Critics of Port Adelaide’s China adventure highlight just how isolated Australian football is from the real world

PAUL Roos and Wayne Carey have highlighted just how much the AFL does need to go to China — to get out of a narrow, isolated pod writes Michelangelo Rucci.

ON THE LONG ROAD ... to China. The Port Adelaide squad, including Ollie Wines, will fly to Shanghai on Tuesday evening with stops in Melbourne and Hong Kong. Picture: Sarah Reed

ADELAIDE United “world football” players must laugh when they read or hear AFL stalwarts such as Paul Roos and Wayne Carey.

Not to mention Olympic athletes, some of who still have to arrange chook raffles to fund their international training missions.

Roos has taken issue with how Port Adelaide and Gold Coast players will not all get business class seats for their travel to Shanghai this week when the AFL makes history in China.

The Sydney premiership coach, who enjoys such luxury seating in his media role, should speak to the United players about their recent travels to Asia. Or to the Australian men’s hockey teams that have taken cattle class on some “exotic” airlines.

And these are athletes who regularly travel the world — not just for a one-off game. Many of them still have to help load and unload the baggage at airports rather than have the seemingly pampered life of an AFL player in a system that has as many support staff as players.

In Shanghai, there will be 150 staffers from Australia to ensure this first AFL game for premiership points in the northern hemisphere is a success.

Who would not want to be a fly on the wall if Adelaide United chairman Greg Griffin ever bumps into Roos in an airport as he leaves a lounge ...

Carey is not having a great month behind the microphone, as Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson has highlighted.

The North Melbourne premiership hero has concluded: “If Port Adelaide miss the finals because they lose this game in China, then this has been a massive, massive, massive fail for Port Adelaide ... and I don’t care how much money they make out of it.”

Carey is more than a bit confused here.

Port Adelaide has not moved a home game from Adelaide Oval — it cannot by the agreement that binds the Crows and Power to keep all their home matches at the Oval.

Port Adelaide would seem a better chance of beating Gold Coast on neutral territory in Shanghai than at the Suns’ Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, particularly after the Suns just beat Geelong at home.

It is Gold Coast that sold a home game — for $500,000 — not Port Adelaide. Now had Carey argued the Suns are putting their chase for their first-ever AFL finals appearance at risk by moving a home game to Shanghai, he may have a point.

But Port Adelaide?

Will Carey argue that the Western Bulldogs have shot themselves in the foot by moving their clash with Port Adelaide from the Etihad Stadium to Ballarat in Round 22, effectively giving up a significant home-ground advantage?

There is one unexpected bonus in this weekend’s China adventure. It has highlighted how isolated Australian football has been in its thinking for far too long.

This is despite the constant claims that the homegrown Australian sport is the best game in the world.

More than a few Australian athletes who have been travelling the globe in economy seats — chasing world fame at their own cost — must be laughing loud — albeit in bewilderment — today.

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