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As a rugby supporter, I am (somewhat) impartial to the decision of the GWS side to sign the league star, Israel Folau (though it is funny for leaguies to be talking about not being mercenaries).
However, if I was in the AFL or GWS team, I would be wary, again, from a rugby point of view, as it is incredibly dangerous to sign unproven talent. More to the point, there has been an awful lot of jeering in the comments section of certain News Ltd backed publications about how it won’t convert any Sydneysiders.
However, I think the point has been missed: the idea behind signing him lies in the wider Islander populations.
It seems, by Sheedy’s latest comments on the matter, that it is aiming not to be a western Sydney team, but a leader in converting the Islander population to play out of Western Sydney (or if latest rumours are true, middle Sydney).
This may be a smart move on behalf of AFL, who seem to be bent, however unlikely it is, on world spread.
It may attract some Islanders into a code, which until now has not been particularly inspirational for a culture who have a pride in sport, and in particular, football codes.
There is still a risk involved, though, and only time will tell who’s making the right moves.
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