THE AFL website has announced that Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse has been appointed coach of the Australian team for next October's two-Test International Rules series to be played in Perth and Melbourne.

"To the AFL, I'm totally indebted and very humbled to accept it," was Malthouse's response, "and it's a wonderful opportunity to coach Australia, particularly given the young players we've seen in the past . . . and the great results Australia have been able to achieve."

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said of the series: "This is a key milestone for us in our 150th year, to have this event, particularly at the MCG on October 31st."

The website also reported that Australia would return to Ireland in 2009, with a bi-annual series likely to be scheduled from that point.

Malthouse has always had an interest in the connection between the Australian game and Gaelic football, coining the phrase "the Gaelicisation of the Australian game" to describe the growing influence of the Irish game.

He also signed Down's Martin Clarke, who went on to have a considerable impact in his rookie year in Australia in 2007.

Meanwhile, details of the All-Ireland qualifier series were released yesterday. Louth will have home advantage for their tie with Tyrone, which has been scheduled for Drogheda despite the venue having a capacity of around 6,000 and the match will be all-ticket.

Two years ago the counties also met in the qualifiers but Louth had to forfeit home advantage and play in Navan. That match attracted not many more than 6,000 so the feeling was Eamonn McEneaney's team should be allowed stage the match at their county ground.

Croke Park also issued a statement defending the delay to Sunday's throw-in at the Dublin-Westmeath Leinster semi-final.

"The GAA wish to point out that the decision to delay the throw-in time to the game between Dublin and Westmeath at Croke Park was taken in consultation with An Garda Síochána due to health and safety concerns, as only a fraction of the anticipated attendance were in the stadium 20 minutes before the scheduled throw-in time of 2pm.

"In such circumstances, the GAA, while reluctant to delay starting times, recognise the health and safety of patrons attending its games is of paramount importance and the decision to delay the throw-in time was taken on this basis."

Dublin wing forward Bernard Brogan is an injury doubt for the Leinster football final later this month. Brogan pulled up with an injured hamstring early in Sunday's semi-final win.

"We'll wait and see," said team selector Dave Billings. "Medical advice is the damage will take between three and five weeks to clear up."

The final against Wexford takes place in just under three weeks.

TV3 have reacted to the qualifier draw by exercising their first-choice option in favour of the Monaghan-Derry clash in Clones. Coverage will begin at 2pm on Saturday, July 19th.

• THE draw was made in Croke Park yesterday for this year's TG4 women's football qualifier first rounds.

The first round sees seven of the provincial first-round losers in Ulster, Connacht, Munster and Leinster taking part. The pick of the games sees Armagh take on Waterford and Kildare meeting Donegal.

Winners of the first-round qualifiers progress to play the provincial final runners-up in the second round.

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL:First Round Qualifiers: July 26th: Meath v Down, Waterford v Armagh, Kildare v Donegal, Galway bye.

Venues to be confirmed.