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.
11. China
Port Adelaide's recent attempts to crack the Chinese market have been well publicised, however, Kochie's plans for Renminbi remuneration are hardly original.
Back in 2010, Melbourne and Brisbane played out a post-season exhibition game at Jiangwan Stadium before 7,100 sets of eyes.
Despite being billed as the ‘Shanghai Showdown', it was the alleged off-field reports of heavy drinking and vomitus coated rookies that people remember most from the international jaunt.
The Power returned to the same venue to play for Premiership points in 2017, '18 and '19, with three consecutive victories against the Suns and Saints respectively.
Although a fourth match was fixtured for 2020, these plans were canned due to strict Covid protocols
With international departure lounges closed and political tensions between Australia and China bubbling beyond the pots rim, it appears almost certain that a return to Shanghai is not written in the stars.
Should this be the case, it will be interesting to see whether Gillon McLachlan puts a pin in any further plans to gain international interest or whether he rolls the dice one last time.
Our game has been played on five of the globe's seven continents, with only Antarctica and South America missing out.
Although a game on ice would make for an interesting spectacle, perhaps the next move is to tackle the round ball code in the western hemisphere head on.
