Ahead of the Virgin Australia International Rules Test in Perth this Saturday there is a hive of activity surrounding the Irish team's visit.

The visitors have settled in Melbourne to prepare for the weekend's match, holding an open training session at Sandringham Oval on Saturday morning where locals could catch the GAA stars in action, this was followed up with a warm-up match against a selection of VFL players yesterday morning. Despite a flurry of goals the Irish side had an easy win 100-27.

In Sydney the All Australian AFL side have being training at Tom Willis Oval, home to the GWS Giants, in Olympic Park. The locals will get to test their round-ball skills against a selection of Sydney's best GAA Players tomorrow afternoon, followed by a Meet and Greet BBQ.

Barry Devine, Manager of the Sydney GAA side, is confident his side can put up a good fight against the AFL stars. "We've been training together for over three weeks and are adjusting well to the AFL-specific rules that are part of the compromise game, but all in all we look forward to the challenge of playing against full-time elite sports stars. It's a once in a lifetime experience."

As a preview to the big game, the Irish Australian Business Chamber are hosting a special Q&A session with legendary GAA commentator Micheal O'Muircheartaigh, former AFL legend and Australian Coach, Kevin Sheedy, former Sydney Swans and Kerry player Tommy Walsh, and the visiting Minister for the Diaspora and Kerry Great, Jimmy Deenihan on Wednesday evening in Sydney. Limited tickets are still available via the Chamber's website.

While in Perth, underage players from the Junior Gaelic Games Academy have been chosen to provide the half-time entertainment for the International Rules Test. The Junior Academy is currently the only organisation in Australia fostering the development of Gaelic Games to school going children, and their selection to represent the GAA  is testament to the amount of hard work been undertaken by the Academy's volunteers. 

Across Australia the game will be shown live on Channel 7 and their digital channels at 8.45pm (Sydney time) and on TG4 at 9.45am (Irish time)on Saturday morning. Live updates will also be available via GAA.ie

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