So the future of the AFL includes players from South Africa, Argentina and California, does it?

Will post-match interviews in the year 2020 be peppered with the obligatory "I'd like to thank God for making that last handball possible?" Or will we need a translator to explain what star full forward Javier Rodriguez is saying about his great one-on-one battle with fullback Joost van der Zanden?

Alright, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. But if you read The Age sports pages about a week ago, you'd think it's a fait accompli that the script for the next 25 years of the AFL will be written by athletes from Buenos Aires, Compton and Durban.

I applaud the AFL's willingness to look beyond the shores of Australia for its talent. That approach has certainly worked for world soccer and for all of the American professional leagues. And in a competitive and ever-expanding sports marketplace, it makes sense to try to ensure that you have the best athletes who can put on the best show.

But let's not get carried away. While I have no doubt that there are great athletes in the US, Argentina and South Africa - who could certainly add a little something to the AFL - how many do you think will make the transition and become really good players?

Furthermore, let's say it all goes according to plan and we're inundated with foreign players. Is that really what we want?

One of the beautiful things about Australian Rules football is that it is what it is. Australian Rules football. It's played in one country and one country only. It's a quirky, goofy game that only those who live here, come from here or visit here can understand.

The idea that nine of 16 teams are located in one city still fascinates me. As does the concept of a footy story leading the nightly news. Or the fact that The Footy Show is still must-see TV. I find it intriguing that footy can often make an Australian kid more money than a global sport like basketball or soccer.

The AFL and others may point to the influx of "outsiders" in places like the English Premier League, the NBA or Major League Baseball. Keep in mind, those interlopers actually grow up playing that sport in their respective countries. Soccer is king from Latvia to Lesotho, so it's no wonder that the EPL is filled with exotic talent. In basketball, places like Croatia, Lithuania, Greece and Brazil have been cranking out elite players for years. And kids in the Dominican Republic are more likely to want to play baseball for a living than American kids.

That's completely different than going to Cape Town or Cali to try and teach them how to play footy. No one had to explain to Ichiro Suzuki how to catch a fly ball. Didier Drogba knew how to kick a football before Chelsea came calling. And Toni Kukoc didn't need Phil Jackson to show him how to dribble.

Think about which foreigners have had the most impact on Aussie Rules: Jim Stynes, Tadgh Kennelly and the other Irish, who grew up playing a game which requires similar skills. Sure California has millions of athletes. Can you teach them footy? Can you persuade them to give up NBA or NFL dreams to come to Australia? Once they get here, will any of it make sense to them?

I realize the AFL is constantly looking, not only over its shoulder, but across the seas at other sports. And I know the pressure is on to find better athletes. At the risk of sounding xenophobic, we've got a pretty good thing going right here. Don't we?