This article concerns the men's team; for information on the Australian women's team, see Australia women's international rules football team.
| Union | Australian Football League |
|---|---|
| Emblem(s) | |
| Coach(es) | Rodney Eade (2011) |
| Captain(s) | Brad Green (2011) |
| Largest win | |
| Australia 69 – 31 Ireland (2006, 2nd Test) | |
| Largest defeat | |
| Ireland 80 – 36 Australia (2011, 1st Test) | |
The Australia international rules football team is Australia's senior representative team in international rules football, a hybrid sport derived from Australian rules football and Gaelic football. The current team is solely made up of players from the Australian Football League.
Although Australian rules football is played around the world at an amateur level, Australia is considered far too strong to compete against at senior level. Hence, selection in the Australian international rules team is the only opportunity that Australian rules footballers have to represent their country. Until 2004 the majority of the men's Australian squad was composed of members of the All-Australian team, as well as other outstanding performers from the season. In 2005 the decision was made to select players best suited to the conditions of the hybrid game, which resulted in a younger, smaller and quicker team being selected.
The International Rules Series has been played annually against the Ireland international rules football team since 1998, having first been played in 1984. Australian under-age teams have been represented in the past, as well as a women's team in 2006. Australia last hosted the International Rules Series in 2011.
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“You can’t be a Real Country unless you have A BEER and an airline—it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a BEER.”
—Frank Zappa (1940–1993)
“Each Australian is a Ulysses.”
—Christina Stead (1902–1983)
“A man often thinks he rules himself, when all the while he is ruled and managed; and while his understanding directs one design, his affections imperceptibly draw him into another.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“You can’t be a Real Country unless you have A BEER and an airline—it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a BEER.”
—Frank Zappa (1940–1993)
“giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.””
—Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863)