Although from Sydney,
I think AFL is a great 'Running' Game of the Football genre.
You need good 'peripherial' vision to play it, much like Basketball and Ice Hockey as the opponents come from all directions and sometimes all at once.
It has a wonderful characteristic of the giant 'Mark' or leap into the air upon the back of another which is probably only rivaled by the Basketball "Slam Dunk". Although we rarely see good leaps since Warwick Capper's consistency.
As much as the NRL tries to compete with attaining popularity at 'Club Level', I think the AFL does this country proud upon that level of sporting culture. REAL NRL is all about the 'Test/International Level' like the Kangaroo Tours, not the St George Dragons V Sydney City Roosters which was like a silly version of the English v the French.
I think jealousy is a weakness and the NRL shows its jealousy towards the AFL's bigger (by 80%
) 'Club Level' crowds.
The ARUnion is slowly moving away from the International scene which it maintained as an AMATEUR Sport for a very long time. The majority of players were very well educated and financed by their own businesses to afford such 'tours' around the world. These days the TRI NATIONS (NZ,SA & OZ) are more popular (professionally) and the SUPER Series are just as big a crowd pullers and with the Argentinians set to join the Tri Nations (Four Nations - Southern Hemisphere) and the Victorians set to join the Super Series, things are set to get better for the Code of Union.
Note: Having lived 7 years in Melbourne/Vic, can't help but think that Victorian Rugby plays much like League in NSW and NSW Rugby plays much like Rules in Vic - Non-Running and Running Rugby.
Cricket seems to be our STATE Code of Sport as it has always been strong representing the States without bias (except NT ...but then again what does the NT do in sport anyway?
) and even the NRL State of Origin is fizzing out in popularity now that it is about Football and not punch-ups. Shame that State Cricket doesn't get the crowds, possibly the worst crowds
Maybe they need to make a few changes, like make Dirk Welham run it and out-do the Indian Competition? Test Cricker is bias towards the Bowlers and tooooo long a game (5 days!). Super 8's and 20/20 Cricket is bias towards the Batters and to short a game. One Dayers are great but need some 'equalising' changes to purify the set-up a bit and make things less ...predictable. Who knows, maybe State Cricket might one day have big crowds and pay big money and Cricketers from around the world coming to play?
I think the NRL should stop worrying about trying to beat AFL at its own game = Club Level and go out wearing the Kangaroo Jersey and visit places like Shanghai and others around the world and promote League as a good introduction to Australian Sport in general. I don't think AFL does the trick overseas to be quite honest.