The Australian Football League is working to honor its "commitment to the game's stars by staging an International Rules trial game in New York later this year," according to Pierik & Wilson of THE AGE. In what is "shaping as a two-continent series, the warm-up clash against the Irish" will be held in either N.Y. or Boston, "with the official Test to be staged at Dublin's Croke Park." Australian coach Alastair Clarkson and Irish counterpart Paul Earley had "each wanted a two-Test series but that is now unlikely, at least for this year," with the Gaelic Athletic Association opting for a "conservative approach" in terms of branching into the U.S. The trip to the U.S. is seen as "crucial to ensuring the AFL's premier talent again remain committed to the hybrid format." While November's clash in Perth was "a success, the AFL understands it will be easier to retain the best players with All Australian pedigree" should this year's series feature a match in the U.S. AFL Operations Manager Mark Evans -- "a driving force behind the rebirth of the series -- has said the New York fixture could be held in Central Park." Boston, "with its strong Irish history and population, also remains a viable option" (THE AGE, 2/22).
