Donaghy warming to task

International Rules: At six foot five inches, 15 stone and size 14 feet, hands like baseball gloves and legs like springs, Kieran Donaghy could be the prototype International Rules player. The Kerry forward is assured of his place in the Irish panel for the upcoming series with Australia - even if manager Seán Boylan has still to formally confirm it.

But having attended the last two Irish trial matches at the Westmanstown training facilities outside Dublin, Donaghy reckons he has a little more practice to do before walking out into Pearse Stadium and Croke Park in a few weeks time fully confident of talking on the Australians.

"I'd say I got on okay in the two trials," he said, "but only okay. I'd two good players marking me, Darren Rooney from Laois the first day, and Kevin Reilly from Meath the second day. It was tough enough alright. But I think the panel is coming together nicely, and hopefully we'll all have a good go at it. Obviously, there are a lot of fantastic players involved, and it's nice to play alongside them.

"There are some differences though. If you try to run it against the Australians they'll bury you very quickly. They won't let you out of it quick. So we'll be trying to keep the ball moving, use our football, and try to get the few goals. That could be the big thing. The Aussie goalie won't be so used to stopping goals so we'll go in there and have a few pops at him. If they don't go in that easy we'll take our points."

Having developed into Kerry's target man in the latter stages of their All-Ireland success it's expected Donaghy will play a similar role with Ireland. "We have tried it, obviously. But we've got some fantastic forwards in there too, Steven McDonnell, Paddy Bradley and Dessie Dolan. So we definitely won't be pumping it in all the time. It's a more physical game, which means they can push me off the ball a bit more. But we'll certainly spring it on them a few times.

"I like the game. It's going be interesting, though, because I'm still getting used to it. Like the last day I caught one ball, and just took off running with it. I should have just stopped, took my mark, and kicked it over the bar.

"That's the kind of thing I'll have to get used to pretty quickly or else I'll be just sacked quick enough by some big Aussie, who'll take me right down."

The issue of hard tackling - an area in which the Irish disappointed last year - has obviously been a priority. Donaghy predicts a fellow Kerry panel member will make his presence felt.

"We've been working on it. I have to say the best tackler I've seen up there is Brendan Guiney. Everybody is very impressed with him. He's built for the game really, and has been fantastic in the last three matches. He's adapted the best of the Kerry lads up there anyway. The game suits him. He's strong and fast, very mobile and very aggressive as well.

"The Aussies, though, are so good at the tackling because they're doing it the whole time. Hopefully the training in Toulouse will finish it off for us. But Seán Boylan really hasn't talked that much about the Aussies. He's really concerned about our boat, and making sure we're all rowing together . . . We want to play it hard but fair."