Don’t for a second think Australia is going to turn up to Patersons Stadium on Saturday 22 November and hope for the best against Ireland in the International Rules Series.
Fremantle senior coach Ross Lyon, an assistant for the series, revealed the Aussie’s have already been studying their opponents.
Lyon said the Australian senior coach Alastair Clarkson had been very proactive in ensuring the home side was fully prepared.
“As Alastair said, we don’t want to roll up all hoping,” Lyon said.
“He’s sent out some educational videos on how the Irish play and how we want to play.
“We’ve all watched them.”
Renowned for his meticulous preparation and methodical approach to his coaching duties, Lyon has also been diligent in his own preparation for the series.
“I’ve had some games sent to me from previous series that I’ll be able to watch and get an insight into the game and the strategies,” he said.
“That will help me in the one-off game to contribute.”
The Australian team will be comprised of players who were All Australian in 2014 or have been All Australian in the past.
It includes a bevvy of leaders, with seven current AFL club captains and two former skippers in the fold.
Freo’s senior coach said he was pleased to hear the club’s only representative Nat Fyfe planned to watch and learn from his elite teammates.
Lyon, too, intends to learn from his fellow coaching panel, which is headed by three-time Hawks premiership winner Clarkson. Geelong premiership coach Chris Scott is the other assistant.
“It’s a privilege, it’s an honour and you’re really looking forward to a high performance environment surrounded by elite performers,” Lyon said.
“What you’ll get to see is the very best players preparing and going about their footy at a very close level, and the coaches, too.
“When you look at the status of the coaches within the AFL, they sit at a high level.
“We’re sure, both Nathan and I, from a Freo Dockers perspective, we’ll pick up one or two things that we can bring back with us.”
Lyon revealed the Australians had carefully mapped out a schedule for the week leading up to the game.
He and Fyfe will fly to Sydney on Sunday 16 November, the day after Freo’s Doig Medal presentation, and join the rest of the squad for three days in Manly.
The team will play a practice match against a NSW Gaelic side and then be presented with their jumpers at an official function at Kirribilli House.
After flying back to Perth on Tuesday the Australians will stay together at Crown and have training runs at Patersons Stadium and recovery at Cottesloe.
“It’s a really well planned out week and it mirrors the preparation for an AFL game,” Lyon said.
Look out for the next instalment of Lyon’s Take on Wednesday when Ross tells us where the 2015 Premiership will be won and lost and also reveals how Freo’s football program might differ over summer.
