Dozing off watching an agonisingly slow session of Australia v Pakistan Test cricket, one wonders (although some of the best cricket still comes from Test matches) where would cricket be today without the money, participation and new fans brought to the game since the 1970s World Series Cricket revolution championed the one-day match format.

In an increasingly time and space poor world, most team games have their smaller or shortened versions which encourage wider participation and are used to promote those sports in new markets. In comparison Australian Football, the big game on a big field, has been slow to embrace smaller formats.

In a recent book titled Soccernomics, the authors, a finance writer and an economist, stated that sporting leagues like the NFL and the AFL were likely be overwhelmed by soccer. “But Aussie rules can exist side by side with soccer. We said in the book that it may be a subsidised folklore festival so it is not my bet but I do think it is a distinct possibility," says one of the authors according to SBS's Matthew Hall. One must worry at the outset that people who love soccer enough to write a book about it might be slightly biased in their opinion, but be that as it may. Does such an idea make sense? Does the economics of it make sense?

Pictured at left is Papau New Guinea as it celebrates winning the 2008 International Cup

Last week's rookie draft featured several selections with international ties, one of whom was Sean Yoshiura. Yoshiura was born in Japan, where he spent the first seven years of his life; ethnically he is half-Japanese and half-Australian. On top of being a footballer, Yoshiura is a talented Cross Country runner who last year partook in the World Schoolboy Cross Country Championships.

His story can be read in articles in the Herald Sun and Courier Mail from before his signing and again in the Courier Mail following the draft.

The Japan AFL are aware of Yoshiura and perhaps as his career develops he will become a figurehead for the game in Japan, much like Aaron Edwards and David Rodan are for Samoa and Fiji respectively.

In another amazingly positive and unexpected move the Australian Football League has decided to field two international sides in the NAB AFL Under 16 championships in 2010, to be staged in western Sydney.

Originally a World side was to be selected to compete in Division Two of the tournament against Australian states and territories Queensland, NSW/ACT, Tasmania and Northern Territory, giving international youth an unprecedented chance to be exposed to AFL scouts and to compete at a higher level. The recently selected Oceania Training Squad was likely to fill most of the World spots, but the AFL has now decided to field both World and Pacific Islands teams.

The addition of the Pacific Islands team opens the door for many more juniors from around the world, with South Africa likely to dominate the World XVIII but presumably a number of spots up for grabs for players from other countries. The only downside is that the strength of the international teams will be less than a single side, making it that much more difficult to be competitive with the Aussie opposition.

There has been growing disquiet amongst Australia's AFL clubs as details trickle out regarding the country's bid for the 2018 or 2022 soccer World Cups. Because soccer generates little revenue in Australia, few large stadia are built for the round ball code - this means it needs the venues of other sports to stage the Cup. The major sporting codes have generally backed the plan, in principle, because the real politik of the situation is that the Federal Government wants the tournament as do many Australians. Despite Association Football being the major long term threat to Australian football Down Under, to run interference would be to alienate many Aussies and lose a strong supporter in the national Government. Potential stadia upgrades are another spinoff that could be lost.

However, details of exactly what the AFL will have to give up seem to be becoming more and more dramatic by the week. Soccer's governing body in Australia, the FFA, has made it clear that they want the MCG and major stadia in the other capitals. FIFA rules also apparently prevent other codes playing their matches in the same cities for the duration of the tournament. It seemed the AFL was prepared to accept all that to be seen to be playing nice, provided adequate compensation was provided. But now there are reports the whole AFL season could be in jeopardy.

Former Sydney Swans champion Michael O’Loughlin has been named the 2009 AFL Players’ Association Madden Medallist. O’Loughlin received the award in recognition of his on-field brilliance, outstanding off-field achievements, personal growth and community spirit shown throughout his 15 season career. Now in its third year, the AFLPA Madden Medal is named in honour of former AFLPA presidents and champion Essendon and Carlton players, brothers Simon and Justin Madden. The 2009 Madden Medal was presented to Michael O’Loughlin by the Madden brothers at a gala lunch event earlier today.

The AFLPA Executive committee faced a difficult task in choosing the winner, given the high calibre of AFL players retiring in 2009. O’Loughlin was selected as the 2009 Madden Medallist over retiring champions Matthew Richardson, Leo Barry, Matthew Lloyd, Tom Harley, David Wirrpanda, Adam Simpson, Jared Crouch and Joel Bowden.

Although there is clearly a battle between the football codes in Australia for the hearts and minds of fans, we don't encourage readers to be too critical of any sport, as they all have their upside and many supporters and players enjoy multiple codes.

But it was galling to see soccer club Gold Coast United's billionaire owner, Clive Palmer, bagging the new AFL club, suggesting the Gold Coast would fold within three years (reported back in May, see Football codes continue to position themselves). The gloating was short-lived.

Newly appointed Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy (pictured with New Zealand captain Andrew Congalton during the 2008 International Cup) has laid out the welcome mat for international talent.

As the new AFL club began to take shape there were small signs here and there that the AFL intended to focus heavily on the many immigrants that make up western Sydney. This made a stronger international connection a natural match, especially at a time when both non-AFL driven and AFL driven international growth has seen the first products of a new wave of non-Australian footy players begin to emerge. The introduction of international rookie lists, the AFL-AIS side touring and the upcoming Oceania tournament, along with some countries having a youth focus at the International Cup and the introduction of a World XVIII at the 2010 AFL Under 16s, have all pointed the way forward.

Will international footy change the way the game is played in Australia, from the MCG to Subiaco, from Football Park to the Gabba and on large and small grounds around the country?

This article explores the possibilities.

Four-time AFL premiership coach and Australian Football Hall of Fame member Kevin Sheedy (and great friend and spruiker of the international aspects of our game) was today announced as Head Coach of Team GWS.

In announcing Sheedy’s move to Western Sydney, AFL Chief Executive Officer Andrew Demetriou said the appointment of the coaching legend, who had coached Essendon for 27 years and four flags was the most significant appointment in the campaign for the 18th AFL licence to bring a team to Greater Western Sydney by 2012.

Mr Demetriou said the Team GWS had a significant challenge to meet the criteria as set by the AFL Commission and that Sheedy would have a role in both the development of the on-field and off-field structure of Team GWS. “This is a generational decision and the success of AFL in Greater Western Sydney won’t be known for 25 or 30 years but with a population of two million people, the AFL is serious about this venture and today’s appointment of one of the biggest names in AFL demonstrates our commitment to this region,” Mr Demetriou said.