There's been incessant discussion in recent weeks about the look of AFL football, much of it at least constructive suggestions about how the game might regain some of the aesthetic appeal it appears to have lost.
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It's a healthy debate that might well generate some positive ideas. But without trying to sound too alarmist, last Friday night served up some compelling evidence football may have an even bigger problem, one over which it has precious little control.
That evening, of course, presented one of the most unfortunate juxtapositions of two sporting events AFL football has known.
At Etihad Stadium in comfort under a closed roof, just 26,815 turned up to watch Hawthorn ritually demolish Carlton. Across town, meanwhile, at a far colder, rainswept MCG, a tick under 100,000 were there to watch in essence a soccer practice match between Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Globalisation has dramatically changed the way we live our lives. It was only a matter of time before that played out in a sporting context as well. But a trickle seems to have become a flood in an awful hurry. And those of us who have children are seeing the impact before our very eyes, and in our own homes.
If you're a parent, chances are you've heard of FIFA 15, or its earlier versions. If you're not, it's an interactive computer game played on consoles such as PlayStation and X-Box.
It's up there with the best, too, brilliant graphics and with an incredibly realistic feel. But its biggest calling card, in terms of promotion of the sport itself, is the real teams and real player profiles it uses as its basis.
My 13-year-old son, David, only a couple of years ago was neither here nor there about AFL football or soccer. He was, however, a keen gamer, and was quickly drawn in. Sound familiar?
He is now a fully-fledged soccer obsessive, following not only Melbourne Victory, but teams in the EPL, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga. He's started playing for a local soccer team and is loving every minute.
It's a story even if you haven't experienced it yourself, you're likely to have heard from a friend or relative. Drive past any number of schools now at recess and lunchtime and you're likely to see far more kids playing with a round ball than an oval-shaped one.
Gaming and electronic media are bywords to every child in the 21st century, and as an entrée to the "world game" it's an area in which the AFL, by virtue of its isolation in the sporting world, simply cannot compete.
At the same time, the advantage of proximity has been lost, particularly as AFL football strives as hard, and many would argue a lot harder, for a television audience as a live one.
What's the difference to a child of today between a live game featuring Chelsea and Manchester United or Carlton and Collingwood when both are available at the flick of a switch? And if he or she isn't already steeped in an AFL culture, which are the clubs and players with which they are likely to be more familiar? Three guesses.
Last Tuesday night, I took David to the MCG for the Manchester City-AS Roma clash. This game attracted only 40,000. But what was immediately apparent was the number of children among that number: far, far more than I have seen at any AFL game for years.
The anecdotal evidence continues to pile up. Former Essendon star Scott Lucas on the weekend spoke about an Auskick clinic he'd just attended at which half his time was spent not teaching drop punts or handballs, but refereeing a spirited debate among the kids who were there about who was the better player, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
What does it all mean for AFL? Not doomsday just yet. The big games still pull the fans. The grand final will be the biggest day on the Australian sporting calendar for a while yet.
But as soccer continues to pull in the youngsters first via gaming, then active participation, it's going to be no easy task maintaining a talent pool for the indigenous game that can sustain the elite standards we've come to expect.
This isn't a whinge. I love both sports. And I still maintain Australian Rules is the greatest game in the world. But it's a game stuck in a very small pond. A pond that is now being shared with a far bigger creature.
And while the AFL may work feverishly to get fitter, stronger and healthier, a creature in terms of size and scale it will never be able to outmuscle.
