Although Australian rules football is played around the world at an amateur level, Australia is considered far too strong to compete against at senior level.[citation needed] Hence, selection in the Australian international rules team is the only opportunity that Australian rules footballers have to represent their country. Until 2004, the majority of the men's Australian squad was composed of members of the All-Australian team as well as other outstanding performers from the season. In 2005, the decision was made to select players best suited to the conditions of the hybrid game, which usually resulted in a younger, smaller and quicker team being selected.[1] However this was reverted to the All-Australian model ahead of the 2014 series. For the 2013 Series only, the decision was made to select an all-Indigenous team, known as the Indigenous All-Stars.[2] Because of the severely limited playing pool, the Indigenous All-Stars lost by an aggregate of 101 points over the two Tests, including a record-breaking 79-point defeat in the 2nd Test.
Competing in the International Rules Series, the only team Australia plays against is the Ireland international rules football team. The series has been played intermittently since 1984. Australian under-age teams have been represented in the past, as well as a women's team in 2006. Australia last hosted the International Rules Series in 2017.
*Brendan Fevola was an emergency for the first game, but was sent home before the second game due to misconduct in that he was involved in a fight at a pub.[13]
**Lindsay Gilbee and Sam Fisher only played in the first game.
***Brett Peake and David Mundy only played in the second game.[14]
The 1984–1990 Australian teams wore a traditional Australian rules sleeveless guernsey in plain gold. The teams of 1998–2011 wore a predominantly navy blue Gaelic football style guernsey, with either a green or gold v or green and gold sash. The Indigenous All-Stars team which represented Australia in 2013 wore a unique Indigenous-styled guernsey. Ahead of the 2014 test match, the Australian guernsey was significantly altered, in favour of a mix of green and gold, with the traditional v-shape.[18]
