)
Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
Brent Harvey (North Melbourne)
Luke Hodge (Hawthorn)
Kieren Jack (Sydney Swans)
Steve Johnson (Geelong Cats)
Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans)
Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
Leigh Montagna (St Kilda)
Nic Naitanui (West Coast)
Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda)
Tom Rockliff (Brisbane Lions)
Joel Selwood (Geelong Cats)
Brodie Smith (Adelaide Crows)
Nick Smith (Sydney Swans)
Harry Taylor (Geelong Cats)
Jobe Watson (Essendon)
Chad Wingard (Port Adelaide)
Gaelic ball has arrived time to get some serious practise in! #pumped pic.twitter.com/6TvBrEsLnc
— Brodie smith (@Brodiesmith33) October 26, 2014