International Rules News: The future of the International Rules series may not even reach the negotiation phase as GAA president Nickey Brennan appeared to throw several more obstacles in the way of any further agreement with the AFL. After stating on Monday that in his view the "series is over" yesterday Brennan said he will reiterate that view to the management committee and Central Council. Ian O'Riordan reports.

Brennan also denied he'd made his feelings known only after the Australian officials had left Ireland. He said his counterpart in the AFL, chief executive Andrew Demetriou, was fully aware of his opinion after the game on Sunday evening, and that it wouldn't be changing "unless somebody can convince us otherwise".

"I was asked straight up for my personal view on the matter," he said, "and I felt I shouldn't fudge that. I'm taking in comments from a lot of people and from the media and from what the general public are saying, but it still has to go to process now. We'll consult with Seán Boylan and his backroom team, with the players . . . and bring those views to management committee and Central Council.

"Their next main meeting is December 8th and 9th, and it will be on the agenda for that. And I'm well able to stand up and make my feelings known within the confines of a meeting room, and I will do that. There are plenty other people that will express an opinion as well.

"And it's not hard to walk away if what happened in the first quarter of an hour on Sunday is being dished up. It's very easy to walk away. And I gave my view on that. Unless somebody can convince us otherwise, and that last Sunday was all in our imagination . . ."

Brennan stated while some further communication with the AFL was inevitable it didn't necessarily mean sitting around the table trying to broker a fresh deal on the future of the series: "For 15 minutes after the game I had Andrew Demetriou in my office with Liam Mulvihill, and we'd a quick review of the thing. Clearly we discussed our concerns at that stage, and we will be communicating further with them over the next couple of weeks.

"I'm sure they're quite clear now what the reaction is here, but whether or not we make a decision in December, or defer it to January, I don't now. We're going to Dubai with the All Stars in January and maybe that's a convenient location to meet up. But clearly a decision will be made by the end of January. So, in fairness, we have to have some communication with them. Whether that's in person or by telephone or email I don't know, but Dubai remains a possibility.

"People have to realise the effort we put in to get it right this year. We travelled to Melbourne, literally stayed two days, and had another two-day trip to Dubai . . . We put a lot of work in when we came back here as well, making sure everybody was aware of the rules, and put a DVD together for that. We were very determined to get it right, but clearly, for whatever reason, it wasn't.

"I wouldn't say we were hoodwinked, but I am very disappointed - and I emphasise the 'very' - after all the work we put in. This series was about playing a good, physical game of football. We knew it would be tough, and hard. There's nothing wrong with that. But there's a line you don't cross and that line was crossed on Sunday.

"I'm not going to prejudge what will happen over the next period of time. I've given my views on it, they haven't changed today from yesterday, but we have to go through due process. But we need to be honest with one another and can't say everything was rosy in the garden, when it wasn't."

Some of the suggestions following Sunday's debacle - that officialdom was mostly to blame, or in Australian coach Kevin Sheedy's opinion, a sit-down dinner before the game would calm things down - were flatly rejected by Brennan. "Well I wouldn't agree that's the only problem. There has to be change of mindset as well. If the mindset of one team is win at all costs there's something wrong. Clearly there was an agenda there.

"And he (Kevin Sheedy) must be suggesting they bring some special steak from Australia that has some special ingredient that will calm everybody down. But I think it will take a bit more than a slap-up meal."

Brennan was speaking in Croke Park at the announcement of the new All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Council, which will see the amalgamation of the colleges and vocational school sectors for administrative purposes. The body arises from recommendations in the Strategic Review Report, with the council responsible for and have control of all Gaelic games in the second level educational sectors.

The new national body will be replicated at provincial and county levels with similar amalgamated committees controlling colleges and vocational school games at these levels.