On the face of it, Ireland’s 10-point loss to Australia in the International Rules Series last year doesn't look too bad. Just two kicks of a ball separated the sides at the end of the match.
But the final result in Perth last October, 56-46, hid an alarming statistic.
The game was practically over at half-time because the visitors managed to kick just one over in 36 minutes of football. They trailed 35-7 after two quarters and that score, in Gaelic football language, is 0-11 to 0-01.
The team contained renowned sharpshooters such as Michael Murphy and Conor McManus. These men know where the posts are.
So why could Paul Earley’s forwards not find the target?
New Ireland captain Bernard Brogan, last involved in the series in 2010, has a theory on that.
There’s something playing on the minds of the Irish as they set their sights, something that they don’t have to worry about in their native code.
“What I took out of it was the intensity of the ball under pressure,” the Dublin All-Ireland winner and All-Star told RTÉ Sport before Wednesday's squad announcement ahead of the 21 November showdown at Croke Park.
“When you’re getting the ball, you’re afraid you’re going to get nailed. That’s probably where it is.
“In our sport someone comes in on a dive but when you’re playing compromised rules, if you get caught in the play you’re going to get nailed.
“Maybe that’s in people’s heads that they’re trying to get the ball away quicker and not have the same composure as they would have in our game.
“That’s something that we’re working on – trying to get the right contact on the ball under pressure, which is what happened that day.
“One over in two quarters, I think it was down to lads keeping an eye on things going on around them and not focusing on the contact of the ball.
“If you've done the practice, it goes over the bar but when you’re thinking of things going past you, trying to get a snapshot away before someone gets a tackle on you, I think that’s where you start missing shots.
“That’s something we've been doing a lot of work on.”
While the 11-1 stat is damning, it’s not totally out of kilter. The very first international rules game played between the sides, in 1984, saw the Aussies outscore Ireland 15-8 (overs) in a 70-57 win.
It suggests that the change of ball isn't such a significant handicap – kicking a round ball is not that hard for a professional Aussie rules footballer.
The aggregate Test-series score of 9-9 also testifies to that.
Ireland manager Joe Kernan, taking charge for the first time, was also keen to acknowledge that the Australians came out all guns blazing last year.
“I think you've got to give credit to Australia here,” said the former Armagh boss.
“Australia came out of the traps very fast and put us on the back foot for the first two quarters. It really was after that that we woke up and showed the fighting qualities that we do have.”
