Afl

[Jules]

Look, I like football. I just find these arguments a bit schizophrenic.

People argue that football is the World Game, and being part of something bigger is part of the attraction, yet AFL is the biggest party in Australia, and these same people don't want to be part of it. Our greatest event is Melbourne Victory coming to Newcastle. Everyone says "ho hum". We had a go at Asian Champions League and the people of the Hunter ignored it. I think it would be great to be part of a larger Australian community where teams like Collingwood and Richmond come here to compete.

People say you should be conservative about it "Stick to your team", all the while promoting a progressive, disruptive agenda, by trying to turn a sub-culture into a mainstream culture.

The whole premise for "I told you so", the formation of the FFA and the A-League was that it is a global game and so the force of globalism, the opportunities to engage with the world will pull Australia into line.

But there is also a case for Nationalism. When I go to the USA, do I want to see the Revolution play or do I want to see the Patriots, the Celtics, the Bruins or the Red Sox? When you go to Melbourne you almost feel like you are in a different country because AFL is so alien to us. But people who come to visit from other countries love it simply because it is different.

There are many reasons why football is a good sport, but those reasons also apply to AFL - plus you get to use your hands.