For the first time in the 33 year history of the International Rules series there will be no representatives on the team from the All Ireland winning squad.
A combination of club and work commitments and injury will see none of Jim Gavin’s three in a row All Ireland winning squad boarding the plane in two weeks as part of the Ireland team who will face Australia in the two test series.
Bernard Brogan captained the side in the last series two years ago and he was joined in the squad by fellow Dublin team mates Jack McCaffrey, Philly McMahon, Rory O’Carroll and Diarmuid Connolly.
Speaking to the Irish Times, Ireland selector and GPA chief-executive Dermot Early said “There haven’t been any (Dublin players) in training.”
“We’ve asked a lot of the Dublin squad to come in but because of injuries, club commitments, guys just wanting to take a break, I don’t think there will be any Dublin representation on this.
“But that’s for Joe (Kernan) to announce, it’s not for me to say. Look, we’ve had great engagement and I think you do have to understand as well that after a long year guys do sometimes need a break and this may not suit them. That’s understandable.”
It was expected that Diarmuid Connolly, James McCarthy and Con O’Callaghan would all travel to Australia as part of the squad, but the trio all ruled themselves out over the last week or so with all three players still involved in club championship action for their respetitive teams.