 Philip Jordan (right) is the latest withdrawal from the Irish panel |
Tyrone's Philip Jordan has been ruled out of Ireland's International Rules series against Australia. Irish manager Peter McGrath confirmed that the half-back had been forced out of contention for the 17 and 24 October games at Croke Park because of injury.
Fears that the majority of the Kerry and Mayo contingents could pull out of the Irish panel have proved unfounded.
Kerry's Michael McCarthy and Mayo's Ronan McGarrity are the only pull-outs from the All-Ireland Finalists.
The other eight panellists from the All-Ireland Final teams - including Colm Cooper and Kieran McDonald - remain in line to play in the two Tests.
There is a minor doubt over Kerry's Declan O'Sullivan who has a shoulder problem.
The other Kerry and Mayo players set to take part in this weekend's final Irish trial are Tomas O Se, Eoin Brosnan, David Heaney, James Nallen and Trevor Mortimer.
Peter McGrath received a further unexpected boost when Padraic Joyce played in the Galway County Final.
Joyce pulled out of the Irish panel last month because of a groin injury but now could to be return to the Irish squad.
The Galway forward was named as captain when McGrath named his provisional 40-man panel last month.
McGrath will confirm his final 27-strong panel for the two Tests on Monday.
The Australians will be without many of their top stars for the series.
Seventeen of the 22 automatic All-Australian team of the year are unavailable although James Hird, who captained the Aussies in 2000, is in the squad.
Despite the defections, Aussie coach Garry Lyon remains upbeat for the series.
"We have had the opportunity to pick players which are ideally suited to playing this game," he said.
"Every year I've coached we've taken at least two, and often four or five players who are not suited to the game.
"They know it and we know it. But they wanted to go and we were really happy to take them and encourage them.
"But we also know we're going to carry them for most of the game."
Austin Jones, Brett Kirk, Nick Riewoldt and Adam McPhee are the only 2004 All-Australian players who are available to travel to Ireland.
Australian squad: Craig Bolton (Sydney), Luke Ball (St. Kilda), Jude Bolton (Sydney), Joel Bowden (Richmond), Michael Braun (West Coast), Nathan Brown (Richmond), Cameron Bruce (Melbourne), Joel Corey (Geelong), Jared Crouch (Sydney), Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda), Alan Didak (Collingwood), Andrew Embley (West Coast), Brad Green (Melbourne), Robert Haddrill (Fremantle), James Hird (Essendon), Max Hudghton (St Kilda), Jason Johnson (Essendon), Mark McVeigh (Essendon), Mal Michael (Brisbane Lions), Brady Rawlings (Kangaroos) and Dean Solomon (Essendon) make up the remainder of the squad.
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We have had the opportunity to pick players which are ideally suited to playing this game 