Ireland took a commanding lead in the battle for the Cormac McAnallen Trophy, winning the first test of the 2004 International Rules Series by 77 points to 41 as Australia struggled to get to grips with the round ball.
Pete McGrath and his backroom team looked to have out thought their Australian counterparts by forcing the Australians to kick the ball long and denying them the chance to run it.
After the match, Australian captain James Hird admitted that his side 'blew it in the first half' while their was speculation that the Aussies 'holiday' attitude also contributed to their poor showing.
Ireland could take credit, however, for disposing with a professional (in name at least) outfit with three handsome goals making up 18 points of their score. They managed to convert their opportunities with mostly overs, rather than behinds, making up their 43 point half-time total.
Seán Cavanagh began the scoring for the Irish with an over after two minutes after Australian Rules star Tadhg Kennelly put the first chance behind for one point.
Cavanagh also had a hand in the next score as his strong running set up Dessie Dolan who duly put his shot over. The Westmeath star added a second over later in the quarter.
Dolan's exploits were matched by Benny Coulter, who also notched two in the first quarter and the Down man also had a hand in Ireland's opening goal. His deft pass with the outside of his left boot unlocked the Australian defence, allowing Stephen McDonnell to storm through on goal and convert his chance with aplomb for six points.
All Australia could muster was a behind and an over from Nathan Brown - who was one of the few Australians to make an impact - and a behind from Brad Green.
The second quarter was similar fare, with highlights provided by Ciaran McDonald's brilliant passing and an excellent over from Mattie Forde.
The first signs of Australian frustration also became evident with Stephen McDonnell's marker Mark McVeigh trying to rile the Armagh man after he took the mark against him. His efforts resulted in a 15-metre penalty for Ireland and McDonnell duly overed from the new position.
Ireland closed the half on a high with a goal from Mattie Forde in the 33rd minute, the Wexford man bursting through the Aussie defence before coolly sliding in his finish.
Australia, despite an over at the hooter by Adam McPhee and further heroics from Brown, went in 43-13 down. The third 'championship' quarter has traditionally been Australia's best and they got off to a flyer with Hird, Brown and Nick Riewoldt combining brilliantly to score a goal two minutes after the re-start.
First Hird took the ball up the left before kicking dangerously into the box where Riewoldt marked. He shaped to shoot an easy over before taking advantage of a momentary lapse by the Irish and feeding Brown who scored the six-pointer, looping a shot in from a difficult spot.
That would prove to be the high-point for the Australians, though. Ireland refused to bend as they had in the past and replied first with a Cavanagh effort which cannoned over off the crossbar and then with a clinically finished goal, Ireland's third, from captain Pádhraic Joyce.
An unsavoury incident involving McVeigh and Forde, which involved the Australian punching the Irishman as he lay prone, was the only major blight on what was a largely sporting contest and Ireland closed out the fourth quarter with a decent haul of overs to set up a sixth series win.
Full Time: Ireland 77 41 Australia
79 mins: Riewoldt scores a behind as the clock winds down.
77 mins: Joyce lashes a close range over.
76 mins: Rawlings cuts out Joyce's handpass as Ireland looked to have opened the Aussie defence up but Riewoldt is unable to collect and lets the ball over the end line as Australia look to counter.
75 mins: Kelly marks from Riewoldt's cross before freeing Cluxton to take the ball out the field.
74 mins: Kennelly scores another three points, thumping his shot from out the field.
73 mins: Dolan answers with an over of his own.
73 mins: Bowden overs after collecting from Riewoldt's pass from the left corner
71 mins: Jason Johnson scores an over from the middle of the pitch.
68 mins: Kennelly follows up with an equally audacious effort, this time successfully shooting an over.
66 mins: Forde attempts the spectacular, shooting from very long range but his effort goes just wide for a behind.
65 mins: Mark McVeigh is sent to the line for 15 minutes for punching Mattie Forde on the ground.
64 mins: Brown scores a third over, chipping over off his left foot.
62 mins: Tom Kelly scores another over for Ireland, shooting high from a tight angle on the 20 metre line.
61 mins: Brogan scores an over after another long and accurate pass by McDonald.
Third Quarter: Ireland 57 31 Australia
58 mins: Joel Bowden lands a behind from distance after Hird's mark.
56 mins: McDonnell blazes a goal chance over for three points.
55 mins: Brown continues his scoring heroics, notching another over for Australia.
52 mins: Irish captain Pádhraic Joyce scores Ireland's third goal, collecting a long ball and speeding in before spearing the ball past Michael. Ciaran McManus follows up with a behind from the throw in.
51 mins: Hird scores an over after marking well on the 40.
48 mins: Riewoldt kicks a behind.
47 mins: Aussie 'keeper Michael forces Paul Galvin to shoot a behind from close range. His desperate tackle put the Kerryman off when a goal looked almost certain.
