GAELIC GAMES: After a turbulent week off the field, the AFL and GAA were back singing off the same lyric sheet at yesterday's joint media conference at Croke Park.

The most noticeable diversion came in comments from visiting CEO Andrew Demetriou, who resurrected the concept of the third Test.

"We've met with the GAA a couple of times and discussed how we could enhance and build on the success of the series. That could mean another game, taking it out of Dublin and Galway to other parts of Ireland and creating more economic impact in various towns."

This reflects a cultural unease in Australia with the concept of a two-Test series, which can end all square with the winners being decided on aggregate scores - something that has happened twice since the resumption of the series. But GAA officials have in recent years expressed reservations about the idea both from the perspective of the potential dead rubber should one country win the first two Tests, as has happened in half of the series since 1998, and from the point of view of player welfare with Dr Con Murphy expressing the opinion that Irish players would struggle to cope physically with the demands of three matches in 10 days or even two weeks.

Demetriou also reacted spikily to a question about the future of the series being guaranteed. "I don't have to guarantee the future of the series because its future is guaranteed. Frankly, I'm really surprised and bemused by some of the things I read about given whatever anyone chooses to say, this is a very, very successful series: a sell-out last week in Galway, great economic impact, 82,000 tickets sold here. I can't think of another international event that 82,000 will attend this weekend. Nearly 500,000 watched it on television last Saturday night in Ireland and a similar number in Australia. I don't see how anyone can keep asking about the future of the series."

In the immediate future Ireland take an eight-point lead into tomorrow's second Coca-Cola International Rules Test. But looked at in context, Australia were most unfortunate to lose last week, let alone by eight. For much of the third and fourth quarters they looked impressive and like nearly all touring teams their performance levels should rise for the second Test.

And the margin isn't that daunting, as Ireland captain Kieran McGeeney succinctly put it: "It's a two-point game in our terms, which is absolutely nothing."

Asked about the slight whiffs of sulphur in the atmosphere after the events of the week that saw Australia's Brendan Fevola sent home for attacking a barman and Ireland's Graham Geraghty cited for a tussle with opponent Lindsay Gilbee, who proceeded to make threatening comments against the Meath player, who was cleared to play by a disciplinary tribunal on Thursday night, Irish coach Seán Boylan put the controversies behind them. "The place we do the talking, both Irish and Australian teams, will be on that field out there in the proper manner and the proper spirit and within the rules of the game - and no other way."

There is an apprehension that Australia will raise the physical stakes in answer to last week's defeat but that would be counter-productive to the task of winning the series, which is well within their grasp.

Gilbee's fighting talk, which has been disowned by coach Kevin Sheedy and the AFL, might have been alarming but like all alarms, it will ensure a level of attention.

Ireland faded throughout the first Test until staging the extraordinary bounce off the ropes over the closing 10 minutes or so.

Improved marksmanship - the number of shots dropped short in Galway knocked a conservative 12 points off their total - will be an important requirement in the face of an Australian attack that will find the scope of Croke Park more to their liking and that is a potential concern given the visitors created a number of goal chances on top of the well-executed move that led to the one they scored.

Ireland have to contest the match evenly because eight points will be no protection against the concession of momentum to their opponents, who for all that they lack the turbo pace and astonishing accuracy of last year, still showed they have the potential to overturn the deficit but the gut feeling is eight points will be enough; no side has overcome a first-Test deficit larger than the one-point margin that separated the teams in 1998.

Ireland trained yesterday at Croke Park ahead of tomorrow's Test. According to team manager Seán Walsh, the three stand-by players from last week won't change. Kerry's Darragh Ó Sé is injured but Stephen O'Neill from Tyrone and Westmeath's Dessie Dolan are available but with no injury concerns, Ireland are in a position to go with the same match 25.

Last week Shane Ryan (Dublin), Karl Lacey (Donegal) and Nicholas Murphy (Cork) were left out when the match panel of 22 was finalised but all three will again be in contention to play tomorrow.

Dermot Power, the GAA's commercial and marketing manager, said yesterday the television audience for the first Test had been good. "It peaked at around 495,000 and came in overall at about 375,000. That compares with 282,000 for the first Test in 2004 and 351,000 for the second. The figures in Australia have also been impressive and went from 400,000 nationally two years ago to 500,000 this time in Melbourne alone.

"This Sunday's Irish audience may not show an increase because Saturday night is such a prime time for television viewing but the figures have been encouraging."