MARK FINE hosts the evening show on SEN 1116.

Consider if you will a world in which qualities such as mateship, loyalty and self-sacrifice are scorned. A world in which the mercenaries are hailed as heroes. No, it's not the Twilight Zone, welcome to the new face of the AFL.

The defection of Israel Folau has put indelible smiles on the faces of football's supremos. Andrew Demetriou could barely contain his delight on the day the announcement was made that one of rugby league's highest profile players was committing to four years with Greater Western Sydney. The AFL had secured another pawn in its battle to win the hearts and minds of the unbelievers and the man charged with leading that battle was loving it.

Let's be clear as to why both Folau and Karmichael Hunt are being paid a king's ransom to make a career change that even the most optimistic onlooker would describe as speculative. They have been lured by the almighty dollar, as much as $1 million a year in the case of Hunt, and most likely more for Folau, to promote one code and bring another to its knees. Neither can be under any illusion that they are being paid on their value as a footballer, rather they both must know that they are marketing tools, key players in the war against rugby league that has been sparked by the AFL.

In war there is no greater scorn than that reserved for the turncoat. A Quisling or a Benedict Arnold, both terms for a traitor, are words derived from real people who changed sides during battle. GC 17 has their Quisling and GWS has their Benedict Arnold and whilst we should not be surprised that both clubs are celebrating their respective coups , the AFL should at least try to hide their glee at the defections.

We all know that the lines that separate the two new AFL clubs and the body that administers the sport is murky at best but the signing of Hunt and Folau and the subsequent celebration by the AFL shows that the sport's governing body is committed to taking an active role in guaranteeing the success of both clubs. Sadly their excitement at the future success of clubs under it's umbrella doesn't seem to stretch to teams that have been around for a little longer than their beloved two newborns.

There was no praise from HQ when brilliant young Carlton tyro Bryce Gibbs re-commited to the Blues in the face of a possible huge offer from GC17. Where was the doorstep interview with a beaming Andrew Demetriou when Dustin Martin indicated that his long term future was with the Tigers. Surely there should be official recognition of Martin's self-sacrifice and commitment. The young man is willing to sacrifice big money to stay at Richmond out of a sense of loyalty that has developed in his short time at the club. It seems as though self-sacrifice doesn't warrant a hastily convened media circus these days.

One would have thought that qualities shown by Gibbs, Martin and many others is something worth screaming from the highest rooftops. Shouldn't the AFL be publicly lauding these fine young men? Of course it should, but it never will, because it is the AFL itself, through its proxies GC17 and GWS, that made the inflated offers to lure young stars away from their existing clubs in the first place.

What we are left with is a world in which the disloyal receive high praise from the high commander and the true heroes are left ignored. It's a strange new world, one that even Rod Serling might have found a little hard to come to terms with.