GAELIC GAMES:AUSTRALIA COACH Mick Malthouse has named an inexperienced squad for the International Rules series later this month.

There are just six players with international experience and the biggest surprise is the non-involvement of Gary Ablett, the Geelong player who is to move to the new Gold Coast franchise in the AFL, but who had been expected to travel and even to captain the side.

Of the 22-man squad, Matthew Boyd, Dustin Fletcher, Adam Goodes, Brad Green, Leigh Montagna and Kade Simpson have represented their country. Fletcher won the Jim Stynes medal for the best Australian player in the controversial 2006 series in Ireland.

Australia will be departing this day week for the tests in Limerick on October 23rd and Croke Park the following week.

Ireland manager Anthony Tohill will be naming his squad in the coming week.

Meanwhile, the Galway football board chairman has said new manager Tomás Ó Flatharta came very close to getting the job a year ago when Joe Kernan was appointed.

Ó Flatharta, who was appointed on Thursday night for the next three years, was the only other candidate interviewed a year ago when Kernan was chosen.

“He was very, very close last year,” said Holleran. “There is no doubt about that. We had some different people on the interview panel this year, but they were all very impressed with him.”

AUSTRALIA: Todd Banfield (Brisbane Lions), Eddie Betts (Carlton), Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs), Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs), Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide Crows), Paul Duffield (Fremantle), Dustin Fletcher (Essendon), James Frawley (Melbourne), Bryce Gibbs (Carlton), Sam Gilbert (St Kilda), Tyson Goldsack (Collingwood), Adam Goodes (Sydney Swans), Brad Green (Melbourne), Garrick Ibbotson (Fremantle), Kieran Jack (Sydney Swans), Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans), Leigh Montagna (St Kilda), Jack Riewoldt (Richmond), Kade Simpson (Carlton), Dane Swan (Collingwood), Travis Varcoe (Geelong Cats), David Wojcinski (Geelong Cats).