Is the Folau signing just a Trojan Horse?

Ha ha.. my bad. I haven't been following the soccer so it didn't cross my mind.

pike64 - for that comment you're now on moderation... A reminder to all that it's not appropriate to flame a code on The Roar. It just leads to boring 'my code is better than yours'. Please vote down and report inappropriate comments.

Joel. i think he is possibly talking about South Africa where the big soccer tournament is on at the moment not South Australia.

No, I don't find political posturing very interesting or informative. I find it amusing more than anything. It's interesting that you care though, how much doesn't the AFL bother you this time? Whatever will you do when the AFL has gone? Knitting perhaps? And you don't care about AD either! Three cheers for Demetriou!

Oh dear. Now we are truly heading off the deep end. I seriously doubt you have an understanding of the purpose and consequences of the anti-siphoning legislation. Suffice to say that if the implications of your post came true all it would do is reduce the value of the NRL rights.

The hysteria was there before Hunt and Folau were signed. You are right that it is still all about league and people being worried about the impact on league rather than the AFL.

Pantsed Port. South Australians will have to turn to league for amusement if they keep getting thrashed.

Oh good! Then we can discard all the NRL's membership because they're largely concentrated along a sliver of the eastern seaboard. Don't worry, the NRL doesn't have much to lose on that score. Even the new Gold Coast team already has more members than the NRL franchise and is still a year away from playing a real game. I'm only guessing mind, but WA's AFL membership plus waiting list alone would probably equal the membership of the NRL, SA would probably have about 70k. The Lions and Swans membership would probably be another half of the NRL. So completely excluding Victardia the AFL would still have at least double the membership of the NRL. If we calculate using your method, instead of the AFL having only about six times the NRL's members it's now an infinitely greater membership. Awesome!

The hysteria is not over the AFL is over the AFL buying a RL player, end of story, it's still about RL unfortunately

How did the Swans go? Been to busy drowning my sorrow over the sad footy score in SA.

Don't worry, they won't be RL fans very much longer. Oh, maybe you should worry? Never mind the undeniable reality is that the Storm have drawn a collective yawn while GWS have drawn unconsolable hysteria. What are we taking to another level? The absurdity of the pretenses of rugby league fans posting in this article that they don't care about the AFL and aren't worried, even to the point where they are creating imaginary friends? The hilarity of all the responses of RL fans trying to convince themselves more than anything of the AFL's impending failure? Yeah, I find it all pretty funny too..

So you're worried about the AFL on your friends behalf is it? Ok, fair enough.. not very credible though.. I laughed. But if you say so then I'll take you at your word. Maybe, because you really care about your mates and don't want them to drink too much and so on you should go buy a Swans membership? Solidarity and all that. http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/ Go on, you know you want to...

Good for you! There's no need to concern yourself with the AFL's expansion if you're so confident in the poor quality of the product.

It appears that your not really about them getting a better life by playing Australian football, what if the Irish governemnt gave some pocket money to teach a few kids Gaelic footy or Hurling with the oppurtunity to play it in Ireland if they were any good, would that be OK by you. What if the Australian Government gave them some money to learn rugby league, it would not bother me, would it bother you. The Governemnt gave a heap to PNG for league, is that OK, its OK with me, or is it a waste of taxpayers money.

They haven't.

jees how did the Australian Tourism Commission miss out on this opportunity???? You are funny

Stop bringing out the "NRL has better TV ratings than AFL, NRL deserves more money, CH 10 is taking a ratings hit in sydney on sat night etc etc" Its all wrong. AFL has better ratings, AFL definately deserves a LOT more money and ch 10 are not taking a ratings hit. This sums it up far better than I ever could http://www.convictcreations.com/football/battlestats.html

Oh, but it is good, it is very good, 53,000 people around the world playing our National and native game. Those 53,000 people and most likely their family and friends may want to visit this country and spend their pounds, dracmas , zac's and $ here, at the MCG, SCG, Subi etc and delight in our other native flora, fauna and beaches etc as well. It is a growing market --- sports tourism. So it is ours, your attitude is not very mature.

Joel Dogs of War is bang on. Once the anti siphoning legislation is changed (not far away), then league will not be allowed to be hoarded in Melbourne (as is the case now). The AFL will not only have to support fledging Sydney and Gold Coast teams, but will have rugby league an alternative into the lounge rooms of Melbourne sports fans. The rugby league rates well when shown at a decent time, and this time is about to happen more regularly than Demetriou and Eddie McGuire may like. Then and only then can AFL support be measured in an open market rather than through its protected status at the moment (particularly in Melbourne). Sydney has been rather more open for many years now and AFL has failed to make any headway!

Billo Boy - and let's be careful not to be too naive, The only way that your statement would have value is if the Hunt and Folau had approached the AFL and signed a contract to play no money or a typical AFL contract. as pretty well paid professionals, they wouldn't come to the AFL just to be on minimum pay. That's just not an option (although it was for Mike Pyke!!!). We know there's tremendous promotional components etc. We've seen alone the news that it's all generated (how much is 'curiousity' and how much was 'shock' at the reported $$$ etc,.....but, the interest in K.Hunt trotting out in a very, very early hit out for GCFC yesterday kinda says it all......if they weren't getting a good promotional fee above their playing fee,.....then they would clearly be getting exploited. None of this is news. The fact is that Hunt and Folau, if they DON'T realise that after 3-4 years in the AFL systemt that they will be very different athletes to what they are now, then they are sadly deluded. Who knows what their sporting 'currency' will be in 3-4 years time. It's a huge gamble on their behalf, and I guess includes that 'turn coat' element of knowing full well that they become 'propaganda' tools. I guess the size of their gamble depends a bit on what the 'safety net' clauses might be. What if Izzie does an ACL in his 2nd game, what if Karmichael suddenly does hammies and just can't get them right. So, I think it IS important that these guys - - - who were assumed to be leaving RL to go to RU, that they have opted instead to go to the AFL and take on a huge challenge. And don't doubt the size of the challenge - - all you had to see was K.Hunt's relatively average physical conditioning relative to a bunch of VFL and fringe AFL players on Sunday. Karmichael has a lot of hard work ahead of him and if he pull's it off he will have earned every dollar he get's paid.