TADHG KENNELLY HAS backed Australia’s squad selection ahead of the first International Rules test on Friday.
Speaking to Australian radio station SEN, he claimed that if the side was based primarily around the All-Australian team – the AFL equivalent of the All-Stars – Ireland would “run away with it”.
Kennelly argued that Australia picked the team best suited to the contest as a spectacle, despite them only including two players from the AFL team of the year, saying:
“That’s the way it’s got to be, otherwise the Irish would run away with it. And that’s the honest truth.”
He also claimed Ireland were only missing a handful of their best players, despite the notable absences of stars of the Championship this season, including Kerry’s Darran O’Sullivan.
The first test takes place this Friday, with the second scheduled for the following week. Both games are set to kick off at 9.45am.
