Despite football fans rarely agreeing upon anything, there is one belief that we all hold – Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport on earth.
With its laws forged from the Anglo-Celtic ethos of a fair go and its expansiveness born from the indigenous game of Marngrook, our game is more than simply entertainment – it is a true expression of identity.
It is quintessentially Australian, so why wouldn't we want to share it?
Due to this common agreement of sporting superiority and in an effort to spread the good word, we have seen our code exported to various far-flung locations around the globe.
Although these excursions may have ultimately proven futile, it is worth remembering the endeavors all the same.
As none of us will be able to jet off internationally any time in the foreseeable future, here is a list you can live vicariously through, comprised of the eleven countries Aussie Rules has officially been played in.
10. United Arab Emirates
In the same season the Fremantle and Carlton returned the game to South Africa, the Magpies and Crows spread their wings and flew further north to the UAE.
The 2008 NAB Cup clash, played at Abu Dhabi's Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club, was played in blistering heat before a sell-out crowd of 6,102 sweltering spectators.
Despite their long-term sponsor Emirates airlines aiding in getting the game off the ground (pardon the pun), Collingwood were annihilated by the pre-season Grand Final bound Crows to the tune of 81 points.
Interestingly, prior to the desert demolition, a curtain raiser was played on the converted oval between local outfits the Dubai Dingoes and the aptly named Dubai Heat.
With arid conditions and four quarters of aerobic attrition proving as lousy a partnership as orange juice and toothpaste, it is little wonder why a second Middle Eastern mission has yet to be embarked upon.
