When Harry Beitzel took a small squad of bronzed Aussie football giants on a tour of Ireland in 1967 no one could have imagined that the legacy of that tour would live on in many parts of the globe to this very day. Harry and his group of marauders decided to play a selection of Meath players during that tour in what was the very first undocumented International rules game between an Aussie Rules Football Team from the AFL and an Irish Gaelic Football Team from the GAA. Fast forward 17 years to 1984 and the 32 counties of Ireland combined to play the finest of the finest from the men down under in the Cork stronghold of Pairc Ui Chaoimh in front of approx. 8,000 curious fans. This was the beginning of a fierce, sporting but often ruthless rivalry between the two nations.
Centuries of immigration mean that Ireland and Australia have crossed paths many times, have integrated histories and common cultural traits. From Ned Kelly in the 19th century to Jim Stynes in the 21st century our people have become their people. It is therefore no surprise that our nation’s indigenous pastimes have so many similarities.

On the hard, dusty ground of Fulton Middle school, 58 men from Sydney, Perth, Galway, Dublin, Melbourne, Donegal, a sprinkle from LA and OC and many other places around the world stood listening intently to the referee explaining “how the hell you play this bloody game”. Fast forward another 31 years and Huntington Beach is now the host to the latest game of cross code football. The LA Dragons made the long trek down the 405 to play the Huntington Beach Wild Geese in SoCal’s very first edition of ‘International Rules’, one of the many names given to this particular sport.

With a quick 5 minute run down of the rules the teams lined out, each man looking at the other, not quite sure whether to smile or growl, but handshakes were exchanged nonetheless and the ball was thrown in.The Aussies had the upper hand during the first exchanges, dealing with the intensity, hard running and off-loading style of the game better than the Irish, at the end of the first quarter the men representing the GAA trailed by approx. 6 points. The second quarter was not much better with the Aussies finding their kicking boots at exactly the right time as the Irish defense parted like the Red Sea time and time again.

We re-grouped at half time and decided to play with a clean slate and a free spirit and it worked a charm. Fast free flowing football seen the Geese rack up the scores, Pat Seale from Wicklow nipped in for a Geese goal whilst Eoin Crowley from Kerry knocked over a couple of beautiful 3 pointers. A solid defence commanded by Tom Dolan and some hard running from the likes of Damien O’ Brien, Paul Short and Kieran McGovern meant our intensity levels were at an all-time Geese high! Alas it just wasn’t enough, a game of four quarters proved to be a game of two halves and the scoring prowess of the Dragons in the first half proved just too much, the Aussies from LA ran out winners 65 – 57.

The game was played in an incredible manner with respect showed by each players to the referee and to each other and everyone enjoyed some food and drinks in the Irishman afterwards. The Wild Geese would like to thank the Dragons for coming down to play us and to all the supporters who braved to sit out in the heat and watch a sport they didn’t quite understand!
This was the first, but will most definitely not be the last time the Dragons and the Huntington Beach Wild Geese test each other in sunny SoCa.