45 mins: Cavanagh blasts a goal chance, provided by Benny Coulter, into the cross bar for three points.
45 mins: Hird puts over a high and handsome over, notching Australia's 10th unanswered.
44 mins: Hird scores a behind.
43 mins: Kennelly bursts through the Australian half back line but he is called back for bouncing the ball three times after he shoots a goal chance just wide.
42 mins: James Hird feeds Nick Riewoldt with a dangerous pass into the 20 metre line. He settles to shoot the over but catches the Irish napping by feeding Brown who goals.
Half-Time: Ireland 43 13 Australia
40 mins: McPhee takes a mark as the hooter goes. He puts his effort over from 35 metres.
37 mins: Aussie Deane Solomon of Essendon orchestrates at half-forward, his handpasses creating a chance. His effort goes left of everything from the left hand side.
35 mins: Brian McGuigan shoots a behind from 50 metres in the middle of the field.
33 mins: An incisive run by Forde results in Ireland's second goal, the Wexford man sliding his finish coolly past Aussie 'keeper Mal Michael.
32 mins: Stephen McDonnell shoots an over after marking ahead of McVeigh and frustrating the Aussie corner back who concedes an extra 15 metres.
30 mins: Setanta O'Hailpín scores a behind from the left hand side.
29 mins: Mattie Forde shoots high to score an over for Ireland after O'Hailpín's run at the defence.
29 mins: Ball hits a behind from a tightish angle near the endline.
28 mins: Sean Óg O'Hailpín misses everything with a sliced effort from a good position.
27 mins: Brown hits his second behind after marking and running from the half-forward position.
25 mins: Australian captain James Hird finds Luke Ball in front of the posts and he scores an over from 30 metres out on the left hand side.
23 mins: Bowden misses all the posts with an effort from a mark from about 40 metres for Australia.
22 mins: A brilliant pass from midfield by Ciarán McDonald finds Ciaran McManus but he can only manage a point from the left hand side.
21 mins: Ireland repel another Australian attack, winning a free-out after a scramble in the shadow of the posts.
First Quarter: Ireland 28 5 Australia
20 mins + 1: Play continues despite the sounding of the quarter time hooter although no points are scored in a slightly farcical one minute period.
19 mins: Lockhart marks in defence and finds Joe Bergin who puts over another over for Ireland.
15 mins: Australia score an over through Brown from a mark on the 40
14 mins: Stephen McDonnell scores a goal after good work by Graham Canty and a clever pass by Coulter which unlocked the Aussie defence.
13 mins: Brad Green hits a behind for Australia from a position he should have scored at least three from.
10 mins: Cameron Bruce tries a long shot for the Aussies but his effort is short and 'keeper Stephen Cluxton is able to collect and launch another Irish attack.
9 mins: Dolan marks and scores his second over and he collects again to shoot for his third seconds later
8 mins: Nathan Brown scores Australia's first point, notching a behind from close range after collecting a dangerous crossfield ball along the deck.
7 mins: Coulter marks again near the 40 and puts his shot over for another three points.
6 mins: Sean Marty Lockhart repels an Australian assault on the Irish goal with a solid mark.
5 mins: Benny Coulter marks near the 20 metre line after getting out in front and he overs.
4 mins: Dessie Dolan scores an over as the Australian backline allows Sean Cavanagh space to run from midfield.
3 mins: Padhraic Joyce misses with a shot from a marked kick-off.
2 mins: Seán Cavanagh scores an over for Ireland as Kennelly and Rawlings get involved off the ball
1 min: Tadhg Kennelly scores a behind from a tight angle for Ireland.
Ireland play into the Canal End. Conditions are windy but dry at Croke Park. Referees are Stephen McBurney of Australia and Michael Collins of Ireland. Top GAA officials Pat McEneaney and Brian White are the linesmen.
Match attendance: 46,370
Ireland:
S Cluxton, J Bergin, A Brogan, E Brosnan, D Browne, G Cany, S Cavanagh, B Coulter, B Cullen, D Dolan, M Forde, P Galvin, D Heaney, P Joyce, T Kelly, T Kennelly, SM Lockhart, P Loughran, C McDonald, S McDonald, M McGrath, B McGuigan, C McManus, J Nallen, Sean Og O hAilpin, Sentanta Og O hAilpin.
Australia:
M Michael, N Brown, B Rawlings, A Didak, J Hird, C Bolton, D Solomon, M Hudghton, A Jones, M McVeigh, J Bowden, N Reiwoldt, M Lappin, J Johnson, L Ball, A Embley, B Green, J Carey, M Brau, J Bolton, N Dal Santo, J Crouch, B Kirk, C Bruce, A McPhee, R Haddrill.
Brendan Cole
