It is a given that a Mick Malthouse-coached side is going to be taking its job seriously.

Add him being at the helm for Australia's series loss in 2008 and there was never a chance of the nation's International Rules side being anything but fully prepared this time around.

The triple-premiership winning AFL coach has drafted in his video analysis guru at Collingwood to ensure his players are ready for Saturday's sold-out opening clash against Ireland in Limerick.

Western Bulldogs midfielder Daniel Cross revealed just how seriously the Australian camp was taking the series that has commonly been viewed as a bit of an end of season jaunt.

"We have done quite a bit of opposition analysis, there is a lot at stake here," Cross told AAP.

"We take a lot of pride, we are representing our country and that means a lot for all of us.

"So any little advantage we can get we will do.

"Mick and our coaching panel are very serious about winning."

Cross said the Australians had done detailed research on the Irish players, the home side being almost exclusively made up of amateur Gaelic footballers.

"Mick has brought across his opposition analysis guru Marcus Wagner and he has been doing a bit of study on them," Cross said.

"There is a whole range of staff that have been studying up on their players as well.

"They are trying to feed as much information into us as possible."

Malthouse reminded his professional players at a reception at Limerick City Hall on Thursday night not to be tricked into any type of complacency because the Irish are almost all amateurs.

Not that Cross needed reminding.

"In the past it was a bit of fun, the guys would want to win but it is a lot more serious these days," he said.

"We did not come all this way to lose."

The Irish hold the Cormac McAnallen trophy following their series triumph two years ago in Australia.

The 2009 edition was postponed because of the global financial crisis.

About half of the current Australian side had not played a game of the hybrid sport before Wednesday night's practice match against a local side in Cork, which the tourists won 4-22-15 (105) to 0-3-3 (12).

The Australians have picked a squad laced with light, quick players to try to combat the deft skills of the Irish players at ground level with the round ball.

The weather bureau is not surprisingly, predicting wet and windy conditions for Saturday night's clash at the Gaelic Grounds.

The second and final match of the series is at Dublin's Croke Park on October 30.

AUSTRALIA: Adam Goodes, captain (Sydney), Todd Banfield (Bris Lions), Eddie Betts (Carlton), Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs), Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs), Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide), Paul Duffield (Fremantle), Dustin Fletcher (Essendon), James Frawley (Melbourne), Bryce Gibbs (Carlton), Sam Gilbert (St Kilda), Tyson Goldsack (Collingwood), Brad Green (Melbourne), Garrick Ibbotson (Fremantle), Kieran Jack (Sydney), Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney), Leigh Montagna (St Kilda), Jack Riewoldt (Richmond), Kade Simpson (Carlton), Dane Swan (Collingwood), Travis Varcoe (Geelong), David Wojcinski (Geelong)

IRELAND: Steven McDonnell, captain (Armagh), Finian Hanley, vice-captain (Galway), Emmet Bolton (Kildare), Colm Begley (Laois), Bernard Brogan (Dublin), Graham Canty (Cork), Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone), Martin Clarke (Down), Stephen Cluxton (Dublin), Brendan Donaghy (Armagh), Leighton Glynn (Wicklow), Daniel Goulding (Cork), James Kavanagh (Kildare), Paddy Keenan (Louth), Tadhg Kennelly (Kerry), Sean McDermott (Roscommon), Ciaran McKeever (Armagh), Kevin McKernan (Down), Niall McNamee (Offaly), Brendan Murphy (Carlow), Michael Murphy (Donegal), Kevin Reilly (Meath), Tommy Walsh (Kerry)

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