Australian coach Mick Malthouse has teed off on the Irish media, describing its coverage of the International Rules series as "ridiculous" on the eve of Saturday night's second match at Croke Park.

The triple AFL premiership coach slated negative comments about the opening match in Limerick, which Australia won by seven points at the Gaelic Grounds.

Much of the criticism surrounded the lack of physical clashes in Limerick that have been all but eliminated from the hybrid sport following Australia's heavy-handed tactics during the controversial 2006 series.

To ensure the future of the game, the Australians have toned down their attack on opposition players and understandably feel a bit damned if they do, damned if they don't.

"I think it is ridiculous quite frankly, the game itself was close and fought between two sides who fought in the spirit of the game," Malthouse said.

"I am forever bemused there is a tendency in the media that it was lame and tame and yet we bemoan what happened five or six years ago.

"Now clearly that was outside the rules."

The Collingwood coach suggested the reporting was a case of sour grapes on the part of the local media.

"You can be very miserable about games and play it down but I don't see the point in everything being negative," he said.

"Maybe the result was not what the Irish wanted and it was a negative game.

"Well I am afraid you are going to chase a lot of people away from what is a great opportunity for our players to perform for their country against another country."

Ireland coach Anthony Tohill agreed it was important for the matches to continue to be played in the right spirit.

"People need to differentiate between physicality and violence," he said.

"There is loads of physicality in the games and tackles in it, way more tackles and hits than there would be in any game of Gaelic football.

The match in Dublin is scheduled to start at 7pm on Saturday (0500 Sunday AEDT)

If Ireland win at Croke Park, the series winner will be decided on for and against.

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