International Rules occupies less media attention in Australia than in Ireland. The number of travelling Irish reporters surprises the locals and greatly outnumbers the press corps that makes the reverse journey in alternate years.

It has only been with the announcement of the Australian playing panel in the last week that the series has begun to feature in the local media and among many of the highest-profile sports columnists the attitude is lukewarm or hostile.

This week saw Patrick Smith of The Australian condemning - not for the first time - the international series: "The AFL rudely touts this team as Australia. Such hubris demeans the efforts of our athletes who represent their country at true international events. It chisels away at the honour of truly representing your country.

"The international series against Ireland is a cocktail of rules borrowed from Gaelic football and Australia's national game. The scoring system of posts, cross bars and nets is symbolic of how contrived the sport truly is."

Yet the AFL have consistently succeeded in marketing the series to the Australian public. Already Subiaco Oval in Perth is sold out for next Friday's first Test and it is expected that the Telstra Dome in Melbourne will also have a capacity crowd for the second Test a week later.

Leigh Matthews coached the Australian team in 1998 on the resumption of the international project. He has since taken the Brisbane Lions to three successive Premierships. His own view of the series was succinctly expressed seven years ago in Croke Park when he said it reminded him of Vietnam in that it seemed to matter "a lot more over here than back at home".

His view now isn't any less quizzical. "It's got fantastic crowds of spectators in Ireland and Australia," he says. "The players involved and the AFL like it but to the football community at large it's a bit of an exhibition. There's a couple of games a year - a little different to Gaelic football and a lot different to Australian Rules - played over a couple of weeks. Apart from the people involved, I'd say it's seen as a bit of a curiosity and there's relative indifference."

This year Australia are in the hands of a recognised club coach for the first time since Matthews took charge. In between, the job has been shared between Dermott Brereton and Garry Lyon, two former players who had played International Rules but whose involvement in the AFL was principally as newspaper analysts and commentators.

Essendon's Kevin Sheedy has taken the club to four Premierships in a tenure lasting over 20 years and Matthews believes the appointment enhances the series. "I guess it gives it more credibility. Kevin's an icon in the AFL. Dermott Brereton and Garry Lyon weren't coaches. Their involvement is more indirect through media work and I think there was a bit of scepticism that these guys were suddenly coaching Australia."