AUSTRALIA will host Ireland in a two-match International Rules Test Series in November 2017, but still hopes a series between the countries will be played in America in the future.

An agreement struck between the AFL and the Gaelic Athletic Association will see no matches this year, but three two-match series played from 2017 with one series in Australia, one in Ireland and an exhibition series in the United States planned.

The two bodies will determine later in the year whether the series should be played in consecutive years or every two years. 

GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail said both organisations decided to take a long-term view of the series and defer action between the two countries in 2016.

"The aim of the series continuing in this vein is shared by both organisations and we believe these aspirations are best served by the staging of two games in a given year," he said.

"We have committed to three series for the moment, beginning in Australia in 2017 with the timing for the Irish and US events to be confirmed later in the year as to whether they should take place in consecutive years, every second year or some other combination."

AFL football operations manager Mark Evans said the games in the past two years had showcased the best talent from both competitions and the games were competitive contests.

He said both codes thought two matches would add to the event.

"A series over two matches, as we used to play, will enable the players from both our sides to spend more time with the elite players of their respective code, and to satisfy the demand for fans who want to see more than one match of the very best players competing for the Cormac Macanallen Trophy," Evans said.

Australia lost to Ireland at Croke Park, Dublin in November 2015 after beating the Irish in Perth a year earlier.

The Australian team consisted of players who had earned All Australian selection and its coaching staff included Alastair Clarkson, Chris Scott and Ross Lyon, while Gerard Healy was chairman of selectors.

The squad, led by Hawks skipper Luke Hodge, trained in New York before heading to Ireland and began discussions to play a game between the two countries in America.